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Scholar Leeming offers the first comprehensive narrative study of the mythology of the Middle East, that tumultuous region that was the cradle of civilization. Leeming begins with a brief history, followed by an in-depth discussion of the mythology of the region, ranging from prehistoric figures such as the mother goddess of Catal Huyuk to Mesopotamian gods such as Marduk and mythic heroes such as Gilgamesh, to the pantheon of Egyptian mythology. He also explores the mythology of the three great monotheistic religions of the region: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In a provocative epilogue, Leeming notes that fundamentalists in the area's three religions today all see their way as the only way, forgetting that myths represent truths that are spiritual and philosophical, not historical events that can be used to justify acts of violence.--From publisher description.
This is an A-Z dictionary of mythologies of the Asian continent. Major characters, places and events of Asian mythology, as well as certain relevant themes and cultural traditions are included.
What Does It Mean to Be "Chosen"? Why Did God Have to Choose? “To be chosen can have a range of meaning from the mundane to the holy, but in all cases it means to be singled out and preferred over others. In a deep sense that permeates much or most of Western culture, having been chosen communicates a sense of something that is extraordinary, is transcendent, and entitles a reward. What is assumed in this sense of the term is that God has done the choosing and the reward is something that is unequaled, for what could possibly equal divinely ordained eternal happiness?” —from the Introduction Religious people who define themselves as monotheists have often advanced the idea that their relationship with God is unique and superior to all others. Theirs supersedes those who came before, and is superior to those who have followed. This phenomenon tends to be expressed in terms not only of supersessionism, but also “chosenness,” or “election.” Who is most beloved by God? What expression of the divine will is the most perfect? Which relationship reflects God's ultimate demands or desire? In this fascinating examination of the religious phenomenon of chosenness, Reuven Firestone explores the idea of covenant, and the expressions of supersessionism as articulated through the scriptures of the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He explores how and why the ongoing competition and friction between these religions came about, and offers thoughts about how to overcome it.
Who is Yahweh? Where did he come from? How did this jealous, vengeful, exclusivist god shape the destiny of his chosen people? Can we trace a direct connection, through twenty-five centuries, linking the cult of Yahweh to contemporary Zionism?It all starts with the Old Testament, the ur-text for any serious inquiry into the Jewish question. That book ¿ more correctly known as the Torah ¿ does not simply recount the history of a people. It gives the children of Israel the keys to their divinely-ordained destiny. It was Jacob, son of Isaac, who returned from exile and took the name Israel: a name inherited by the whole Jewish people long before it designated a nation-state. That single name unites the patriarch, the people, and the promised land.The history of the Jewish people is intertwined with the history of humanity. What role did Jews play in the fall of Byzantium? How have they influenced the Christian church? What role did they play in the two terrible ¿European civil wars¿ of the first half of the twentieth century? Yahweh¿s people has always lived apart from the rest of humanity, endlessly reproducing the same Biblical schema: the Babylon captivity, the flight from Egypt, the Book of Esther. This psychological template for the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob unites them, alone against the world, from the vengeance holiday of Purim to the sacralized memory of the Holocaust. Even the creation of the modern nation-state of Israel has had no effect on the ¿invisible walls¿ of the ¿Jewish prison.¿This book is not just a scholarly inquiry into the history of an idea. It is also an appeal to our Jewish brothers and sisters to liberate themselves from a mythology that imprisons them in a schizophrenic relationship to the world. Alternately a chosen people and a cursed people, a people carrying a divine message and a people who kill the divine messengers, eternal guides to humanity and its eternal victims: To be born Jewish is to be born beneath the heavy weight of 2,500 years of history.
The present volume contains essays dealing with the Second Temple Jewish traditions and documents preserved solely in their Slavonic translations. It examines these Slavonic pseudepigraphical materials in the context of their mediating role in the development of early Jewish mystical traditions from Second Temple apocalypticism to Merkabah mysticism attested in rabbinic and Hekhalot materials. The book represents the first attempt to study Slavonic pseudepigrapha collectively as a unique group of texts that share common theophanic and mediatorial imagery crucial for the development of early Jewish mysticism. The study demonstrates that mediatorial traditions of the exalted patriarchs and prophets played an important role in facilitating the transition from apocalypticism to early Jewish mysticism.
