Ancient Religion

Ileana, Princess of Romania and Archduchess of Austria who in later life became Mother Alexandra, founder of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Pennsylvania wrote this memoir shortly after relocating to the US in the 1950s. It tells the story of a life full of suffering, tragedy, and exile, but all is suffused with the author's deep faith, hope, love, and even joy.

Are you a new Orthodox Christian, confused about what you need to do to grow in your faith? Or perhaps you've been Orthodox for some time but could use a refresher course in basic spirituality. Popular podcaster Fr. Evan Armatas explains the fundamentals of the three-legged stool of Orthdoox practice - prayer, almsgiving, and fasting - in terms that everyone can understand and implement. Let Fr. Evan help you establish your life in Christ on a firm footing.

Gnosticism is one of the great mysteries in the history of Western religion. At its core is an ancient Greek word, gnosis, a word prominent in the writings of Plato which refers to a deep personal knowledge or understanding that often transcends the physical world. The Gnostics painted a picture of a fallen, broken world in which physicality was a product of a lesser deity. This deity was created in defiance of the One and in order to trap humans and blind them to the truths of their predicament and divine origins.

This comprehensive history sets yoga in its global cultural context for the first time. It leads us on a fascinating journey across the world, from arcane religious rituals and medieval body-magic, through muscular Christianity and the British Raj, to the Indian nationalist movement and the arrival of yoga in the 20th-century West. We discover how the practice reached its present-day ubiquity and how it became embedded in powerful social currents shaping the world's future.

As the Enlightenment movement was gathering strength in the early 18th century, various challenges to established religious faith were launched. In response, a number of celebrated commentators produced defences of religion and morality, and among these was Alexander Pope, who was inspired to write "some pieces on Human Life and Manners." The result was a collection of poems in rhyming couplets, designated "Epistles", which were published in instalments.

By the end of Diocletian's reign in the opening years of the fourth century, the pagan world had collapsed into the arms of a multicultural religious movement which had spread from the eastern Mediterranean. These were the "mystery religions" which had been in competition with one another for a century. By the time of Constantine, they had spread everywhere within the empire. But one of these religions, Christianity, was chosen by the young emperor.

Dante Alighieri is indisputably one of the world's greatest poets. His epic masterpiece, the Divine Comedy, has been frequently referred to as the supreme work of Italian literature and a staple in the Western Christian tradition. Now, you can explore Dante's life and masterwork with a truly gifted Catholic professor as your guide. In this 12-lecture series, Dante's Divine Comedy, Sr. Mary Clemente Davlin will take you through this timeless narrative that has so profoundly influenced Western history, literature, and the Christian faith.

The ancient world was full of many fantastic cities and places, and like today’s major cities, the great ancient cities were hubs of trade, religion, and science. Writing was first invented in ancient cities, and many important scientific discoveries were also made in them, some of which are still used in the modern world. Among the many cities of the ancient world, Rome and Athens may come to mind first, but the city of Babylon in the land of Mesopotamia was already an ancient, venerated city when the others were still inconsequential settlements.

This book addresses the question from theological, practical, and experiential perspectives, giving individuals and families with disabilities the opportunity to voice their needs and suggest some things the rest of us can do to make them welcome in the household of God.

This practical, how-to book will help churches plan and implement passionate and invigorating worship. Step by step, author Lester Ruth and contributors Zachary Barnes, Andrew Eastes, Jonathan Ottaway, Adam Perez, Glenn Stallsmith, and Deborah Wong break down the process of re-thinking what the official or recommended order of worship is truly suggesting, so pastors and worship leaders can plan and lead a service of Word and Table that feels genuinely relevant and attuned to the congregation's culture.

Explores beliefs and myths from Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and around the Mediterranean, revealing how ancient goddesses were powerful Queens of the Heavens and Guardians of the Underworld, not passive fertility symbols

Master Sha's Soul Healing Miracles teaches and empowers humanity to create soul healing miracles. Listeners will learn sacred wisdom and apply practical techniques. Everyone can create his or her own soul healing miracles.

Suspend your disbelief and embark on a journey through time and space, stepping into a world of Norse magic, paganism, runes, mythology, and mystery.

Make no mistake, the sacred gods are active. The African continent is home to ancestors, sacred deities, and diverse cultures. Among them is the Yoruba tradition, one of Africa’s most powerful societies. Standing the test of time and thriving against extinction, the Yoruba culture is one of the few African cultures that have crossed the vast oceans and continue to thrive today. Devotees spend their lives under the sacred guiding influence of the gods and are open to sharing the secrets of Orisha with those who seek knowledge.

The very popular prayer book for Orthodox youth Hear Me has now been revised to include more prayers, answer more questions, and tackle additional difficult subject matter with which our young people are constantly faced. The mission of Hear Me remains the same: to inspire young people to pray, to challenge Orthodox high schoolers and young adults in their walk with Christ, to offer encouragement, help answer questions, give direction, and ultimately be an added guide in finding one’s own path toward theosis.

The Yoruba people come from an ancient culture whose homeland lies in present-day Nigeria. In their religion, numerous deities are present and active in our daily lives, like the supreme being Olodumare and the divine Orishas. Authenticity, sincerity, discipline, and respect are of utmost importance, and spirits speak directly to us in their own metaphorical language.

As the title suggests, Wright examines the similarities between the Druids and a wide variety of their contemporaries, such as the Indian Brahmans, who share a number of religious symbols and practices. There is a fair amount of discussion regarding the symbol of the oak tree in both Druidism and Judaism as well as other faiths.

The great Indian epic - the Ramayana - has been told and retold over thousands of years by poets, performers, and writers. It is a tale of courage and fear, love and hate, devotion and betrayal. The epic spans the three worlds of gods, humans, and demons. Here, the forces of good and evil collide, locked in a battle for the ultimate supremacy. Rama, the crown prince of Kosala, descendent of the timeless Surya dynasty, must face unimaginable danger, but what lies in his destiny?

Everyone is fascinated by the mysteries of the unknown. And who wouldn't want to know - or change - their future circumstances? Tarot cards are the most popular of all the fortune telling mediums by far. Tarot cards make it easy to understand clues and give quick, easy answers to the questions and mysteries of your unknown future. Begin to explore the cards as a beginner, and learn to read the cards to understand what the future holds.

In Central America, doctors of different colors came down out of the sky, mated with humans and begat 1,200 children. Nearby lived the Magic Wallas, a tribe of unusual Indians whom bullets could not touch. They flew through the sky, controlled the weather, and spoke the language of today’s Nordic extraterrestrials. In North America, a supernatural race befriended the Cherokee Indians and transported an entire village to another world. Flying machines empowered whichever Medicine Man possessed one, while giants produced children with humans.