Offers advice on uncovering inner wisdom and opening one's heart while refusing to allow resentfulness and fear to block one's inner light.

As the popularity of Buddhism soars, so does the complexity of Buddhist interpretation & doctrine. Buddhism Plain & Simple strips Buddhist teachings of the embellishments they have accumulated over the centuries & presents the original way of the Buddha in everyday, accessible language, unencumbered by religious ritual, theory, or belief. Outlining the Buddha's four truths of existence, Zen teacher Steve Hagen explores their practical manifestations...

"Beloved Buddhist nun and bestselling author Pema Chödrön's wise words on working with the countless changes in our lives to find more freedom and less fear. As much as we might try to resist, endings happen in every moment--the end of a relationship, the end of a day, the end of a breath, and ultimately the end of life. And behind each ending is a beginning--though it may be unclear what the beginning holds. How We Live is How We'll Die shares...

Describes the elements of Catholicism, focusing on the life, incarnation, and teachings of Jesus Christ; the sacraments; worship and prayer; Mary, the Apostles, and the Saints; and grace, salvation, and heaven and hell.

Lojong is the Tibetan Buddhist practice that involves working with short phrases (called "slogans") as a way of generating bodhichitta, the heart and mind of enlightened compassion.

A sweeping history of Muslim identity from its origins in late antiquity to the present
How did Muslims across time and place define the line between themselves and their neighbors? Youshaa Patel explores why the Prophet Muhammad first advised his followers to emulate Christians and Jews, but then allegedly reversed course, urging them to "be different!" He details how subsequent generations of Muslim scholars canonized the Prophet's...

Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Karen Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality. While noting that the changing face of the world has necessarily changed the importance of religion at both the societal and the individual level, she makes a powerful, convincing argument for drawing on the insights of the past in order to build a faith that speaks to the needs of our dangerously...

It is one of the most ancient, arcane, and, to some, embarrassing rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet the demand for exorcism--and trained exorcists--is booming. Foreign correspondent Tracy Wilkinson reveals how "devil detox" has become an industry, complete with international conventions and plenty of controversy. We meet Father Amorth, who has led a campaign to reestablish exorcism as a respected rite. Based on extensive interviews with Amorth,...

In this sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy. He explains why spirituality has a role today, and why science,...

Do you ever wonder what the difference is between one denomination and another? Why are there so many kinds of Baptist or Presbyterian or Lutheran churches? Where do those names come from, anyway? You can find answers in this concise but comprehensive guide. Learn about the leaders, teachings, and history of most of the church families in America. In addition to membership statistics, you'll find... • a brief explanation of how the denomination...