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Nirgun bhakti--devotion to a formless God--has been called a logical absurdity, yet the songs, verses, and narratives of the nirgun poets of North India have played a vital role in both Hinduism and Sikhism since the late fifteenth century. The compositions of famous nirgun poets such as Kabir, Raidas, Guru Nanak, and Dadu Dayal also form an essential part of the vernacular literatures of North India.

Other nirgun poets have made major religious and literary contributions to Indian culture but have been little studied by modern scholars. This book discusses, translates, and edits various important compositions by these poets. The texts include songs and narratives about the pious demon Prahlad, hagiographic songs about historical saints, the popular bhajans attributed to Kabir, and the songs sung during the rites of the Kabir Panth. Two longer texts presented here are Jan Gopal's narrative poem, the Prahilad charitra, and Sain's religious debate, the Kabir-Raidas ka samvad. ... Read more

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Between 1901 and 1907, a broad coalition of Protestant churches sought to expel newly elected Reed Smoot from the Senate, arguing that as an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smoot was a lawbreaker and therefore unfit to be a lawmaker. The resulting Senate investigative hearing featured testimony on every peculiarity of Mormonism, especially its polygamous family structure. The Smoot hearing ultimately mediated a compromise between Progressive Era Protestantism and Mormonism and resolved the nation's long-standing "Mormon Problem." On a broader scale, Kathleen Flake shows how this landmark hearing provided the occasion for the country--through its elected representatives, the daily press, citizen petitions, and social reform activism--to reconsider the scope of religious free exercise in the new century.

Flake contends that the Smoot hearing was the forge in which the Latter-day Saints, the Protestants, and the Senate hammered out a model for church-state relations, shaping for a new generation of non-Protestant and non-Christian Americans what it meant to be free and religious. In addition, she discusses the Latter-day Saints' use of narrative and collective memory to retain their religious identity even as they changed to meet the nation's demands.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Used book
Used book was a little on the heavy side for marking up by past owner.

An amazing view into a pivotal time in the chruch
I decided to read The Politics of American Religious Identity after reading a recommendation of it by Elder Oaks in his interview for the PBS documentary The Mormons (http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f11cb868474e3110VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9ae411154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD).

Flake's book is a fantastic read of a very fascinating period in Church history.I was struck by her account of how the Church's leadership's understanding of what it meant to be "Mormon" and the Church's core beliefs in the nature of God, priesthood authority, and revelation really came into focus during this time.In her description of these events--from the view of what I assume is a non-Mormon scholar--one can see the divine hand of revelation as God worked through President Joseph F. Smith and the Quorum of the Twelve to refine the Church and its people.

That said, it is a wonderful piece of scholarship and a enjoyable read.

Highly recommended.

We still have a need to shed our religious bigotry
This is an excellent book by an expert historian on the events that began theintegration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into American life. Kathleen Flake discusses in detail the three-year-long hearings to determine if Senator and LDS Apostle Reed Smoot should retain his senate seat.

This book is not only about Reed Smoot, but also about then Church President and Prophet Joseph F. Smith. Perhaps Smith is the most interesting person in the book. His 5-day testimony before the Senate committee shows the quandary of demonstrating that the church was no longer teaching polygamy without alienating church members who were then praciticing that doctrine, which many believed to be the crowning revelation of church founder Joseph Smith, Jr. Perhaps today's faithful may be surprised that the LDS presidency and quorum of the twelve performed plural marriages after the 1890 Manifesto. (An apologetic treatment of this era is located on the FAIR LDS web site under the title "Polygamy, Prophets, and Prevarication.") Despite his careful statements as a witness (to the point of deception), Smith satisfies no one: not the senate, not the American public, and not the Church membership.

The 1900-era LDS church is also an interesting element in this book. The tension between the pioneer generations and their offspring over polygamy and the 1890 Manifesto fits the enduring theme of generational conflict, but also the ability of the LDS church to evolve in response to changing societal conditions.