Religion has been the biggest divisive force in history. This book examines the irrational and harmful beliefs of religious people, which lead to religion becoming a destructive force. Religion can be and has been a force for good too. What are the aspects of religion that make it meaningful? Does God exist? The book details the scientific and philosophical arguments adduced for God’s existence and how valid they are. In the last section, we look at five luminaries of science who either had close encounters with religious establishments or had strong views on religion and God. We look at the lives of Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Einstein and Hawking, not so much as scientists, but as human beings with their own kinks and idiosyncrasies. The author brings to this book his extensive knowledge of physics, philosophy, religion and the behavioural sciences.
After being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, Dave Jiang started asking some hard questions: "Why Me?" "Was the universe just random, or was there reason and purpose behind it?" "What happens at death?" In the midst of five brain surgeries, radiation treatment and miraculous recovery after 28 days unconscious in a coma, he became motivated to search for something beyond human invention, control and understanding. Disregarding any and all preconceived notions and beliefs from the cultural and religious establishment, his search for empirical and historical evidence for an extraterrestrial deity led him to seek out Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Moslems, as well as scientists and intellectuals. Researching modern and historically verifiable ancient texts while undergoing myriad medical procedures and enduring increasing pain and impairments, something made itself apparent, leading to viable answers and meditations about "Blind Faith", divine sovereignty, the nature of suffering, eternal joy and punishment, and divine calling. Despite never graduating high school, Dave Jiang (barely) completed a Bachelor's Degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL after cramming a four-year degree into 6 years. After being employed in corporate America by IBM for 2 years, he spent the next 12 years on full-time campus staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. He is currently engaged in an independent ministry working among professional and civic organizations, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, art galleries, campuses, churches, and the occasional evangelistic stand-up comedy gig in bars and nightclubs. Interacting primarily among those disenchanted by the traditional church, he seeks to bring the abundant, pleasurable and joyful life promised by Jesus to those outside the religious establishment. Financed entirely through investments from organizations and individuals, and from holdings in the securities markets, God has granted him the freedom to pursue whatever ministry opportunities he sees God presenting and calling him to. Contact him at [email protected].
Bioethics is a multidisciplinary field of law and one that can not be ignored. Bioethical and Evolutionary Approaches to Medicine and the Law is a comprehensive, scholarly analysis of bioethics and the development of its standards. The book is broken up into the following four parts: * Part I deals with scientific, religious, ethical and legal aspects of bioethics * Part II evaluates 100 current bioethical issues and sets forth specific approaches for their resolution * Part III focuses on medical, legal and other problems from beginning of life (overpopulation, birth control, in vitro fertilization, etc.) through end of life (physician assisted suicide, advance directives, euthanasia, etc.) * Part IV discusses the major bioethical issues in genetics and genetic engineering.
The Pilgrims journeyed toward the New World with a distinct purpose in mind. They left behind a life dissatisfying to them and arrived with a vision of liberty and hope. They held within themselves the seeds of a nation exceptional in all of history. Their convictions paved the way for the colonists, who would eventually give form and substance to a government based on the truth of the ages. A unique nation-a nation under God-would arise and seize the God-given right to live free, offer opportunity and realize prosperity. But contrary to the settlers' and founders' principles, alien elements have arisen in recent years to challenge the American ideal and threaten the foundation of the republic. Forces foreign to the Constitution are producing radical changes in our cultural and political life, and "one nation under God" has become "one nation under siege." The Book and The Right examines those qualities that have made America exceptional, but that are endangered at the present time, and looks in detail at the causes that are putting her at serious risk. It appraises her current direction and stresses the steps she must take to return to the course of her originally chosen destiny. The Book and The Right addresses a subject long held taboo and goes to the heart of the issue for answers. The author draws on historical, theological, psychological and political data to pursue the truth and call America back to her roots. Maynard Miller holds degrees from Asbury College, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He has been a psychotherapist, administrator and college teacher in the mental health/human service field. A frequent speaker and writer, he is a leader in national and international service projects. His previous book is The Face in the Mirror.