A brief, beautiful invitation to the study of religion from a Pulitzer Prize winnerHow did our forebears begin to think about religion as a distinct domain, separate from other activities that were once inseparable from it? Starting at the birth of Christianity—a religion inextricably bound to Western thought—Jack Miles reveals how the West's "common sense" understanding of religion emerged and then changed as insular Europe discovered the rest of the world. Finall...

One of the most dynamic aspects of the Islamic revival during the past two centuries has been the rethinking of Islamic political thought. A broad range of actors, ideas, and ideologies characterize the debate on how Islamic ethics and law should be manifested in modern institutions. Yet this aspect of the "return to Islam" has been neglected by policymakers, the media, and even many scholars, who equate "political Islam" with merely one strand, labeled "Islamic fundamentalism." Bringing t...

This volume is a biblical theological critique of the Apostles' Creed and a development of the role of the Holy Spirit in the church, the world, and the personal experience of Christian faith. It addresses the creed as a historic document, an artifact of early Christian theological development, and a long-standing guide for the form and content of that faith tradition. This book is an appreciation of the Apostles' Creed in terms of its persistent pastoral effect in the church. It is also a...

Spring: Renew Your Thoughts, Spirit, and FeelingsThis Spring-themed anthology collects poems from a variety of different authors, all exploring the themes of renewal, awakening, and growth. The wide range of topics covered in these verses includes life, friendship, love, memories, and more. Whether you are looking for something to read to celebrate the arrival of the new season or simply to reflect on your own journey thus far, this anthology has something for everyone.Here...

This classic book of symbols by Catalan polymath Joan Cirlot illuminates the symbolic underpinnings of myth, modern psychology, literature, and art.“Guides us through what unites us across nations, religions, and literary and artistic traditions.” —Angelica Frey, HyperallergicJuan Eduardo Cirlot’s A Dictionary of Symbols is a feat of scholarship, an act of the imagination, and a tool for contemplation, as well as a work of...

Who is Allah? What does He ask of those who submit to His teachings? Pulitzer Prize-winner Jacke Miles gives us a deeply probing, revelatory portrait of the world’s second largest, fastest-growing and perhaps most tragically misunderstood religion. In doing so, Miles illuminates what is unique about Allah, His teachings, and His resolutely merciful temperament, and he thereby reveals that which is false, distorted, or simply absent from the popular conception of the heart of Islam....

A brief, beautiful invitation to the study of religion from a Pulitzer Prize winner.How did our forebears begin to think about religion as a distinct domain, separate from other activities that were once inseparable from it? Starting at the birth of Christianity—a religion inextricably bound to Western thought—Jack Miles reveals how the West’s “common sense” understanding of religion emerged and then changed as insular Europe discovered the rest of the world. In a ...

In a time of plague, fundamental questions become immediate and personal. The pandemic, droughts, floods, fire, political violence: the world has been grimly reminded of the proximity and inevitability of death. Jack Miles and Mark C. Taylor—acclaimed public intellectuals and scholars of religion, one a Christian and the other an atheist, close friends for fifty years—have spent their lives grappling with questions of ultimate concern. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, locked down at ...

In a time of plague, fundamental questions become immediate and personal. The pandemic, droughts, floods, fire, political violence: the world has been grimly reminded of the proximity and inevitability of death. Jack Miles and Mark C. Taylor—acclaimed public intellectuals and scholars of religion, one a Christian and the other an atheist, close friends for fifty years—have spent their lives grappling with questions of ultimate concern. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, locked down at ...

"[A] fascinating recasting of the story of Jesus." —Elliot Wolfson, New York UniversityIn July 2008, a front-page story in the New York Times reported on the discovery of an ancient Hebrew tablet, dating from before the birth of Jesus, which predicted a Messiah who would rise from the dead after three days. Commenting on this startling discovery at the time, noted Talmud scholar Daniel Boyarin argued that "some Christians will find it shocking—a challenge ...

This long-awaited translation of Confessions, which Stephen Greenblatt describes as central to the legacy of Adam and Eve, enlivens the beguiling world of late antiquity.No modern, well-versed literature lover can call her education complete without having read Augustine’s Confessions. One of the most original works of world literature, it is the first autobiography ever written, influencing writers from Montaigne to Rousseau, Virginia Woolf to Ge...

When Memory and Focus Stop Feeling ReliableMemory lapses, mental blanks, word-finding problems, and persistent brain fog can be frightening, especially when the symptoms interfere with work, conversations, reading, planning, or everyday tasks. When medical tests do not provide a simple explanation, uncertainty can become part of the problem. Functional Cognitive Disorder Made Simple offers a clear way to understand what functional cognitive symptoms are, w...