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One of the first great philosophical books, Plato’s Republic, concludes with the recounting of a near-death experience. Socrates relates the myth of Er, a soldier who died in battle but came back to tell what he saw in the other world. Like other myths in Plato’s works, this is meant to supplement Socrates’ philosophical arguments and to help instill noble beliefs. It’s a last ditch effort at making the case for living a just life.

The post Science, sincerity, and transformation of near-death experiences appeared first on OUPblog.

एकादशी का व्रत , छ्बीलें और हमारी मानसिकता आज एकादशी है और बाजार में खूब छ्बीलें लगी हुई हैं भाग भाग कर लोगो को पानी पिलाया जा रहा है बहुत अच्छी बात है पर जिस तरह से झूठे गिलास सडक पर बिखरे पडे थे … अच्छा नही लगा … अरे भई पानी पिलाओ  पर सडक […]

The post एकादशी का व्रत , छ्बीलें और हमारी मानसिकता appeared first on Monica Gupta.

A psychiatrist’s couch is no place to debate the existence of God. Yet spiritual health is an inseparable part of mental or psychological health. Something no psychiatrist should regard with clinical indifference. But what does spiritual or religious health involve? This can’t just include normalized versions of monistic theism – but the entire set of human dispositions that may be thought of in spiritual terms.

The post Unwholly bound: Mother Teresa’s battles with depression appeared first on OUPblog.

The Little Parrot and the Angel's Tears is a powerful allegory of overcoming insignificance.

Participating in the rich tradition of parables that illustrate moral and religious teachings through animal tales, Life in the Meadow with Madie: Mr. Earl's Missing Eyeglasses presents the story of a community coming together to help out someone in need.

Patty Luhovey began to write Life in the Meadow with Madie: Mr. Earl's Missing Eyeglasses in 2009. Several of the story’s characters are based upon family members, even her daughter’s dog Carli.

सादर चरण स्पर्श

आज घर पर एक मित्र आए . उनके छोटे  से बच्चे ने बहुत शालीनता से झुक कर पैर छुए. सच जानिए बहुत अच्छा लगा. बच्चों में इस तरह के संस्कार जरुर देने चाहिए. पुराने ऐतिहासिक धारावाहिकों में भी अक्सर  ये देखने को मिल जाता है. कुछ लोग पाव छूने पर आशीर्वाद देते हैं और पीठ थपथपाते हैं तो कुछ रोक लेते हैं कि अरे नही नही … हम इतने बडे अभी नही हुए हैं.. वैसे मेरी एक जानकार थी वो पैर छूने पर बस मुहं से ही बोलती थी खुश रहो पर सिर पर हाथ नही रखती थी … बाद मे महसूस किया कि वो कभी भी किसी को सिर पर हाथ रख कर आशीर्वाद नही देती थी पर दूर से ही खुश रहो बोल देती थी. वैसे पहले समय की अगर बात करें तो कई लोग जब अपने से बडे को पत्र लिखते थे तो वो शुरुआत ही सादर चरण स्पर्श से करते थे.
हिंदू परंपराओं में से एक परंपरा है सभी उम्र में बड़े लोगों के पैर छुए जाते हैं। इसे बड़े लोगों का सम्मान करना समझा जाता है. उम्र में बड़े लोगों के पैर छूने की परंपरा काफी प्राचीन काल से ही चली आ रही है। इससे आदर-सम्मान और प्रेम के भाव उत्पन्न होते हैं। साथ ही रिश्तों में प्रेम और विश्वास भी बढ़ता है। पैर छूने के पीछे धार्मिक और वैज्ञानिक कारण दोनों ही मौजूद हैं।
जब भी कोई आपके पैर छुए तो सामान्यत: आशीर्वाद और शुभकामनाएं तो देना ही चाहिए, साथ भगवान का नाम भी लेना चाहिए। जब भी कोई आपके पैर छूता है तो इससे आपको दोष भी लगता है। इस दोष से मुक्ति के लिए भगवान
का नाम लेना चाहिए। भगवान का नाम लेने से पैर छूने वाले व्यक्ति को भी सकारात्मक परिणाम प्राप्त होते हैं और आपके पुण्यों में बढ़ोतरी होती है।
आशीर्वाद देने से पैर छूने वाले व्यक्ति की समस्याएं समाप्त होती है, उम्र भी बढ़ती है।
किसी बड़े के पैर क्यों छुना चाहिए:-
पैर छुना या प्रणाम करना, केवल एक परंपरा या बंधन नहीं है। यह एक विज्ञान है
जो हमारे शारीरिक, मानसिक और वैचारिक विकास से जुड़ा है। पैर छूने से केवल बड़ों का आशीर्वाद ही नहीं मिलता बल्कि अनजाने ही कई बातें हमार अंदर उतर जाती है।

