Religion : History

The exodus story is America's story. Moses is our real founding father. The pilgrims quoted his story. Franklin and Jefferson proposed he appear on the U.S. seal. Washington and Lincoln were called his incarnations. The Statue of Liberty and Superman were molded in his image. Martin Luther King, Jr., invoked him the night before he died. Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama cited him as inspiration. For four hundred years, one figure inspired more Americans than any other. His name is Moses. In this groundbreaking book, New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler travels through touchstones in American history and traces the biblical prophet's influence from the Mayflower through today. He visits the island where the pilgrims spent their first Sabbath, climbs the bell tower where the Liberty Bell was inscribed with a quote from Moses, retraces the Underground Railroad where "Go Down, Moses" was the national anthem of slaves, and dons the robe Charlton Heston wore in The Ten Commandments. "Even a cursory review of American history indicates that Moses has emboldened leaders of all stripes," Feiler writes, "patriot and loyalist, slave and master, Jew and Christian. Could the persistence of his story serve as a reminder of our shared national values? Could he serve as a unifying force in a disunifying time? If Moses could split the Red Sea, could he unsplit America?" One part adventure story, one part literary detective story, one part exploration of faith in contemporary life, America's Prophet takes readers through the landmarks of America's narrative—from Gettysburg to Selma, the Silver Screen to the Oval Office—to understand how Moses has shaped the nation's character. Meticulously researched and highly readable, America's Prophet is a thrilling, original work of history that will forever change how we view America, our faith, and our future. more...

Price: $20.99

The classic illustrated yoga guide by one of the world's most widely recognized yoga masters has now been revised and updated for the 21st century. Choudhury makes Hatha yoga fun, easy, and completely understandable. 160 photos. more...

Price: $13.95

Complete interlinked edition. Includes contemporary maps, timelines, family trees, coinage, and units of measure, as well as modern view of history and analysis of Josephus works. Josephus fought the Romans in the First Jewish-Roman War as a Jewish military leader in Galilee. After the the Romans invaded, killing thousands, Josephus and one of his soldiers surrendered to the Roman forces. He became a prisoner and provided the Romans with intelligence on the ongoing revolt. He appears to have played some role as a negotiator with the defenders of Jerusalem in 70. In 71, he arrived in Rome in the entourage of Titus, becoming a Roman citizen. It was while in Rome, and under Flavian patronage, that Josephus wrote all of his works. The works of Josephus were studied for nearly 2,000 years by scholars, pastors, students, and everybody interested in history. Josephus writes in enlightened and provocative style. He offers information about individuals, groups, customs and geographical places. His writings provide a significant, extra-biblical account of the Maccabees, the Hasmonean dynasty and the rise of Herod the Great. He makes references to the Sadducees, Jewish High Priests of the time, Pharisees and Essenes, the Herodian Temple, the Zealots, and to such figures as Pontius Pilate, Herod the Great, Agrippa I and Agrippa II, John the Baptist, James the brother of Jesus. The Josephus'' books provide the most important contemporary reference to Jesus Christ. The updated translations of Josephus'' works by William Whiston are easy to read and are essential to understanding of the first century Jerusalem, the time of Christ and the New Testament. Table of Contents. List of Works:. 1. Wars of the Jews or Jewish War or the History of the Destruction of Jerusalem (c. 75). 2. Antiquities of the Jews or Jewish Antiquities (c. 94). 3. Against Apion or Flavius Josephus Against Apion (c. 97). 4. The Life of Flavius Josephus or Autobiography of Flavius Josephus (c. 99 more...

Price: $9.99

Charting the rise of religion from Stone Age spirituality to the recent spread of Christianity in Africa, Asia, and South America, Discovering God asks the age–old question, if god was present from the beginning of time, why did god wait to reveal god's self to humans until (according to their respective traditions) Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Buddha, etc., came along? Stark asks, why a variety of world religions all sprang up at about the same time (referred to as the Axial Age). And Stark asks, why do many religions seem to share similar features? As the title suggests, Stark's thesis will be that god was here all along, and humans "discovered" (not invented) god in keeping with their own intellectual and spiritual evolution. more...

Price: $11.99

We've all read about the laws and politics of Islam, but Sufism is the poetry and romance of the world's fastest growing religion. This ascetic and mystical movement within Islam dates from the early 9th century. It has a long and respected tradition of rejecting worship motivated by the desire for heavenly reward or the fear of punishment, insisting rather on the love of God as the sole valid form of adoration. Nasr is the preeminent Sufi scholar in the U.S., and in the tradition of Martin Buber's I and Thou, here provides the beliefs and vision of the mystical heart of Islam. Sufism has made significant contributions to the spread of Islam and the development of various aspects of Islamic civilization (e.g., the Sufi poet Rumi is the best–selling poet in America). Many conservative Muslims disagree with many popular Sufi practices, particularly saint worship, the visiting of tombs, and the incorporation of non–Islamic customs. Consequently, in recent centuries Sufism has been a target for Islamic reformist and modernist movements. Here is the book that will present the ideas and principles held dear by this peaceful, loving tradition within Islam, along with a history of Sufi saints and schools of thought. Sufism is a much needed corrective to the extremist Muslim fundamentalists who capture the headlines and taint our perception of the world's fastest growing religion. more...

Price: $11.99