Heretics by G. K. Chesterton Nothing more strangely indicates an enormous and silent evil of modern society than the extraordinary use which is made nowadays of the word "orthodox." In former days the heretic was proud of not being a heretic. It was the kingdoms of the world and the police and the judges who were heretics. He was orthodox. He had no pride in having rebelled against them; they had rebelled against him. The armies with their cruel...

For all who want to understand the religious faiths of their neighbors and coworkers, Winfried Corduan offers an introduction to the religions of the world. His survey covers major and minor religions including Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, African traditional religions, Native American religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Baha'i, Chinese popular religion, and Shinto and Japanese religions. Neighboring Faiths emphasizes not just formal...

Have you often wondered why gypsies are surrounded by magic? Does their aura impress you and make you keen to learn more about their customs? This book provides an insight like never before! Gypsies have been around for centuries and their way of life has changed little through the years, traveling from place to place, telling fortunes and selling wares to make ends meet. Their lifestyle has a certain romance to it and is they are believed to possess...

What You Should Know about Islam's Holy Book: How is it like the Bible? How is it different? Why is it important? Muslims believe the Koran exists as a literal book in heaven and was dictated to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. It is only the length of the New Testament, yet a fifth of the world claims it is the complete revelation of God. To most Americans, though, the Koran remains a mystery. Did you know that the Koran teaches the virgin...

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is as American as apple pie," writes Robert Bowman in this booklet-length introduction to the Mormon faith. Addressing the growing curiosity of the American public, Bowman leads with a synopsis of former governor Mitt Romney's Mormon heritage and then recounts the history of the Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS) from Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to the present. Bowman concludes with a summary of the...

It is possible to be a Christian Buddhist in the context of a universal belief that sits fairly, lightly on both traditions. Ross Thompson takes especially seriously the aspects of each faith that seem incompatible with the other, no God and no soul in Buddhism, for example, and the need for grace and the historical atonement on the cross in Christianity. Buddhist Christianity can be no bland blend of the tamer aspects of both faiths, but must result...

In his latest book, William Egginton laments the current debate over religion in America, in which religious fundamentalists have set the tone of political discourse-no one can get elected without advertising a personal relation to God, for example-and prominent atheists treat religious belief as the root of all evil. Neither of these positions, Egginton argues, adequately represents the attitudes of a majority of Americans who, while identifying...

Many make the mistake of thinking because a thing is common, it is probably harmless. Masonic Temples are everywhere. Are the Masons just another "service organization"? Though their rites are secret, Masons assure others that their practices are totally compatible with Christianity. But there is an injunction to each Mason to practice "his particular religious creed, that revelation of the Deity which is recognized by his religion." What really goes...

For thousands of years, the sacred feminine has balanced the sacred masculine in egalitarian societies, an equality that has been lost in the western world beginning with the rise of patriarchy some 5,000 years ago. Today, evidence of goddess worship in the Neolithic Age is being written out of history books once again by a patriarchal backlash in archaeology. Dance of the Deities weaves together memoir with anthropological research, taking the reader...

In The Atheist's Way, Eric Maisel teaches you how to make rich personal meaning despite the absence of beneficent gods and the indifference of the universe to human concerns. Exploding the myth that there is any meaning to find or to seek, Dr. Maisel explains why the paradigm shift from seeking meaning to making meaning is this century's most pressing intellectual goal.