Download or read book Water A Spiritual History written by Ian Bradley and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2012-11-02 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water has long been associated with the magical, the mysterious and the divine. From sacred springs to holy wells, and from hydropathic cures and temperance reform to the modern spa, Ian Bradley explores how water's creative, health-giving and restorative powers have been conceived, worshipped and marketed in an essentially spiritual way. In pre-Christian times, springs and rivers were seen as the dwelling places of deities with magical life-giving and curative powers, associated especially with the feminine and with ritual cleansing and rebirth. With the coming of Christianity, water was incorporated into Christian ritual and tradition through baptism and the cult of holy wells. From the 16th century onwards, the benefits of water came to be seen more in terms of therapeutic healing than the miraculous. Through the development of drinking and bathing cures, spas and hydrotherapy, a more scientific but still essentially spiritual understanding of the curative properties of water was developed. By the eighteenth century, spas and watering places had acquired their own enchanted and mysterious qualities, in many ways taking the place of medieval pilgrim shrines. Now, a new, more hedonistic kind of pilgrim comes to modern spas to experience a potent post-modern elixir of self-oriented well-being.
Download or read book The Spiritual History of Ice written by E. Wilson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2003-05-15 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the eighteenth century, scientists for the first time demonstrated what medieval and renaissance alchemists had long suspected; ice is not lifeless but vital, a crystalline revelation of vigorous powers. Studied in esoteric and exoterical representations of frozen phenomena, several Romantic figures - including Coleridge and Poe, Percy and Mary Shelley, Emerson and Thoreau - challenged traditional notions of ice as waste and instead celebrated crystals, glaciers, and the poles as special disclosures of a holistic principle of being. The Spiritual History of Ice explores this ecology of frozen shapes in fascinating detail, revealing not only a neglected current of the Romantic age but also a secret history and psychology of ice.
Download or read book God written by Reza Aslan and published by Random House. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of Zealot and host of Believer explores humanity’s quest to make sense of the divine in this concise and fascinating history of our understanding of God. In Zealot, Reza Aslan replaced the staid, well-worn portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth with a startling new image of the man in all his contradictions. In his new book, Aslan takes on a subject even more immense: God, writ large. In layered prose and with thoughtful, accessible scholarship, Aslan narrates the history of religion as a remarkably cohesive attempt to understand the divine by giving it human traits and emotions. According to Aslan, this innate desire to humanize God is hardwired in our brains, making it a central feature of nearly every religious tradition. As Aslan writes, “Whether we are aware of it or not, and regardless of whether we’re believers or not, what the vast majority of us think about when we think about God is a divine version of ourselves.” But this projection is not without consequences. We bestow upon God not just all that is good in human nature—our compassion, our thirst for justice—but all that is bad in it: our greed, our bigotry, our penchant for violence. All these qualities inform our religions, cultures, and governments. More than just a history of our understanding of God, this book is an attempt to get to the root of this humanizing impulse in order to develop a more universal spirituality. Whether you believe in one God, many gods, or no god at all, God: A Human History will challenge the way you think about the divine and its role in our everyday lives. Praise for God “Timely, riveting, enlightening and necessary.”—HuffPost “Tantalizing . . . Driven by [Reza] Aslan’s grace and curiosity, God . . . helps us pan out from our troubled times, while asking us to consider a more expansive view of the divine in contemporary life.”—The Seattle Times “A fascinating exploration of the interaction of our humanity and God.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “[Aslan’s] slim, yet ambitious book [is] the story of how humans have created God with a capital G, and it’s thoroughly mind-blowing.”—Los Angeles Review of Books “Aslan is a born storyteller, and there is much to enjoy in this intelligent survey.”—San Francisco Chronicle
Download or read book Spirituality A Very Short Introduction written by Philip Sheldrake and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-11-29 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It has been suggested that 'spirituality' has become a word that 'can define an era'. Why? Because paradoxically, alongside a decline in traditional religious affiliations, the growing interest in spirituality and the use of the word in a variety of contexts is a striking aspect of contemporary western cultures. Indeed, spirituality is sometimes contrasted attractively with religion, although this is problematic and implies that religion is essentially dogma, moralism, institutions, buildings, and hierarchies. The notion of spirituality expresses the fact that many people are driven by goals that concern more than material satisfaction. Broadly, it refers to the deepest values and sense of meaning by which people seek to live. Sometimes these values are conventionally religious. Sometimes they are associated with what is understood as 'the sacred' in a broader sense - that is, of ultimate rather than merely instrumental importance. This Very Short Introduction, written by one of the most eminent scholars and writers on spirituality, explores the historical foundations of the thought and considers how it came to have the significance it is developing today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Download or read book Divining History written by Jayne Svenungsson and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2016-08-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For millennia, messianic visions of redemption have inspired men and women to turn against unjust and oppressive orders. Yet these very same traditions are regularly decried as antecedents to the violent and authoritarian ideologies of modernity. Informed in equal parts by theology and historical theory, this book offers a provocative exploration of this double-edged legacy. Author Jayne Svenungsson rigorously pursues a middle path between utopian arrogance and an enervated postmodernism, assessing the impact of Jewish and Christian theologies of history on subsequent thinkers, and in the process identifying a web of spiritual and intellectual motifs extending from ancient Jewish prophets to contemporary radicals such as Giorgio Agamben and Slavoj Zizek.
