Art Religion

From prehistoric Mexico to modern Istanbul, Mary Beard looks beyond the familiar canon of Western imagery to explore the history of art, religion, and humanity. Conceived as an accompaniment to How Do We Look and The Eye of Faith, the famed Civilizations shows on PBS, renowned classicist Mary Beard has created this elegant volume on how we have looked at art.

Blood Letters tells the astonishing tale of Lin Zhao, a poet and journalist arrested by the authorities in 1960 and executed eight years later, at the height of the Cultural Revolution. The only Chinese citizen known to have openly and steadfastly opposed communism under Mao, she rooted her dissent in her Christian faith—and expressed it in long, prophetic writings done in her own blood, and at times on her clothes and on cloth torn from her bedsheets.

Born and raised in a tight-knit Orthodox Jewish family, Tova Mirvis committed herself to observing the rules and rituals prescribed by this way of life. After all, to observe was to be accepted and to be accepted was to be loved. She married a man from within the fold and quickly began a family. But over the years, her doubts became noisier than her faith, and at age 40 she could no longer breathe in what had become a suffocating existence.

Do you read or listen to The Chronicles of Narnia sensing that the stories are full of biblical parallels, even if you're not always sure what they are or where to find them? This user-friendly companion to The Chronicles of Narnia is written for C. S. Lewis audiences like you who want to discover the books' biblical and Christian roots. Listen to it, and you'll find that this chapter-by-chapter, book-by-book examination of The Chronicles will widen your spiritual vision.

Even if others abandon you, you must never abandon yourself. This simple truth became Terry Helwig’s lifeline as she was forced to grow up too soon. Terry grew up the oldest of six girls in the big-sky country of the American Southwest, where she attended 12 schools in 11 years. Helwig’s stepfather, Davy, a good-hearted and loving man, proudly purchased a mobile home to enable his family to move more easily from one oil town to another, where Davy eked out a living in the oil fields.

Brian Godawa, Hollywood screenwriter and novelist, explores the nature of imagination in the Bible. How God subverts pagan religions by appropriating their creativity and redeeming them within a Biblical worldview. Improve your imagination in glorifying God and defending the faith.

This banned and largely forgotten biblical book, dating to the first century, is a series of secret messages and instructions, which Moses revealed to Joshua, prior to the act of passing leadership of the Israelites on to him, and it includes apocalyptic descriptions in addition to prophecies. It is a fascinating look at one small piece of a much larger, rich history of the myths surrounding Moses.

"With humor and lyrical grace," Kathleen Norris meditates on a place in the American landscape that is at once desolate and sublime, harsh, and forgiving, steeped in history and myth (San Francisco Chronicle). A combination of reporting and reflection, Dakota reminds us that wherever we go, we chart our own spiritual geography.

The Art of Listening to Life, Joseph's third book, is an in-depth look at understanding the creative process that is behind the adverse situations and circumstances that enter our lives and provides vital and powerful clues for making sense of what is happening. When we ignore our own inner wisdom, life sends us messages. If the initial messages are missed or ignored, then they can become intense callings that manifest themselves in a more powerful way, through injury and disease.

Self-care begins with understanding the power within you – and knowing exactly what strategies you need for your body and mind. And witchcraft has the answers... No matter how much the pull of nature and your interest in magick calls to you, the everyday stress of a busy life can take its toll. What do you think of when you think of self-care? Self-care can be anything – as long as it involves you doing things that are good for your physical, emotional, or psychological well-being… it needs to align with your passions, your interests, and the things that make you feel good.

An effective alternative to vapid "flavor-of-the-day" pop psychology, these sermons offer deeply founded and time-proven relief for the troubles of the soul. These works provide inspiration for all, religious or not, and are highly entertaining!

In Saint Augustine's Confessions, he writes about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life. He discusses his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology. He writes about Nebridius's role in helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and Saint Ambrose's role in his conversion to Christianity.

In Japanese gardens, composition follows from placement of the first stone; all elements and plantings become interconnected. These eight essays on Kyoto gardens similarly begin with keen description and build into richly meditative excursions into art, Buddhism, nature, and science. Landscape architect Marc Keane shows how Japanese gardens are both a microcosm of the natural universe and a clear expression of our humanity, mirroring how we think, worship, and organize our lives and communities.

True peace comes from understanding and integrating every part of your being! Do you feel disconnected from your true self or struggle to find peace in a busy world? What if you could understand and balance the core elements of your being—your body, mind, and consciousness—to unlock a profound sense of harmony and inner peace? The Art and Science of Spiritual Triangle is your guide to exploring these essential aspects of yourself and learning how to integrate them for a richer, more fulfilling life.

Unshakable Awareness addresses a critical need for unsettled times - how to stay present, clear-minded, and calm when facing unpredictable life events. It offers a recipe for grounded presence when life is challenging. Unshakable Awareness will teach you to remain clear and centered under extreme pressure.

As a unique individual who is a human embodiment of the One Universal Consciousness, you may have some questions about how to properly operate your vehicle. Wait no longer! This audiobook covers the basics: the nature of reality as a unified energetic system; the evolution of human consciousness; how the human body and mind function according to fractal energetic principles; the nature of the ego; unitary consciousness and mystical experience; navigating human cultures, religions, and belief systems; death; and meaning of it all!

One of the first pieces of Krishna-conscious literature widely distributed in the western world, this work inspired many to investigate the spiritual dimension of their lives. This is the opportunity to understand the deepest truth of devotional yoga. If you miss this opportunity in the human form of life—the developed consciousness—you will slip again into the cycle of 8 million, 400 thousand species of life one form after another.

Do you ever find yourself endlessly scrolling through social media, bombarded by images of seemingly perfect lives? Does that nagging voice whisper in your ear, comparing your journey to someone else's highlight reel? If you're tired of feeling like you're not enough, this "Stop Comparing Yourself to Others - Be Yourself Audio Meditation Course" can help you break free.

We are all improvisers! The principle of "yes, and..." in improvisational theater has produced a lot of great comedy. But it also offers an invigo­rating approach to life in general, and the spiritual life in particular...Pastor, speaker, and improv aficionada MaryAnn McKibben Dana here blends scripture, psychology, theology, and pop culture in a wise, funny, down-to-earth guide to improv as a practice for life.

Looking at Mindfulness collects classic and esoteric paintings, from Rembrandt to Hopper to Magritte, and offers a lucid commentary on the inner workings of each. André describes the dynamic on the canvas and turns to the viewer's own reactions, exploring the connection between what we see and what we feel. Moving beyond the art, André teaches us what it means to consider our surroundings, our daily interactions and obligations, and their effects on our inner well-being.