In this new edition of his classic work, Religion and the Rise of Western Culture, Christopher Dawson addresses two of the most pressing subjects of our day: the origin of Europe and the religious roots of Western culture. With the magisterial sweep of Toynbee, to whom he is often compared, Dawson tells here the tale of medieval Christendom. From the brave travels of sixth-century Irish monks to the grand synthesis of Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century, Dawson brilliantly shows how vast spiritual movements arose from tiny origins and changed the face of medieval Europe from one century to the next. The legacy of those years of ferment remains with us in the great cathedrals, Gregorian chant, and the works of Giotto and Dante. Even more, though, for Dawson these centuries charged the soul of the West with a spiritual concern -- a concern that he insists "can never be entirely undone except by the total negation or destruction of Western man himself."

Religion and the Rise of Western Culture: The Classic Study of Medieval Civilization

History

Dawson, Christopher

Europe

The Crown Publishing Group

These days more and more people are scheduling getaways to retreat centers for their spiritual well-being--over 1.2 million Catholics alone during 1997. Located throughout the United States and Canada, these centers cater to the needs of people seeking quiet time, regardless of religious affiliation. Retreat possibilities range from one day of solitude surrounded by nature, to a few days of quiet time under the guidance of a resident spiritual director, to a week experiencing the rigorous rhythms of community monastery life. In A PLACE FOR GOD, Timothy Jones shares the wisdom of his pilgrimages to retreat centers as diverse as a mountaintop hermitage overlooking the Pacific and a monastic oasis on Chicago's South Side. First he explains everything about retreats: what they are, why people go, how to prepare, what to pack, and what to do while there. Then he provides an extensive directory of over 250 retreat centers in all fifty states and Canada, complete with all the information readers need to contact the retreat center that is right for them. A PLACE FOR GOD is the perfect resource for anyone who wants to find spiritual fulfillment or simply a place to get away.

A Place for God: A Guide to Spiritual Retreats and Retreat Centers

Religion & Spirituality

Jones, Timothy

Christian Books & Bibles

The twelfth-century German abbess Hildegard of Bingen would have been remarkable in any age. Today, her growing reputation as a composer of religious music has overshadowed the astonishing variety of her accomplishments and her part in the scientific, cultural, and theological revolution of the pre-Renaissance, from religion and mysticism to medicine and sex. Scivias, her book of apocalyptic visions, with its extraordinary and compelling illustrations, would alone have been enough to endure her lasting fame. The story of Hildegard's life, from her entry into a monastery at Disibodenberg on the Rhine as a child, through the exploration of her pent-up genius in middle years, to her eventual admission to the German canon of saints, is here told against a rich background of the years of the Crusades, the flowering of monasticism, papal schism and heresy. The forceful character that emerges challenges any image of demurely subjugated womanhood associated with the period. Hildegard's story is as fascinating as that of any figure in the Middle Ages, and she and her musical legacy continue to be the subject of debate a thousand years later.

Hildegard of Bingen: The Woman of Her Age

Biographies & Memoirs

Maddocks, Fiona

Community & Culture

"A cracking good thriller." -- Publishers Weekly "A feast of suspense. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal When attorney Marcus Glenwood resigns from a prestigious corporate law firm to retreat to a small town in North Carolina and rebuild his life after a devastating personal tragedy, he suddenly finds himself in the biggest and most emotionally difficult case of his career. Fragile and spiritually wounded, Glenwood is introduced to Alma and Austin Hall, whose daughter Gloria has disappeared in China while investigating the slave-like practices of New Horizons, the world's largest manufacturer of sports shoes and athletic gear. Persuaded by Alma's pleading, and their obvious distress, Marcus accepts the case. No one, including Marcus himself, can believe how quickly his investigation untangles a web of deceit that stretches from Washington , D.C., to Europe and Asia and back to his own North Carolina backyard. With the power to obstruct, manipulate, intimidate, injure, and eliminate, the giant multinational sports company New Horizons has never lost a case. But they underestimate Marcus Glenwood. Step by cautious step Glenwood moves forward to uncover the horrifying truth about New Horizons, Gloria Hall, and ultimately himself.