Download or read book A Brief History of Spirituality written by Philip Sheldrake and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-02-09 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Brief History of Spirituality tells the story of Christian spirituality from its origins in the New Testament to the present day. Charts the main figures, ideas, images and historical periods, showing how and why spirituality has changed and developed over the centuries Draws out the distinctive themes of Christian spirituality, exploring the historical and cultural events and experiences that changed people’s attitudes and practices Coverage extends right up to the modern day, exploring the huge changes in spirituality in recent years and the way it is nowadays often contrasted with ‘religion’ Written by a leading commentator on spirituality, and published in the popular Brief Histories of Religion series
Download or read book Turning Points in Spiritual History written by Rudolf Steiner and published by SteinerBooks. This book was released on 2007-03 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this powerful, moving book, first published in 1946, Berdyaev is not so interested in the empirical details of Russian history as he is in "the thought of the Creator about Russia." The "Russian idea" is thus a mystical notion. Religion and philosophy--not economics or politics--determine history and society. Berdyaev begins his story in the nineteenth century, tracing the lineage of such powerful artists and thinkers as Chaadev, Khomyakov, Kireevksy, Leontyev, Aksakov, Hertzen, and Bakunin, all of whom struggled to integrate the polarities of East and West, spirit and matter, and male and female in the Russian soul. That soul, however, is so immense, boundless, and vague that it is incapable of settling for "the halfway kingdom of culture." Demanding all or nothing--alternately apocalyptic and nihilistic--Russians strove to justify culture and discover Russia's mystical mission. Impatient with the slow pace of history, distrusting all authority, and yet haunted by a vision of unity, thinkers such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Federov, and Solovyov created an original and vital religious philosophy that culminated in the Russian renaissance at the beginning of the twentieth century. The fruit of these great figures--of whom Berdyaev was one (others included Florensky, Bulgakov, Rozanov, Merezhkovsky, Blok, and Bely)--was cut short by the 1917 Revolution. More recently, their works have been available in self-published (Samizdat) editions. A great philosophical and spiritual rebirth was occurring underground. Now they are available again in this book, which is essential reading for an understanding of the new Russia.
Download or read book Spiritual History written by Andrew Lincoln and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: William Blake's The Four Zoas is one of the most challenging poems in the English language, and one of the most profound. It is also one of the least read of the major poetic narratives of the Romantic period. Spiritual History presents a much-needed introduction to the poem, but it will also be of great interest to those already familiar with it. The first full-length study to examine in detail Blake's numerous manuscript revisions of the poem, Spiritual History shows this much misunderstood poem to be the most extraordinary product of the eighteenth-century tradition of philosophical history.
Download or read book Sacred Bliss written by Mark S. Ferrara and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-10-20 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most important relationships that human beings have with plants is changing our consciousness—consider the plants that give us coffee, tea, chocolate, and nicotine. Sacred Bliss challenges traditional attitudes about cannabis by tracing its essential role in the spiritual and curative traditions in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas from prehistory to the present day. In highlighting the continued use of cannabis around the globe, Sacred Bliss offers compelling evidence of cannabis as an entheogen used for thousands of years to evoke peak-experiences, or moments of expanded perception or spiritual awareness. Today, the growing utilization of medical cannabis to alleviate the pain and symptoms of physical illness raises the possibility of using cannabis to treat the mind along with the body. By engaging sacred and secular texts from around the world, Sacred Bliss demonstrates that throughout religious history, cannabis has offered access to increased imagination and creativity, heightened perspective and insight, and deeper levels of thought.
Download or read book A Spiritual History of the Western Tradition written by Rabbi Barry Albin and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2008-08-01 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a history book about how we came to believe what we believe and the effects of our faith upon the world around us. The commentary is insightful and biting. This book is for a person who wants to be challenged.
Download or read book Charting Spiritual Care written by Simon Peng-Keller and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-08-10 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access volume is the first academic book on the controversial issue of including spiritual care in integrated electronic medical records (EMR). Based on an international study group comprising researchers from Europe (The Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland), the United States, Canada, and Australia, this edited collection provides an overview of different charting practices and experiences in various countries and healthcare contexts. Encompassing case studies and analyses of theological, ethical, legal, healthcare policy, and practical issues, the volume is a groundbreaking reference for future discussion, research, and strategic planning for inter- or multi-faith healthcare chaplains and other spiritual care providers involved in the new field of documenting spiritual care in EMR. Topics explored among the chapters include: Spiritual Care Charting/Documenting/Recording/Assessment Charting Spiritual Care: Psychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Aspects Palliative Chaplain Spiritual Assessment Progress Notes Charting Spiritual Care: Ethical Perspectives Charting Spiritual Care in Digital Health: Analyses and Perspectives Charting Spiritual Care: The Emerging Role of Chaplaincy Records in Global Health Care is an essential resource for researchers in interprofessional spiritual care and healthcare chaplaincy, healthcare chaplains and other spiritual caregivers (nurses, physicians, psychologists, etc.), practical theologians and health ethicists, and church and denominational representatives.