पैर छूने का सबसे बड़ा फायदा शारीरिक कसरत होती है, तीन तरह
से पैर छुए जाते हैं। पहले झुककर पैर छूना, दूसरा घुटने के बल बैठकर तथा तीसरा साष्टांग प्रणाम। झुककर पैर छूने से
कमर और रीढ़ की हड्डी को आराम मिलता है। दूसरी विधि में हमारे सारे जोड़ों को मोड़ा जाता है, जिससे उनमें होने वाले
स्ट्रेस से राहत मिलती है, तीसरी विधि में सारे जोड़ थोड़ी देर के लिए तन जाते हैं, इससे भी स्ट्रेस दूर होता है। इसके
अलावा झुकने से सिर में रक्त प्रवाह बढ़ता है, जो स्वास्थ्य और आंखों के लिए लाभप्रद होता है। प्रणाम करने का तीसरा सबसे बड़ा फायदा यह है कि इससे हमारा अहंकार कम होता है। किसी के पैर छूना यानी उसके
प्रति समर्पण भाव जगाना, जब मन में समर्पण का भाव आता है तो अहंकार स्वत: ही खत्म
होता है।

Rajasthan Patrika:secret of feet touching sanskar

जयपुर चरण स्पर्श व चरण वंदना को भारतीय संस्कृति में सभ्यता और सदाचार का प्रतीक माना जाता है। आत्मसमर्पण का यह भाव व्यक्ति आस्था और श्रद्धा से प्रकट करता है। यदि वैज्ञानिक दृष्टिकोण से देखा जाए तो चरण स्पर्श की यह क्रिया व्यक्ति को शारीरिक और मानसिक रूप से पुष्ट करती है। यही कारण है कि गुरुओं, (अपने से वरिष्ठ) ब्राह्मणों और संत पुरुषों के अंगूठे की पूजन परिपाटी प्राचीनकाल से चली आ रही है। इसी परंपरा का अनुसरण करते हुए परवर्ती मंदिर मार्गी जैन धर्मावलंबियों में मूर्ति पूजा का यह विधान दक्षिण पैर के अंगूठे की पूजा से आरंभ करते हैं और वहां से चंदन लगाते हुए देव प्रतिमा के मस्तक तक पहुंचते हैं।पुराण और चरण वंदनापुराण कथाओं में गुरुजन और ब्राह्मणों की चरण रज की महिमा में कहा गया है -यत्फलं कपिलादाने, कीर्तिक्यां ज्येष्ठ पुष्करे।तत्फलं पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ विप्राणां (वराणां) पाद सेंचने।यानी जो फल कपिला नामक गाय के दान से प्राप्त होता है और जो कार्तिक व ज्येष्ठ मासों में पुष्कर स्नान, दान, पुण्य आदि से मिलता है वह पुण्य फल ब्राह्मण (वर) के पाद प्रक्षालन एवं चरण वंदन से प्राप्त होता है। हिंदू संस्कारों में विवाह के समय कन्या के माता-पिता द्वारा इसी भाव से वर का पाद प्रक्षालन किया जाता है। क्या कहता है विज्ञानकुछ विद्वानों की ऐसी मान्यता है कि शरीर में स्थित प्राण वायु के पांच स्थानों में से पैर का अंगूठा भी एक स्थान है। जैसे- तत्र प्राणो नासाग्रहन्नाभिपादांगुष्ठवृति 1- नासिका का अग्रभाग 2- हृदय प्रदेश 3- नाभि स्थान 4- पांव और 5- पांव के अंगूठे में प्राण वायु रहती है।चिकित्सा विज्ञान भी मानता है कि पांव के अंगूठे में कक ग्रंथि की जड़ें होती हैं, जिन पर दबाव या चोट से इंसान का जीवन खतरे में पड़ सकता है।मनुष्य के पांव के अंगूठे में विद्युत संप्रेक्षणीय शक्ति होती है। यही कारण है कि वृद्धजनों के चरण स्पर्श करने से जो आशीर्वाद मिलता है, उससे अविद्या रूपी अंधकार नष्ट होता है और व्यक्ति उन्नति करता है।पढ़ना न भूलेंः- धर्म, ज्योतिष और अध्यात्म की अनमोल बातें – यहां रखा है परशुराम का फरसा, लोहार ने काटा तो हो गई मौत!

यही कारण है कि गुरुओं, (अपने से वरिष्ठ) ब्राह्मणों और संत पुरुषों के अंगूठे की पूजन परिपाटी प्राचीनकाल से चली आ रही है।

इसी परंपरा का अनुसरण करते हुए परवर्ती मंदिर मार्गी जैन धर्मावलंबियों में मूर्ति पूजा का यह विधान दक्षिण पैर के अंगूठे की पूजा से आरंभ करते हैं और वहां से चंदन लगाते हुए देव प्रतिमा के मस्तक तक पहुंचते हैं। rajasthanpatrika.patrika.com

कुछ भी कहिए पर चापलूसी से दूर होकर चरण स्पर्श आदर के साथ किया जाए तो सुखकर होता है …

 

The post सादर चरण स्पर्श appeared first on Monica Gupta.

My decision to embark on The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West, began with a question. I'd been practicing yoga since my mid-20s, when I spent six months in India. Returning to New York, I launched a career as a political journalist, regularly covering [...]

