The harmony of nature and spirit

Sample

Morris Berman

This book offers no formula for success, as it is traditionally defined, and no promise that you can shape your destiny by the power of your mind. Goals such as these, in the view of the author, only reflect the spiritual emptiness of contemporary American life. What the book does offer is one man's meditation of the meaning of his life to date, and an opportunity for the reader to reflect on the meaning of his or her own life in turn. Success, i.e., living in reality, demands an awareness of the depth and complexity of that life: a coming to terms with it as it actually exists, with all its strange contradictions and surprising twists of fate. Spinning Straw Into Gold is thus not a feel-good book. Rather, it is a search-your-soul and ponder-your-being book. For those who have the courage to allow it to stimulate true reflection, it may be rewarding in unexpected ways. It is for those who seek richness in reality, rather than in the pipe dreams of mass society, that this book is written.--Back cover.

Sample

Catherine Lim

The author portrays herself as dead and lying in her coffin. During the three days before the final consignment to dust and oblivion, as friends, relatives, ex-colleagues, fans, lovers and total strangers come to pay their respects, she indulges, for the last time, her love of story-telling. Around each visitor she weaves a dazzling tale with her usual exuberant wit, comic brio and warm empathy. But the tales are more than just that. They are the triggering points for what is the central concern of this book - the exploration of those achingly urgent human questions that everyone asks at some time or other in his or her life: Who are we? Where did we come from? What is the purpose of life? What happens after death? Why are we here at all? What is our conception of god in an age of undisputed scientific power? How should we view good and evil, pain and suffering? Is there such a thing as Ultimate Truth? What does it mean to be human?

Sample

Frances Wosmek

This book points the reader toward a renewed sense of wonder and oneness with nature. With balance and beauty Wosmek delivers profound insights combining science, nature, art, philosophy, conscience, and a loving concern for all that lives.

Sample

Benjamin L Corey

"The creator of the popular Formerly Fundie blog on Patheos and a prominent figure within Progressive Christianity explains how the "American Christianity" we are currently taught is actually a fear-saturated distortion of biblical faith. Benjamin L. Corey thought he was suffering a crisis of faith, but it turned out to be a spiritual awakening. Corey became aware that the constant fear of hell and judgment that defined his Christian faith was out of sync with the idea that God acts from love, and promises to deliver us from fear. In the wake of this realization came newfound insights--from reading the Bible to re-examining American life and the church's role in the wider world. Corey learned that what he had been taught was a distorted version of Christianity that was not only untrue but caused real spiritual harm. He also discovered that he wasn't alone. Many Christians are yearning to distinguish between the Christianity that has become a rigid American civil religion and the authentic Christian faith embodied in Jesus. As he recounts his own spiritual journey, Corey offers a powerful and inspiring message of hope for every Christian increasingly frustrated with the church today. Do not be discouraged, he assures them. You do not need to give up your faith; you can rediscover the reality of a vibrant Christianity that delivers us from fear and inspires and guides us all today"--Amazon.com.