Download or read book Children of the New Age written by Steven Sutcliffe and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-11 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the first true social history of New Age culture, this presents an unrivalled overview of the diverse varieties of New Age belief and practise from the 1930s to the present day.
Download or read book Whisperers written by J.H. Brennan and published by ABRAMS. This book was released on 2013-06-13 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “From the hair-raising to the eyebrow-raising, this is a scintillating account of meetings with spirits through history” (Mark Booth, New York Times–bestselling author). It may seem incredible, but as bestselling novelist and occult expert J.H. Brennan reveals in this eye-opening new history, there is a wealth of evidence to suggest that the disembodied voices of spirits may have subtly directed the course of human events. In Whisperers, Brennan explores how the “spirit world”—whether we believe in it or not—has influenced our own since the dawn of civilization. With a novelist’s flair and a scholar’s keen eye, Brennan details the supernatural affinities of world leaders from King Nebuchadnezzar to Adolf Hitler, showing how the decisions and policies of each have been shaped by their supernatural beliefs and encounters. Brennan also examines the impact of visions, from shamanism in native cultures to prophets such as Joan of Arc. Chronicling millennia of contact between the spirit world and our own, Whisperers presents an entirely new and different way to look at history. “Prolific Irish author and lecturer Brennan’s lifelong fascination with psychic phenomena fuels this comprehensive analysis of potential supernatural influences on history. . . . Certain hokum for skeptics, but the more open-minded will savor this chillingly convincing testimonial.” —Kirkus Reviews “J.H. Brennan is an expert storyteller who paints an often terrifying picture of how human destiny has regularly been changed forever by individuals convinced they were in communication with intelligences from beyond. In Whisperers, Brennan has created a unique and timely history of spirit voices that is both brilliant and utterly chilling.” —Andrew Donkin, coauthor of Illegal
Download or read book Spirituality and Psychiatry written by Christopher C. H. Cook and published by RCPsych Publications. This book was released on 2022-10-20 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spirituality and Psychiatry addresses the crucial but often overlooked relevance of spirituality to mental well-being and psychiatric care. This updated and expanded second edition explores the nature of spirituality, its relationship to religion, and the reasons for its importance in clinical practice. Contributors discuss the prevention and management of illness, and the maintenance of recovery. Different chapters focus on the subspecialties of psychiatry, including psychotherapy, child and adolescent psychiatry, intellectual disability, forensic psychiatry, substance misuse, and old age psychiatry. The book provides a critical review of the literature and a response to the questions posed by researchers, service users and clinicians, concerning the importance of spirituality in mental healthcare. With contributions from psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, nurses, mental healthcare chaplains and neuroscientists, and a patient perspective, this book is an invaluable clinical handbook for anyone interested in the place of spirituality in psychiatric practice.
Download or read book A Republic of Mind and Spirit written by Catherine L. Albanese and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Mexicans and Americans joined together to transform the U.S.-Mexico borderlands into a crossroads of modern economic development. This book reveals the forgotten story of their ambitious dreams and their ultimate failure to control this fugitive terrain. Focusing on a mining region that spilled across the Arizona-Sonora border, this book shows how entrepreneurs, corporations, and statesmen tried to domesticate nature and society within a transnational context. Efforts to tame a 'wild' frontier were stymied by labour struggles, social conflict, and revolution. Fugitive Landscapes explores the making and unmaking of the U.S.-Mexico border, telling how ordinary people resisted the domination of empires, nations, and corporations to shape transnational history on their own terms. By moving beyond traditional national narratives, it offers new lessons for our own border-crossing age.
Download or read book A History of Christian Spirituality written by Urban T. Holmes III and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2002-02 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This modern classic explores the key concepts and people who have shaped our Christian spiritual heritage. Concise and readable Holmes begins this introduction to Christian spirituality with the Jewish antecedents, and proceeds through the New Testament period, monasticism, the Middle Ages, Byzantine spirituality, and the modern period. Holmes ends his overview with key contemporary figures such as Simone Weil, Thomas Merton, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Brief bibliographies of the books written by each notable figure are included for those who wish to read more extensively. A History of Christian Spirituality is the perfect book for introductory classes at the M. Div. level, for diaconate programs, lay people or parish study classes of all Christian denominations, and for any reference collection. This is a unique and invaluable learning tool and reference for readers, students, or teachers who want a quick explanation of the significance of a person or idea, or who are interested in a broad overview of the entire field.
Download or read book Dwellings written by Linda Hogan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1996-09-17 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether she is writing about bats, bees, procupines, or wolves, contemplating the mysteries of caves, or delving into the traditions, beliefs, and myths of Native American cultures, Linda Hogan expresses a deep reverence for the dwelling we all share--the Earth. 16 line drawings.