मेरी पडोसन शीना गर्भवती थी. पडोस मे रहने की वजह से मेरी जिम्मेदारी बढ गई थी कि उसका ख्याल रखूं वैसे भी वो नव विवाहिता है शादी के बाद तीसरे महीने मे ही वो गर्भवती हो गई.  आज जब मैं उसके घर गई तो वो टीवी पर कोई हारर मूवी  देख रही थी. अरे !! … ये मत देखो बच्चे पर बुरा असर पड सकता है. उसने तुरंत टीवी बंद कर दिया. वाकई में, गर्भावस्था के दौरान  बहुत ध्यान देने की जरुरत होती है. बेशक टीवी चैनल ढेर सारे हैं और हमारा मंनोरंजन भी करते हैं पर इस बात का भी बहुत ध्यान रखना चाहिए कि क्या देखें और क्या नही. मुझे याद है गीता(मेरी सहेली)  ने अपने समय बहुत धार्मिक किताबें पढी थी और रोज सुबह पूजा करती थी आज उसका बेटा 10 साल का है और वो हमेशा अच्छी किताबे पढने में ही लगा रहता है. एक अन्य सहेली सविता को चाय अच्छी नही लगती थी उसने चाय पीना बिल्कुल छोड दिया और आज देखो उसका बेटा 20 साल का हो गया नौकरी भी करने लगा पर आज तक उसने चाय का स्वाद नही लिया  जबकि मेरी सहेली ने बेटे को जन्म देते ही चाय पी और उसे बहुत स्वादिष्ट लगी. अच्छा साहित्य, साफ मन( चुगली चपाटी  नही) , स्वच्छ हवा से मन प्रसन्न रहता है और बच्चे पर इसका बहुत अच्छा असर पडता है

dont forget nine rules in pregnancy

दुनिया के सभी धर्म ग्रंथों ने रिश्तों में मां का दर्जा सबसे ऊंचा माना है। संतान की पहली गुरु मां होती है। वही उसे पालती है। उसकी गोद में बच्चा जो भाषा सीखता है उसे मातृभाषा कहा जाता है। हमारी सनातन संस्कृति में गौरीशंकर, सीताराम, राधेश्याम जैसे नाम रखने की परंपरा भी यह साबित करती है कि मां का स्थान दुनिया के और दस्तूरों से बड़ा और सबसे पहले है। ऋषियों, दार्शनिकों ने ग्रंथों में ऐसी कई बातों का उल्लेख किया है जिनका ध्यान गर्भवती महिला को रखना चाहिए, क्योंकि उसका उल्लंघन न सिर्फ बच्चे के लिए, बल्कि उसके लिए भी हानिकारक हो सकता है।

जानिए  ऐसी ही कुछ बातें- 1- गर्भावस्था में मल-मूत्र, अपानवायु, छींक, प्यास, भूख, नींद, खांसी, जम्हाई जैसे आवेगों को रोकना नहीं चाहिए। साधारण अवस्था में भी इन्हें रोकने से हानि होती है, इसलिए गर्भावस्था में इन्हें कभी नहीं रोकना चाहिए।2-  क्रोध न करें, अप्रिय बातें न सुनें, न करें। वाद-विवाद में न पड़ें। भयानक दृश्य, टीवी-सिनेमा के ऐसे कार्यक्रम जो डरावने हों, न देखें। तीव्र व तीखी ध्वनि उत्पन्न करने वाले स्थानों से दूर रहें।3- रात्रि को देर तक न जागें। सुबह देर तक न सोएं। दोपहर को थोड़ा विश्राम करें लेकिन बहुत गहरी नींद न लें।4- सख्त, पथरीले, टेढे़ स्थानों पर न बैठें। पर्वत, ऊंचे घर, लंबी सीढ़ियां, रेत के टीले पर न चढ़ें।5- बहुत चुस्त और गहरे रंग के वस्त्र न पहनें। इस दौरान अधिक आभूषण पहनना भी हानिकारक होता है।6- हमेशा करवट लेकर ही सोएं। करवट को समय-समय पर बदलें। घुटने मोड़कर, सीधे या उल्टे सोने से नुकसान हो सकता है।7- दुर्गंध वाले स्थानों, खट्टे खाद्य पदार्थ वाले वृक्षों, अत्यधिक धूप और पानी के सरोवर से दूर रहें।8- अनुभवी वैद्य या चिकित्सक की सलाह के बिना कोई औषधि न लें। जोर-जोर से सांस न लें। सांस को रोकने की कोशिश न करें।9- अपने इष्ट देव का ध्यान करें लेकिन लंबे उपवास न करें। अत्यधिक वात कारक, मिर्च-मसालेदार, बासी पदार्थ तथा मादक पदार्थों का सेवन कभी नहीं करना चाहिए  Read more…

