This study identifies paganism as a viable religion, exploring its practices and theology as they are expressed in religious communities across the world.Long dismissed as a miscellany of fringe ideas and practices, Paganism is one of the fastest-growing spiritual orientations in the West. In Pagan Theology, Michael York reframes Paganism as a world religion. He provides an overview of pagan theology and practice while expanding on the concept of paganism ...

This book is the first comprehensive examination of the ethical parameters of paganism when considered as a world religion alongside Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The issues of evil, value and idolatry from a pagan perspective are analyzed as part of the Western ethical tradition from the Sophists and Platonic schools through the philosophers Spinoza, Hume, Kant and Nietzsche to such contemporary thinkers as Grayling, Mackie, MacIntyre, Habermas, Levinas, Santayana, ...

The Encyclopedia of Hinduism contains over 900 entries reflecting recent advances in scholarship which have raised new theoretical and methodological issues as well as identifying new areas of study which have not been addressed previously. The debate over the term 'Hinduism' in the light of post-Orientalist critiques is just one example of how once standard academic frameworks have been called into question. Entries range from 150-word definitions of terms and concepts to 5,000-w...

The decline of institutionalized religion in the increasingly secularized West has been offset by the contemporary spiritual development understood in the form of emerging New Age movements. This reference presents the potpourri of spiritual and psycho-physical therapeutic practices associated with this affirmation of the individual's spiritual freedom, the expectation of a future golden age, the emphasis on self-development, and the holistic pluralism that sets the dominant pulse for inno...

First published in the 1930s, The Berlin Stories contains two novels, The Last of Mr. Norris and Goodbye to Berlin. Classics of modern fiction, these novellas capture 1931 Berlin—charming, grotesque, and dangerous, as Hitler was ascending to power. The Berlin Stories is inhabited by a wealth of characters, in particular the nightclub performer Sally Bowles, whose misadventures were popularized on stage and screen in I Am a Camera and Cabaret...

A compelling tale centered around the art world by Ken Follett, best-selling author of Pillars of the Earth.A bright young art student follows a trail of clues to an undiscovered masterpiece by Modigliani. Two disgruntled artists hatch a scheme to escape the hypocrisy of the art world. The ambition owner of a new gallery will stop at nothing to assure the success of his enterprise. In The Modigliani Scandal, master plotter Ken Follett weaves these...

Shakespeare knew more about the art of acting and the art of theater than any other playwright— but there is no general consensus about how Shakespeare should be played. There are no rules. While the Bard created superhuman characters and placed them in situations that stretch the imagination to its limits, he also provided his actors with the keys to playing them. Discover his secrets in this remarkable guide. In A Shakespearean Actor Prepares, actor, director, and teach...

For over sixty years, readers of all ages have been enchanted by the magical realms, the epic battles between good and evil, and the unforgettable creatures of Narnia.This box set includes all seven titles in The Chronicles of Narnia—The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battl...

They are icons of the literary world whose soaring works have been discussed and analyzed in countless classrooms, homes, and pubs. Yet for most readers, the living, breathing human beings behind the classics have remained unknown—until now. In this utterly captivating book, Dr. Elliot Engel, a leading authority on the lives of great authors, illuminates the fascinating and flawed members of literature’s elite. In lieu of stuffy biographical sketches, Engel provides fascinating anecdotes.

A collection of classic love poetryComposed by many of the world’s best known and most celebrated poets—including William Blake, Emily Dickinson, John Donne, Robert Frost, James Joyce, Christina Rossetti, William Butler Yeats, and others—Valentines spans not only the ages, but the full range of passionate expression of love in all its forms and stages.

This collection of children’s stories offers a mix of some best-loved tales as well as newer favorites. Included are: “Puss in Boots,” read by Robby Benson; “A Day at Santa’s Workshop,” read by Betty White; “Elfis, the Elf Who Saved Christmas,” read by Brian Austin Green; “Jack and the Beanstalk,” read by John Ritter; “Peter Pan,” read by Sandy Duncan; “Wild Swans,” read by Michael York; and “The Elves and the Shoemaker,” read by Michael York.

The sonnets of William Shakespeare are among the most famous love poems in the English language. For sustained dramatic intrigue and sophistication of plot, these works are at least the equal of Shakespeare's greatest plays. Compelling, subtle, and intellectually rigorous—yet taut with intense emotion—each poem invites study, interpretation, and awe, from one generation to the next.This recording presents them in their entirety, allowing a new generation to discover Shakespeare's e...