Divine Books

A splendidly and clearly argued book! Hare not only defends and elaborates the rationality of Divine Command Theory, he also shows convincingly that not only contemporary analytical philosophy moves toward the solution of the problems of autonomy (by reconciling realist moral standard and autonomous endorsement), but Immanuel Kant in his ethical theory is actually a Divine Command theorist. He presents a brief and yet a strong case here, a must read for all Christians and students of ethics and philosophy!

"Whatever does not kill me makes me stronger... but Jesus says, 'Even what DOES kill me, makes me INFINITELY stronger!'" A terrific study of the archetype of "perfecting the imperfect human being" in torture, bodybuilding, and New Testament theology. (Yes, you read that right!) This might sound pretty wacky, but Moore has solid backup for all his points. Strongly recommended for readers who aren't afraid of a shocking but plausible look behind the surface of their beliefs! (Seriously, this book is WELL worth a look!)

I love this book! It's a wonderful blend of information and ways of connecting with the Goddesses of the Norse and Celtic pantheons. Skye has a great writing style...knowledgeable, sassy and light.

Love the parts about the Welsh Goddesses!

Bendithion Afallon Michelle!

I first met Lydia Ruyle when she joined me for an annual Goddess Gathering I was sponsoring to Peru. Together we envisioned a special series of banners to personify the feminine spirit of the Andes culminating in the first ever exposition of "Goddess Art" in Machu Picchu, Peru.

Her new book "Goddess Icons - Spirit Banners of the Divine Feminine", is an artistic and historical retrospective of the ancient worldwide Goddess lineage. Beautifully illustrated, the series details each Goddess Icon through myth, personal insight and documented historical facts. Little known outside of South America are images of the black Madonna, common to the Andes, featuring the esoteric or dark-skinned Madonna. The Peruvian series includes the tiny golden Mochica "Venus de Fria" with her deep almond "et" eyes. "Sara Mama" the Chavin corn mother wild and powerful, holds her staff of food with amaru serpentine energies, her vulva is spiked with knife-like projectiles; you wouldn't want to mess with her! "Mama Huaca" the primal stone mother emerging from the caves that catacomb the Andes is another aspect of the Pacha Mama (earthmother). Chicha, the corn beer of the Andes, is made in her honor.

"Goddess Icons - Spirit Banners of the Divine Feminine" is not only a journey into the very heart of the divine feminine whose story often mirrors our own, but also a profound tribute to the very creativity, wisdom and strength of our foremothers. Although I've traveled with Lydia and the Goddess banners several times, it wasn't until I spent a quite evening curled up with her new book that each Goddess suddenly became alive, giving me much food for thought and an ancient lineage to call my own. I highly recommend it!

The Oxford Early Christian Studies series of academic monographs are also a joy to read for the interested amateur (such as myself). Martin Laird's volume is an excellent case in point. First of all, he makes his argument that St Gregory of Nyssa is as much a theologian of divine light as of divine darkness--without denying or trivializing the undoubted apophatic dimension of St Gregory's theology. In doing so he moves to the second point of more interest to the non-academic interested in Nyssa's (or Cappadocian) thought: such analysis deepens one's reading of the works of St Gregory himself, and opens them up to broader insight rather than reading them with a solely apophatic interpretation. This in turn opens and deepens one's own understanding of theology if not one's experience of faith and its relationship to knowledge.

In a sense I was very willing to be convinced by Laird's argument. My own reading of Nyssa seemed to allude to another aspect of Christian experience: what happens to the believer after they have performed the apophatic ascent to union through faith with the divine Beloved. One does not simply stay silent forevermore on the subject of theology; rather, the ever-perfecting devout will become a vessel for the unknowable Word grasped by faith alone: for instance, the unknown Word can speak itself through Paul's actions and words after the divine presence has indwelt within him by faith (p. 163).

This view of the grasp of face depends on some technical discussion concerning Gregory's use of the term `faith' and the sequence of divine union and its effect on the person then indwelt by divine presence in Gregory's works, especially the Commentary on the Song of Songs. Such a technical discussion, far from being boring or an exercise in pedantry, gave me an insight into what faith may actually be in the human mind and being, and what the discursive mind can and cannot know, rather than seeming (to me) a catch-all for `I don't know' or `too hard'.

The price is the obvious drawback to this book and to other volumes in this superb series. Professionals in the field should seriously consider it, or recommend it to their library. As a `casual' reader I wish I'd been willing to spend the extra money earlier, but with the paperback release slated for September this should not be as much of an issue later in the year. With this volume, some prior knowledge of St Gregory and negative theology would be advisable to get the most from it.

I purchased this small book on Greta Garbo because Greta is my favorite actor. She radiated a quality unlike any other actor, past or present. I've seen all of her movies, except for "Torrent" and "Love" and this little book is like a perfect summation of her cinematic career. The photos are amazing. I've purchased other Garbo books and personally speaking, this one beats them all because it contains such amazing collection of photos from her movies or behind the scenes production shots. Garbo, more than any other star, was extremely photogenic and this kind of book was made just for a star like her. It's like a little pocket bible on the career of Garbo.

My favorite photos are on page 37 from Torrent; page 62 beautiful candid shot of Garbo and John Gilbert at a piano; page 77 from A Woman of Affairs, 92-93 Garbo with Lew Ayres; all the photos from Anna Christie: page 112-113 from Inspiration; pages 116 and 118-119 from Susan Lenox; all the photos from Mata Hari, certainly the one on page 125; page 140-141 from Queen Christina, which perfectly captures the tone of the movie. The photo on the back cover is also great. I wish I had a poster of it. The book is chock full of beautiful photos that it's difficult to say which one is the best.

What's surprising is that some of the text was more informative than big wordy biographies on her. With quotes from actors who worked with her or even reprints of a couple of movie magazine articles, I learned a few extra things about Garbo and her films that I never knew about.

Anyway, I actually carry this book around with me and whenever I'm bored or have time to kill, I just look at it and I'm swept away.

Beautifully written, powerful arguments, a must read for any serious scholar of 16th Century France.

This is the most fascinating and informative book I have ever read on the topic of healing and prayer. I could hardly put this book down. Cherry not only gives personal accounts of healings he has witnessed but instructs you on how to pray specifically for healing. It is full of other information on health and diet, which he relates to scripture. A must read!

Of all the reading I have done in the 17 years of my adult life, nothing has moved me, enlightened me, and freed me more than the Wisdom Teachings of Avatar Adi Da.

In this book He Speaks directly to all those who are determined to Realize the Truth; discussing such topics as "The Cultic Tendency in Religion" as it reflects our individual tendencies to be "Narcissitic" and "separative"; "The Practice of Love and Sexuality," where "the Heart" is the foundation of sex, not the genitals, and that there is no difference between our emotional expression and our sexual expression. He also discusses His unique point of view on death as a process we all should take personal responsibility to prepare for by studying the literature that is available from many different sources, not just His own communications.

If you are an ego merely seeking another form of "consolation" this book is definitely NOT for you. But if you have become CONVINCED that there is no ULTIMATE fulfillment to be gained through conditional/dualistic experience, either "worldly" or "spiritual" and you are ready to begin the real process of "self-transcendance" and Perfect Real-God Realization, or you are intellectually and emotionally prepared to fully CONSIDER a "radical" perspective, then Avatar Adi Da and His Wisdom Teachings as revealed in THE HEART'S SHOUT are here for you.

You can find the new version of the old translation, totally revised and completed by the Spiritist Alliance for Books. You can order this superb book through Amazon [...]