इसी के साथ साथ …

स्ट्रेच मार्क्स पर ध्यान न दें जैसे-जैसे पेट का आकार बढ़ता है, उस पर स्ट्रेच लाइंस आती ही हैं। इस बात को स्वीकार करें और इन लाइंस पर अधिक ध्यान न दें। संपूर्ण आहार और विटामिन ई युक्त मॉइस्चराइजिंग लोशन या तेल लगाकर आप इन्हें कम कर सकती हैं। प्रतिदिन स्नान के बाद इस लोशन को लगाएं, क्योंकि इस समय त्वचा तेजी से नमी सोख सकती है।

त्वचा का खास ख्याल रखें
नौ महीनों के दौरान त्वचा और बालों का विशेष ख्याल रखें। एक चम्मच दही और बादाम तेल की कुछ बूंदों को मिलाएं। इसमें थोड़ा गुलाब जल डालें। इसे त्वचा पर मलें और कुछ देर सूखने के बाद धो दें। इससे त्वचा कोमल होती है। इसके अलावा 4 चम्मच क्रीम, 1-1 चम्मच बादाम तेल, खीरे का रस, शहद, गुलाब जल और नीबू का रस मिला लें। इसे छोटे से डिब्बे में रखकर फ्रिज में रख दें। इसे हर रात लगाएं और सुबह धो दें। इससे त्वचा में चमक बढ़ेगी।

सन्स्क्रीन का प्रयोग:
गर्भावस्था के दौरान त्वचा का काला पड़ना एक आम समस्या है। आपके चेहरे की रंगत फीकी पड़ सकती है, साथ ही पेट के आसपास के हिस्से में भी कालापन बढ़ने लगता है। यह मुख्य रूप से शरीर में मेलानिन पिग्मेंट के बढ़ने के कारण होता है। इस पर नियंत्रण रखने के लिए आप सन्स्क्रीन लोशन और स्क्रब लगा सकती हैं …

खूब पानी पीना,  हरी सब्जी खाना और व्यायाम के साथ साथ तनाव नही रखना पूरा ध्यान इस बात पर रहना चाहिए कि आपका बच्चा तंदुरुस्त हो और हां सबसे जरुरी बार तो बताना ही भूल गई स्माईल रहनी चाहिए आपके चेहरे पर ताकि बच्चा भी हमेशा मुस्कुराता रहे …  बाकि समय समय पर अपनी डाक्टर से जानकारी लेते रहिए और … और … और अपना ख्याल रखिएगा होने वाली मम्मी

 

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The post गर्भावस्था के दौरान appeared first on Monica Gupta.

Best YA and Middle-Grade novels selected by Pete Hautman. His latest book is Eden West, the story of a boy growing up in an isolated doomsday cult in Montana.

In her new book, Amy DeRogatis explores a relatively untouched topic: evangelicals and sexuality. While many may think that evangelicals are anti-sex, DeRogatis argues that this could not be further from the truth. We sat down with the author of Saving Sex: Sexuality and Salvation in American Evangelicalism to learn more about her research into the topic.

How did you become interested in this topic?

My interest in this topic began when I was asked a question by a student in my Religion and Gender class at Michigan State University (MSU). In the course we had been reading a book that discussed some ritual practices around marital sexuality in Orthodox Judaism. One student raised her hand and asked, “Where do Christians go to read about the proper ways to have sex?” Knowing the student, I understood that she didn’t mean all Christians; she was referring specifically to evangelicals. I made a quick reply about evangelicals publishing lots of material about how not to have sex and returned to the topic of discussion. The question stuck with me and after class I ran a few Internet searches for Christian sex manuals, and I found some Catholic writings. I then refined the search to evangelical sex manuals, and although I was unable to find any secondary material, such as a scholarly article that surveyed and analyzed the literature, I did eventually find lots of primary sources. I was astonished to discover that Special Collections in the Main Library at MSU had a large collection of these publications. Within a week of hearing the student’s question, I was in the library reading evangelical sex manuals, and I was hooked.

How do you define “evangelical” in this book?

That is a great question. There has been much debate among scholars about how to define evangelicalism and whether there is even a cohesive category under which we can talk about and study evangelicals. I adopt a very broad definition. I define evangelicals as Protestants who affirm the necessity of individual spiritual rebirth. Evangelicals emphasize personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, the imminent return of Christ, and the desire to spread the gospel. Evangelicals express their theological beliefs through daily practices such as prayer, Bible study, refraining from sinful behavior and furthering what is often called “their walk with Christ.”

Sexuality is a huge topic. Is there anything you planned to write about that you didn’t include in the book?

Yes, of course. The first question I usually am asked about is why I focus on heterosexuality in my book. Originally I had planned to write a chapter on prescriptive literature about same-sex desires and practices. There are a few recent books that do an excellent job of examining this issue (here I’ll just mention two: Tanya Erzen’s, Straight to Jesus and Lynne Gerber’s The Straight and Narrow) and I felt that I did not have much to add to or improve their excellent analyses. When I wrote the book proposal I was imagining a chapter on LGBTQ evangelicals and their writings about sexuality. But, as the project developed, I focused in on conservative evangelicals, and to me, what is one of the fascinating points that evangelical sex writers are deeply concerned with monitoring and regulating heterosexual sex.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about evangelicals and sexuality?