The Great Divide (Marcus Glenwood Series #1)

Literature & Fiction

Bunn, T. Davis

United States

The New Normal: Living a Fear-Free Life in a Fear-Driven World (LifeChange Books)

Twin Towers Down, New Hope on the Rise When the Twin Towers fell, a whole new world of fear and doubt emerged. “Where is God in all of this?” we ask. To be constantly on guard against terrorist attacks, not to mention crises that hit us on a personal level, is exhausting. But in the midst of this “new normal” world of fear, one thing remains the same: God still reigns. While we may be tempted to turn to food, shopping, busyness, even family, God is the only answer we can count on. He is our source for peace, comfort, and confidence in the midst of chaos. Jill Briscoe encourages the hurting and weary to run unencumbered into the arms of God. And this all-encompassing peace that may seem so elusive right now will become yours to stay. Escape Fear Expand Faith Embrace the Future Where is God in the midst of our world’s catastrophic events? Where is God in the midst of our deepest pain? We may think we’re getting along with God, until a 9/11 happens. Global or personal, tragedy wreaks havoc on our souls. How are you supposed to trust the One letting it all happen? The New Normal won’t give you pat answers. But it will guide you to a place of security in the face of inexplicable calamity. By being honest about your anxieties, willing to respond to God’s instruction, and ready to take a leap of faith, you’ll find a new, hope-filled future waiting for you. It’s the new normal you’ve been longing for. Story Behind the Book “I was in the air on September 11, 2001 . More than anything for me, the event served as a wake up call to evangelism,” says Briscoe. “I realized the time is short and the days are evil…the Lord is coming soon! So let’s seize the day!” Based on a sermon she gave at Elmbrook Church soon after that day etched itself in history, The New Normal speaks to an America in shock, but with a message that is even more pertinent today.

Briscoe, Jill

31 Verses to Write on Your Heart

Higgs, Liz Curtis

Self-help: To millions of Americans it seems like a godsend. To many others it seems like a joke. But as investigative reporter Steve Salerno reveals in this groundbreaking book, it’s neither—in fact it’s much worse than a joke. Going deep inside the Self-Help and Actualization Movement (fittingly, the words form the acronym SHAM), Salerno offers the first serious exposé of this multibillion-dollar industry and the real damage it is doing—not just to its paying customers, but to all of American society. Based on the author’s extensive reporting—and the inside look at the industry he got while working at a leading “lifestyle” publisher—SHAM shows how thinly credentialed “experts” now dispense advice on everything from mental health to relationships to diet to personal finance to business strategy. Americans spend upward of $8 billion every year on self-help programs and products. And those staggering financial costs are actually the least of our worries. SHAM demonstrates how the self-help movement’s core philosophies have infected virtually every aspect of American life—the home, the workplace, the schools, and more. And Salerno exposes the downside of being uplifted, showing how the “empowering” message that dominates self-help today proves just as damaging as the blame-shifting rhetoric of self-help’s “Recovery” movement. SHAM also reveals: • How self-help gurus conduct extensive market research to reach the same customers over and over—without ever helping them • The inside story on the most notorious gurus—from Dr. Phil to Dr. Laura, from Tony Robbins to John Gray • How your company might be wasting money on motivational speakers, “executive coaches,” and other quick fixes that often hurt quality, productivity, and morale • How the Recovery movement has eradicated notions of personal responsibility by labeling just about anything—from drug abuse to “sex addiction” to shoplifting—a dysfunction or disease • How Americans blindly accept that twelve-step programs offer the only hope of treating addiction, when in fact these programs can do more harm than good • How the self-help movement inspired the disastrous emphasis on self-esteem in our schools • How self-help rhetoric has pushed people away from proven medical treatments by persuading them that they can cure themselves through sheer application of will As Salerno shows, to describe self-help as a waste of time and money vastly understates its collateral damage. And with SHAM, the self-help industry has finally been called to account for the damage it has done. Also available as an eBook

