The rate of interfaith marriage in the United States has risen so radically since the sixties that it is difficult to recall how taboo the practice once was. How is this development understood and regarded by Americans generally, and what does it tell us about the nation's religious life? Drawing on ethnographic and historical sources, Samira K. Mehta provides a fascinating analysis of wives, husbands, children, and their extended families in interfaith...

The Passover was celebrated by Jesus and the disciples the last time they were together. Now popular speaker and writer Rabbi Evan Moffic brings an understanding to the Last Supper that will forever change how Christians celebrate Communion and prepare for Easter. Beginning with the Hebrew Bible and Jewish history, Rabbi Moffic shows how these inform the roots of Christianity as he weaves together history, theology, Jewish practice and observances....

Avoiding the traps of sensational political exposes and specialized scholarly Orientalism, Carl Ernst introduces readers to the profound spiritual resources of Islam while clarifying diversity and debate within the tradition. Framing his argument in terms of religious studies, Ernst describes how Protestant definitions of religion and anti-Muslim prejudice have affected views of Islam in Europe and America. He also covers the contemporary importance...

A deep look at the personal and professional challenges of wearing the hijab while living in the Western world, Modest in the West uncovers the spiritual journey of a girl born a Muslim who grew up not abiding by Islamic practices. While working for one of the largest companies in the United States and most influential in the world, Hadiatou Wann learns to fully embrace her Islamic identity, but could that make her a victim of Islamophobia or help...

Modern life is fast-paced. Even worse, it's often chaotic and confused. But it doesn't have to be that way. Our days and our weeks are part of God's created order; the sun setting and rising, the regular shift from work to rest: all of these form a rhythm for our lives, a rhythm that the church has historically observed through a set calendar of feasts and fasts. Maybe you've used an Advent calendar to count down the days till Christmas. Or you might...

Of all the issues that confront Jewish couples when they are having a baby, one that often catches them by surprise is the need to make arrangements--if the baby is a boy--for a bris on the eighth day after the baby's birth. Years ago when most Jews lived in fairly close communities and were more observant of religious rituals, if you were having a baby, you found it easy to get information about having a bris. Now with many young Jewish couples living...

A short yet concise manual on the legal rulings of marriage authored by one of the beacons of light in his time, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen, with comments from some of the Scholars of Islaam, past and present. The Definition of Marriage: After providing the linguistic meaning of marriage, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen stated that the technical, religious meaning and purpose of marriage is: "The conclusion of a contract of...

Referred to as the "Celestial Bodhisattva of Compassion," the Asian Goddess Kwan Yin manifests herself to those in need around the world, in myriad forms. Sometimes encountered in the peacefulness of nature, other times seen as a benevolent caregiver, Kwan Yin is vast, yet readily accessible to each and every one of us whether we are experiencing our darkest moment or realizing a rare twinkling of transcendence. Throughout this book, powerful encounters...

In today's multicultural society, we are increasingly likely to meet and become friends with people from different religious backgrounds, and to find ourselves attending an unfamiliar ceremony. When this happens, there can be few of us who know exactly what to expect, or are confident about how to behave. This chapter from Do I Kneel or Do I Bow? will tell you everything you need to understand and take part in a Hindu ceremony. Armed with this basic...

How do you describe a sublime being like Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, the simile of a diamond and its' different qualities come closest to fulfilling that difficult task. As is stated, “the quality and value of a diamond is judged on five fundamental criteria: Carat, color, clarity, cut, and confidence.” Confidence here is having a certificate of value, Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, has several of these: A recognized, incarnate Lama, the son of a great...