The biggest misconception is that evangelicals are anti-sex. They are not. Contrary to popular stereotypes that characterize conservative Christians as prudes, since the 1960s evangelicals have been engaged in an enterprise to claim and affirm the joys of sex for married born-again Christians. Rather than turning away from the sexual liberation movement, they have simply made it their own by publishing sex manuals, running sex workshops, and holding counseling sessions to aid married evangelicals achieve sexual satisfaction. The sex publications are distinct from secular sex manuals in their exclusive focus on heterosexuality, the assumption of virginity prior to marriage, the role of the Bible as a reliable guide for sexual pleasure, and the emphasis on understanding and maintaining traditional gender roles as a requirement for “true” sexual satisfaction. The authors go to great lengths to suggest techniques for sexual pleasure and argue that marital sexual pleasure is biblical and good marital sex is a sign of faithfulness and a testimony to others. It is true—evangelical publications do not promote all forms of human sexuality. It is also true that within heterosexual marriage, sexual pleasure, according to these manuals, is part of God’s plan for humanity. So, no, evangelicals are not anti-sex.

How do you think this work will influence your scholarly field?

First and foremost, I hope that my book will put the study of evangelical sexuality on the scholarly agenda. Before I began publishing my research on evangelicals and sexuality there were very few scholarly essays about evangelicals and sexuality. The most compelling writings were focused on evangelical responses to same-sex desires and practices, not on heterosexuality. There were some popular magazine articles and a couple of books written by scholars outside of the field of religious studies that primarily focused on gender or sexuality and discussed evangelical sexual writings and practices as part of a larger project. While there are numerous excellent monographs on American evangelicals and gender, I am not aware of anyone who has written a scholarly study of American evangelical popular prescriptive literature about heterosexual practices. The one exception would be a few monographs that examine adolescent sexuality and the purity movement. I hope that my book will influence future scholars to take up the topic and investigate areas that I do not consider in this book. I know that there are a few dissertations in the works that focus on social media, more controversial sexual practices, a specific figure (Mark Driscoll currently is a favorite), as well as a few sociological and anthropological studies that consider the effects of the prescriptive literature I examine on the lives of everyday believers. Beyond my topic, I hope my book will inspire other scholars who study religion to take seriously popular literature about embodied practices and the role of the senses in the construction and maintenance of religious identity.

What was the last book you read for pleasure that you would recommend to others?

Dear Committee Members: A Novel by Julie Schumacher.

Image credit: “Chastity Ring” by Rlmabie. CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The post Six questions with Amy DeRogatis appeared first on OUPblog.

        

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In Dreams: A Way to Listen to God Morton Kelsey says, “…the Church has developed no theory that can bring the spiritual world closer to human beings.” This is a powerful statement. One would think that it would be a primary function of Christian religions to do this. Instead, the mainline Christian churches have traditionally offered biblical and theological studies which provide intellectual and cultural understandings of Christianity, but have moved away from experiential forms of spirituality which might let us personally “taste and see” the glory of God. I think this is one reason so many people have left mainstream Christianity to explore yoga, meditation and other experiential approaches to connecting to something greater.  Yet, as Kelsey points out in his book, dreams have always been part of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and he heartily recommends using them as a spiritual methodology to bring the spiritual world closer to us.

It’s not like the spiritual world isn’t trying to contact us. It does so nightly in our dreams! But how few people make an attempt to remember their dreams, and of those who do, how few make it a practice to honor, record, reflect and learn from their dreams?

One only has to pick up a Bible and see the frequent references to dreams and the important role they played in shaping people’s lives. People who could interpret dreams, like Joseph and Daniel, were held in high esteem because it was thought that God spoke through dreams. In the Bible, the information received in dreams is shown to be very important such as in predicting times of flood or famine or helping a person in need. Joseph, the husband of Mary, was one of many who received an important message in a dream. He was told to not worry in taking Mary as his wife since the child she had conceived came in a most unusual way. All these characters in the Bible worked with and let dreams shape their lives—even when their lives depended upon it.

Perhaps, if we let God into our lives through our dreams, our lives would take on a much greater meaning and significance compared to the trivial and myopic views we hold in an uninformed waking life that is often driven by the demands of others as well as egoistic and material needs.

Using the fictional story of how dogs came to be on Earth, author Tana Thompson weaves a delicate and soothing story that highlights God’s ability to show his love to all, including the blind and deaf.

Author: Vassula Rydén
Publisher: Alexian
Genre: Christian / Spirituality
ISBN: 978-0-9830093-0-6
Pages: 224
Price: $24.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Vassula Rydén was not living a particularly religious life when her guardian angel first appeared to her. And when God spoke to her, soon after, she was completely unprepared to face her many sins and atone for them. Once she was cleansed, she willingly took on her new role in communicating God’s Messages to the people, as He commanded.

Heaven is Real But So is Hell is Rydén’s story of her ministry. It shares some of the visions God has allowed her to see, as well as many of the Messages she received. Organized loosely by topic, this book touches on all the important ideas God has commanded her to tell us.

