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William James believed that individual religious experiences, rather than the precepts of organized religions, were the backbone of the world's religious life. His discussions of conversion, repentance, mysticism and saintliness, and his observations on actual, personal religious experiences -- all support this thesis. In his introduction, Martin E. Marty discusses how James' pluralistic view of religion led to his remarkable tolerance of extreme...
3) Siddhartha
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Siddhartha (first published in 1922) is a novel based on the early life of Buddha, inspired by the author's visit to India before the First World War. The novel is about the young Brahmin Siddhartha's search for self-realization. Disturbed by the contradictions between his comfortable life and the harsh reality around him, he takes to the life of a wanderer. But the shunning of all temptation in an ascetic life does not give him a sense of fulfillment...
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"Black Elk Speaks is widely hailed as a religious classic, one of the best spiritual books of the modern era and the bestselling book of all time by an American Indian. This inspirational and unfailingly powerful story reveals the life and visions of the Lakota healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863?1950) and the tragic history of his Sioux people during the epic closing decades of the Old West. In 1930, the aging Black Elk met a kindred spirit, the famed...
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"God Is Not Great" is the ultimate case against religion. In a series of acute readings of the major religious texts, Christopher Hitchens demonstrates the ways in which religion is man-made, dangerously sexually repressive and distorts the very origins of the cosmos. Above all, Hitchens argues that the concept of an omniscient God has profoundly damaged humanity, and proposes that the world might be a great deal better off without 'him'
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
In this seminal text on atheism and the contentious debate over science and religion, renowned scientist Richard Dawkins examines the irrationality of believing in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society.
From the sex-obsessed tyrant in the Old Testament to the more benign Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers, Dawkins rigorously analyzes
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Author Mitch Albom, having been asked to write a eulogy for an elderly rabbi, begins a relationship with the man in order to get to know him better, and, in the process, also becomes involved with the plight of a local pastor whose church is falling down around him, leading Mitch to better understand the importance of faith.
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"Curious about the chains that bound Fenriswulf in Norse mythology? Or the hut of Baba Yaga, the infamous witch of Russian folklore? Containing more than one thousand detailed entries on the magical and mythical items from the different folklore, legends, and religions the world over, this encyclopedia is the first of its kind. From Abadi, the named stone in Roman mythology to Zul-Hajam, one of the four swords said to belong to the prophet Mohammed,...
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D.H. Lawrence considered 'The Plumed Serpent' his best novel, while some critics considered it blasphemous and misogynistic.
Controversy followed the author around, but this is a thrilling and original tale set in post-revolutionary Mexico.
Irish tourist Kate Leslie meets Don Cipriano and Don Ramon Carrasco, founders of the religious movement The Men of Quetzalcoatl.
They believe themselves to be reincarnated Aztec gods and aim to wipe from the face...
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In Gods Mechanics, Brother Guy tells the stories of those who identify with the scientific mindsetso-called techieswhile practicing religion. A full fledged techie himself, he relates some classic philosophical reflections, his interviews with dozens of fellow techies, and his own personal take on his Catholic beliefs to provide, like a set of worked out sample problems, the hard data on the challenges and joys of embracing a life of faith as a techie....
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"At the heart of the nation's spiritual history are audacious and often violent scenes. But the Puritans and the shining city on the hill give us just one way to understand the United States. Rather than recite American history from a Christian vantage point, Peter Manseau proves that what really happened is worth a close, fresh look. Thomas Jefferson himself collected books on all religions and required that the brand new Library of Congress take...
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"In this authoritative account, Miranda Green unravels the truth about the Druids. Examining the archaeological evidence, Classical commentaries, and early Welsh and Irish myths, she shows that the Druids were fully integrated into Celtic society and fulfilled varied and necessary roles. The Roman writers reflected the double standards of an invading society: condemning the public sacrifice of enemies by the Druids while accepting their own practice...
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U.S. General Herman Haupt's reminiscences of his time serving the United States as Chief of the Bureau of the United States military railroads during the American Civil War and much more.
"Few men have participated in so much that has contributed to the growth and grandeur of our country, yet how little the world knows of his career, how reluctant the trumpeters have been to herald his achievements!
A designer and builder of roads and bridges; a...
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A groundbreaking and accessible history of heaven--from the earliest biblical conceptions of the afterlife to the theologians who frame our understandings, to the convictions and perceptions of everyday people. Drawing on history and popular culture, biblical research and everyday beliefs, religion journalist Lisa Miller offers a new understanding of one of the most cherished ideals of spiritual life. She discusses not just our visions of the afterlife,...
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For us to perceive any of the worlds that exist beside our own, not only do we have to covet them but we need to have sufficient energy to seize them. In this revolutionary book, Carlos Castaneda offers readers the key to this energetic conditioning for the first time, revealing a series of body positions and physical movements that enabled various sorcerers, and their apprentices, to navigate their own sorceric journeys. By sharing this centuries-old...
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Author Meacham tells the human story of how the Founding Fathers viewed faith, and how they ultimately created a nation in which belief in God is a matter of choice. At a time when our country seems divided by extremism, this book draws on the past to offer a new perspective. Meacham re-creates the history of a nation grappling with religion and politics--from John Winthrop's "city on a hill" sermon to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence;...