Sham: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless

Business & Money

Salerno, Steve

Industries

Interweaving two captivating stories of romance and intrigue, humor and faith, The Emerald Isle wraps up the multi-colored threads of Angela Elwell Hunt's The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor series in a page-turning conclusion that will satisfy both spirit and heart. Resisting her confining, traditional role as a king's daughter, fiery-spirited Cahira O'Connor dreams of practicing her bow, not of capturing a husband. But when Norman invaders challenge the borders of the Kingdom of Connacht, Cahira finds both the one man who could win her heart and an irresistible calling to fight for the land and people she loves. To Kathleen O'Connor, the story of Cahira's deathbed vow was nothing more than a legend - until her research revealed that it was true. Now, in Ireland for the wedding of her best friend Taylor and his fiancee, Maddie O'Neil, Kathleen struggles to fit in at the O'Neils' farm, Ballyshannon, and focus on her research into the life of her ancestor Cahira. There among Ireland's emerald hills, Kathleen finds far more than she could ever have dreamed - including her own unexpected destiny as an heir of Cahira O'Connor.

The Emerald Isle (The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor #4)

Hunt, Angela Elwell

When attorney Marcus Glenwood resigns from a prestigious corporate law firm to retreat to a small town in North Carolina and rebuild his life after a devastating personal tragedy, he suddenly finds himself in the biggest and most emotionally difficult case of his career. Fragile and spiritually wounded, Glenwood is introduced to Alma and Austin Hall, whose daughter Gloria has disappeared in China while investigating the slave-like practices of New Horizons, the world's largest manufacturer of sports shoes and athletic gear. Persuaded by Alma's pleading, and their obvious distress, Marcus accepts the case. No one, including Marcus himself, can believe how quickly his investigation untangles a web of deceit that stretches from Washington , D.C., to Europe and Asia and back to his own North Carolina backyard. With the power to obstruct, manipulate, intimidate, injure, and eliminate, the giant multinational sports company New Horizons has never lost a case. But they underestimate Marcus Glenwood. Step by cautious step Glenwood moves forward to uncover the horrifying truth about New Horizons, Gloria Hall, and ultimately himself.

The Great Divide

Bunn, T. Davis Davis

Contemporary

Caught in a Cult (The Truth Chasers Part Two) People associated with him have been killed, but Dr. Walter Simmons is a successful man. His books and tapes incorporate psychological principles with New Age, feel-good spiritualism and are a hit on college campuses. But when his top students join him for an intensive “training” program, they are actually joining a dangerous cult. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Tim Porter’s daughter, Ruby, is lured in like the rest, the heights of a dream plummeting her to the depths of a living nightmare. Tim and his ex-wife are driven to their knees for their daughter. But what about Ruby? To what lengths can they go to rescue her from Dr. Simmons’s clutches? Complicating matters is an FBI investigation, a corrupt chief of police, and a mounting spiritual battle. How much time do they really have? A desperate escape into the South Florida marshes ends in murder. But the true terror is just beginning… Dr. Walter Simmons is a successful man. His books and tapes blend psychological principles with New Age, feel-good spiritualism and are a hit on college campuses. But when his top students join him for an intensive “training” program, they have no idea what awaits them. Not even the most insightful student of them all--Ruby Porter. Tim Porter, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, knows his daughter is into something strange. He and his ex-wife grow increasingly concerned, but nothing they do or say helps. Then a young man is murdered, and the FDLE are assigned to the case. As Tim grapples for the truth, one fact becomes crystal clear: Ruby is in terrible danger. But can he do what it will take to rescue his daughter from a man she now trusts more than anyone else? Faced with an FBI investigation, a corrupt chief of police, and a mounting spiritual battle, Tim hits obstacles at every turn. As each day goes by, he can’t escape the terrifying truth--His daughter’s time is running out… Join the agents of the FDLE as they seek the truth behind the crime and wrestle with Truth in their personal lives. Dealing with depravity all day, every day, it doesn’t always seem like God is in control. Which just makes victory that much sweeter when it comes. Reader's Guide Included! Story Behind the Book “One day, while driving with my family, I caught a glimpse of my children’s faces in the rearview mirror. I was struck by their innocence and unawareness of anything evil in the world. As a police officer, I was intimately acquainted with evil and wanted to keep my children far from such knowledge. But I knew someday they would leave the comfort and security of our home. And I wondered, Was I equipping them with the spiritual training they would need to face the world ahead of them? Was I truly raising my children in the ways of the Lord? What would I do if one of my children were in the clutches of the evil one? And how far would I go to get them back?” — Mark Mynheir

From the Belly of the Dragon (The Truth Chasers Series #2)

Mynheir, Mark

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