Originally, the Vatican disapproved of Rydén’s Messages, issuing a warning against them. However, over time, these Messages have gotten support from priests, bishops, and even Cardinal Ratzinger, before he became Pope. Rydén also claims that many who have seen her speak or have read the Messages have come back to the Church as a result.

I admit, I approached this book with healthy skepticism. But as I’ve also read the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, I realized there are interesting similarities. Both women issued dire warnings that come with potential blessings if we turn from our sinful ways, and both have been ridiculed and scorned by an unbelieving public. I have not read True Life in God, which is Rydén’s official publication of these Messages, but from what I’ve read in Heaven is Real But So is Hell, I see nothing that would be contradictory to my Catholic faith.

Prophets are often misunderstood in the era they’re living in, and their messages are only understood much later. If these Messages are truly from God, they will stand up to the test of time.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Mark Miller's ONE is a spiritual anthology featuring true stories of faith from best-selling and critically acclaimed authors around the world.

Wilderness backpacking is full of surprises. Out in the wilds, the margin between relentless desire and abject terror is sometimes very thin. One night last fall, I lay in a hammock listening to water tumbling over rocks in the Castor River in southern Missouri. I’d camped at a point where the creek plunges through a boulder field of pink rhyolite. These granite rocks are the hardened magma of volcanic explosions a billion and a half years old. I’d tried to cross the water with my pack earlier, but the torrent was running too fast and deep. I had to camp on this side, facing the darker part of the wilderness instead of entering it.

By starlight I watched the silhouette of tall pines atop the ridge on the opposite bank, having crawled into a sleeping bag to ward off the cold. Suddenly I noticed a campfire in the distant trees along the ridge. I hadn’t seen it before and was surprised anyone would be there. Entrance to the river’s conservation area is only feasible from this side of the water. Sixteen hundred acres of uninhabited wilderness extend beyond the horizon. But there it flickered, a light coming through the trees.

Gradually the fire climbed higher into the pines, giving me pause. It was spreading. The whole sky behind the distant trees was glowing, a forest fire apparently making its way up the other side of the ridge. I felt as much awe as fear at the time, being mesmerized by the strange play of light in the trees. But for an instant, as it burst through the treetops, I knew something was terribly wrong, a light flaring out … brighter than fire.

Then it struck me. After a week of overcast nights, I’d forgotten the coming of the full moon. There it was, in all its splendor. I hadn’t witnessed a raging forest fire, much less a numinous apparition. Yet it was both. I sensed what primeval hunters ten thousand years ago might have made of such an event: The soul-gripping mystery of fire breaking into the night.

In Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa, her Kenyan house-boy awakens her one night, whispering, “Msabu, I think that you had better get up. I think that God is coming.” He points out the window to a huge grass-fire burning on the distant hills, rising like a towering figure. Intending to quiet his fears, she explains that it’s nothing more than a fire. “It may be so,” he responds, un-persuaded. “But I thought that you had better get up in case it was God coming.” This same possibility is what draws me again and again to backpacking in wild terrain…the prospect that God (that Fire) might be coming in the night.

Wilderness is a feeder of desire. It fosters my longing for unsettling beauty, for a power I cannot control, for a wonder beyond my grasp. In its wild grandeur and quiet simplicity, it attracts me to a mystery I can’t begin to name. Yet I’m compelled to write about what can’t be put into words. What sings in the corners of an Ozark night is beyond my capacity for language. But I can be crazy in love with it…scribbling, in turn, whatever I’m able to mumble about the experience.

“Through fire everything changes,” wrote Gaston Bachelard. “When we want everything to be changed we call on fire.” That’s as true of our relationship to the earth as it is of our connection with God. In our post-Enlightenment, post-modern world, we’ve only just begun to entertain awe and overcome the awkwardness we feel in acknowledging the marvels of the natural world. Rainer Maria Rilke hiked the cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Trieste in northern Italy in 1898, on what’s known today as the Rilke Trail, with its scenic view of the Adriatic coast. He wrote in his diary: “For a long time we walked along next to each other in embarrassment, nature and I. It was as if I were at the side of a being whom I cherished but to whom I dared not say: ‘I love you.’”

But we’re learning how to love again. Part of the “Great Turning” Joanna Macy describes is a growing ecological awareness of our need (and desire) to honor the larger community of life, to restore what Thomas Berry calls the “Great Conversation” between human beings and the earth. Only as we come to reverence mystery and “harness the energies of love,” will we realize—with Teilhard de Chardin—that “for a second time in the history of the world, humans will have discovered fire.”

The post Fire in the night appeared first on OUPblog.

        

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Veteran Hollywood film and TV writer Laurice Elehwany Molinari bursts into the children’s book world with an outstanding debut novel, The Ether: Vero Rising—a fantastical middle grade story on good vs. evil.

Education for Ministry (EfM)

Want to Get an In-depth Understanding of Your Christian Faith and Tradition?

Education for Ministry (EfM) is a training program of the Episcopal Church which helps people, especially lay leaders and ministers, to

• deepen their spirituality through an effective theological reflection process and to
• bridge the gap between understanding the Bible and dealing with the issues of everyday life.

Each session includes prayer, discussion, and reflection according to a Theological Reflection (TR) process, and may also allow time for refreshments and socializing before or after the class. Reading assignments prepare participants for each session.

Beginning in early September, 2014, St. Mary’s and St. Elizabeth’s will join to offer a year-long class of this four year program for members of their congregations. Participants must be willing to commit to an academic year of training (36 sessions of about 2.5 to 3 hours each). A free session can be given ahead of time for prospective members to see if this is “your cup of tea.” To the degree possible, dates and times of sessions as well as class location will be scheduled after the class is organized to meet the needs of the participants.

Online information is available at http://theology.sewanee.edu/academics/education-for-ministry/.

If interested, and to get more information, please contact Fran Kramer at 457-9753 or [email protected]. Registration needs to be done by late July to place orders for books and to finalize the class preparations.

NOTE:  This course is being announced on this website but does not imply there is a connection to the study of dreams or intuition in the course.  Course content will be determined by Sewanee.

After coming home from a service trip to Swaziland a few years ago, I felt renewed, energetic and ready to go again. It wasn’t your average mission trip, we worked hard to prepare a home for abandoned infants, which is a big problem there. I loved every minute of it and started dreaming about another place to go.

You see, I like to build stuff. I’ve been doing it for years and have built almost all of the wood furniture in our house. I’ve finished rooms, our basement, and done some pretty big construction tasks over the years. I even got to build this table that now sits at the missionary house in Heart for Africa. I like to think it will be useful for a good purpose long after I am.

I’m not the guy who is going to go door-to-door or perform street theater – but I’ll pour concrete, remove debris, or swing a hammer. It is wonderful when God marries a talent with a need and grants the ability to go somewhere to serve. When Sudan and South Sudan were splitting apart, I got burdened for the people of South Sudan and wanted to go. That got me started trolling for an opportunity and I found a cool mission group who work with an orphanage there.

I contacted a very nice lady name Rose. Several emails and a few calls later, I learned of a trip with building men like me that was perfect and I began praying about it. I emailed one last question to Rose from my iPad – “Is South Sudan a yellow fever area? Swaziland isn’t and I don’t have that sh-t.”

Whatever I typed, the glorious auto-correct feature from Apple naturally assumed I needed to discuss feces and not an inoculation. I didn’t notice until I got her response and read what I had sent. My mind went into overdrive:

Did I really send that??? To a missionary?? Why yes, yes I did!

Is there a commandment about that? Something about a special place in hell for people who cuss at missionaries?

I thought I should probably let it go, but didn’t want to be ostracized from the trip. So I sent an apology saying, “Obviously, I meant shot.”

I loved her response, “HaHa. I know, I got a snarky giggle out of it.”

Haha, indeed.

Unfortunately, the trip was cancelled due to instability in the country.  I’d still love to go there and other places to lend a hand. In the meantime, I’ll watch my words more closely and try to handle surprises that come my way with Rose’s grace and understanding.

Has God married a talent of yours with a need? I’d love to hear about it.

By Linda Mercadante, Ph.D.

Many religious people think—or hope—that all those who self-identify as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) are “seekers” looking for a spiritual home. And many non-religious people assume that SBNRs are routinely hostile to religion and probably have been hurt by it. In fact, after speaking with hundreds of SBNRs all across North America over a five-year period, I have found neither of these assumptions to be accurate or widely representative.

Photo courtesy of the author.

Instead, I have found my interviewees falling into five types. I spoke with adults from many generations and found that the types cut across all age groups. While I found that people sometimes moved from one type to another, many others stayed put. Having a set of categories like these helps us better understand this rapidly growing segment of the United States.

Here are the five types I found:

Dissenters: Dissenters largely stay away from institutional religion, whether from bad experiences or, more often, theological differences. Many of these had a religious background and either protested or simply drifted away from it. Against popular assumptions, however, this type made up a fairly small percentage of my total.

Casuals: For Casuals, religious and spiritual practices are generally approached on an “as-needed” basis and discarded or changed when no longer necessary. Spirituality is not felt to be the organizing center of their lives. Many of the “casuals”—especially younger ones—had little or no religious exposure either as children or adults. This type represented a very large percentage of my total.

Explorers: These people seem to have a spiritual “wanderlust.” Acting more like tourists, they don’t expect to settle down in any permanent spiritual home. They are different from “casuals,” however, because spirituality is a central interest for them. Thus, they are always ready to try something new. Explorers represented a modest but significant percentage and were certainly some of the more intriguing interviewees.

Seekers: Unlike the above types, these SBNRs are actually seeking a spiritual home in which to settle down. They may frequently be frustrated in the search, but they persevere. They do this because they long to belong, whether that is to God, Spirit, or a spiritually-grounded group. Against popular assumptions that every SBNR is a “seeker,” they only represented a modest percentage of the total.

Immigrants: These were interviewees who had moved to a new spiritual “land” and—like geographic immigrants—were trying to adjust, usually with some difficulty. Often they had once been “seekers.”  This represented, by far, the smallest number of interviewees.

Once we understand that “spiritual but not religious” people come in different types, both religious and non-religious people will avoid the common conceptual traps that prevent us from fully seeing and appreciating this growing group. For religious people, there are two traps. First is what I call the “mea culpa” trap (“What did we do to hurt them?”). In fact, I heard very few religious “horror stories.” Clearly, religion isn’t as unilaterally repressive as some people like to think. But, in addition, fewer and fewer numbers are raised with any religious exposure at all. Thus, many interviewees had no bad experiences with religion to prevent them from considering it.

The second religious trap I call “If we build it, they will come” (“If only we fix our music, greet newcomers better, have better community, they will want to join us”). Yet for increasing numbers, religion is not a habit, but a strange world. Religious people should not expect SBNRs to show up at the sanctuary door. Instead, they will have to be encountered in other ways and places.

Non-religious people, too, need to avoid some traps. It is a mistake to assume SBNRs are generally hostile to religion. It is also misguided to assume SBNRs don’t take religious issues seriously. When I did find SBNRs who had explicit issues with organized religion, it was often a theological problem that kept them away or a sadness that, unlike others, they never quite “got it.”

Knowing the types and traps will help us take a more nuanced view towards the growing phenomenon of SBNRs. On the plus side, increasing numbers are becoming open to a variety of spiritual guides, alternatives, and even religious traditions, as they continue to nurture the spirit within. The downside, however, is that as many bring less information, heritage, or background with them on their spiritual journey, they will have to work harder to distinguish the deep spiritual wells from the shallow puddles.

 Linda Mercadante is the B. Robert Straker Professor of Historical Theology at The Methodist Theological School in Ohio and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She is the author of Belief without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious.

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September Offerings Start September 20th :

For the Sensitive and the Empath:

• (ASC300) Empath Skills class
• (CS101) Care of the Sensitive (ongoing) SALE PACKAGE
• (EH136) Better Boundaries for the Sensitive

For the Nature/Fairy Lover:

• (FB101) FAIRY HEALING FAIRY BEGINNER CLASS
• (FHF200) FAIRY HEALING THE FEMININE CLASS
• (FEC200) FLOWER ESSENCES
• Fairies 101 (ongoing)

For developing your intuition:

• (IM150) INTUITIVE MAP CLASS (NEW!)
• (FD1) CLAIRVOYANCE class

Classes include personal or group Schoology course page, once a week instructor check-in, fun links and add-ons, cool illustrated lessons and fun homework! Go sign up for the September Fall Session!

Can you actually fall down in space?

Luke Umble and his Amish family are going to find out the hard way. Things continue to go from bad to worse with each new revelation. The bad news is that the Adam Corp deep space ship, the Corinthian, has not even made it out of our solar system yet.

Could something worse be waiting for them?

Promise of Tomorrow is an ongoing short story series that asks the question, "How far would you go to save your faith?"

The ONE series is about raising awareness and raising funds for charity. Along the way, we get a little emotional, but sometimes have some fun. The latest story has a little of both.

About the book: 100% of the author’s proceeds will be donated to Bridge to Ability Specialized Learning Center, a not-for-profit organization serving the educational and therapeutic needs of fragile children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. www.BridgeToAbility.org. The authors, creator and publisher are in no other way affiliated with this organization.

Mark Miller’s One 2013 is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World.

In Story Eight, Janet Beasley tells of a supernatural experience that reaffirmed her faith. Before she was a best-selling author, she was a daughter. One of her simple pleasures has always been lunch with her mother. During one of these outings, Janet and her mother witnessed the unexplainable and believe it saved their lives.

About the author: Janet Beasley, best selling author of The Hidden Earth Series (a six novel series), is successfully carving her niche` in the inspirational epic fantasy genre for middle grades and YAs. Even the young at heart are enjoying the escape her writing style presents.

Her debut novel, Maycly the Trilogy, raised to the top 3 on the Amazon Religious Fantasy charts, and landed ahead of the Hunger Games on yet another. By appearing at local and out-of-state events, book signings, and speaking engagements, audiences are now perking up when they hear this author’s name…and it’s not just for her fantasy novels. Janet works with her sister and full time illustrator, Dar Bagby, to create more than just stories. Volume 1 Maycly the Trilogy expands by leaps and bounds with two companion books (a full color illustration book and a cook book), as well as an online memorabilia shop, and amazingly enough – gourmet dog treats.

Janet is multi-talented when it comes to her creativity. She excels in multi-media presentations, event planning, has developed a training center and its curriculum for AV technicians, and produced – directed – and served as a theater technician. She has written fiction - non-fiction – stage plays - and an autobiography. She has crafted award winning poetry, been published in anthologies, and trade specific magazines.

Janet enjoys the outdoors by kayaking and hiking with her husband, and photographing nature. She also loves animals (dogs are her favorite), spending time with her family, and baking cupcakes.

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