Joseph F. Smith ultimately led the church through the transition away from polygamy and into American Life by focusing on the First Vision of the church's founder, the Prophet Joseph (who was Joseph F. Smith's Uncle.) To understand why this was effective you will have to read the book. Flake's discussion of Joseph F. Smith's eventual success in this regard is insightful and was a new wrinkle to me. Not only did Joseph F. Smith lead the church away from polygamy but he also revitalized the church's European missions, changed the policy of the "gathering to Zion" into one of building an international church; and encouraged church members to reject their isolationism and engage with their fellow Americans. Joseph F. Smith's support of Smoot's senatorial service while Smoot retained his role as Apostle proves to be a stroke of genius and ranks as perhaps Joseph F. Smith's most daring and visionary act as the President of the LDS church.

Reed Smoot is shown to be a remarkable individual. His senate career was almost 30 years long and in that time he became one of the most powerful senators and an adviser to three presidents, all the while serving in the highest quorum of the LDS church. I would have welcomed more biographical information about Smoot. Indeed this is the one shortcoming of the book.

With regard to religious bigotry in America, this book is poignant. With the candidacy of Mitt Romney, a faithful Mormon, we see the same accusations that were raised 100 years ago against Smoot: Questions of allegiance to the United States,dark implications about sacred LDS temple ordinances, suggestions that the LDS church is a subversive organization that aims to undermine the U.S. government.

It is not surprising that these repeatedly discredited accusations are once again being made by Protestant Churches and individuals. Flake shows that the Smoot Hearings were initiated, articulated, and sponsored by the Protestant churches and leading ministers of the day.Such is the state we once again find ourselves in 2007.

The drive to unseat Smoot ultimately failed for a number of reasons, including a natural inclination of Americans to allow freedom of religion,a movement away from Polygamy by the LDS church (after which the accusations against Smoot changed to questioning his loyalty to the nation), and also by Smoot's engaging personality and exemplary service as a senator.

I would like to believe we have come a long way as a tolerant nation in the past 100 years. However, it appears that we have not.

Wonderful look at the church in transition
I've grown up in the LDS church, served a mission, am married in the temple, but I never really knew much about church history past 1847 and the arrival of the saints in the Salt Lake valley. I've started to become more interested in how the isolated Rocky Mountain church has grown into the worldwide organization that it is. At the same time, I'm also interested in politics, having studied law. This book was a real eye-opener for me. I found the explanation about the church deciding to reach back east across the Rockies to find acceptance to be very interesting. I also learned a great deal about Joseph F. Smith. He realized that the controversy surrounding polygamy was so great that it was taking away from the mission of the church to continue to proselytise and grow the kingdom.

It was also interesting to see how members of the United States Senate were actually arguing that Mormons didn't deserve the basic rights of citizenship that we take for granted today. Even in today's heightened sensitivity to different religions of the world, I don't think anyone would suggest that non-Christians duly elected to public office should not be seated in the office to which they were elected. Yet many believed that Reed Smoot should have been ineligible to serve because he was Mormon. Ultimately he was seated due more to political pragmatism rather than because of a true belief in the First Amendment.

Kathleen Flake does an excellent job of presenting all sides of the issues, and provides a large amount of sources in the endnotes. I would definitely recommend this book to all members of the LDS church to help understand how today's worldwide church grew from that small group of "peculiar people" in 19th century Utah.

Almost perfect
This is a superbly written book, and one of the few works of professional, objective history that examines 20th century Mormonism. Flake's central thesis is that pressure from the US Government in the form of the Smoot hearings forced the church to abandon polygamy once and for all. Faced with the loss of its most cogent identity marker, the Mormon hierarchy needed to find a way for the Latter-day Saints to distinguish themselves from other denominations. They did so by emphasizing the restoration message contained within Joseph Smith's 1838 account of his first vision. By pointing to the vision's statement that Mormonism was a unique restoration of primitive Christianity, the Saints were able to set aside the practice that had made them unique up to that point: polygamy. Flake's arguments are basically sound, but somewhat overstated. For instance, the first vision had been used for this purpose since at least the 1880s, and she selectively sorts through the existing scholarship on the vision to skirt this fact. She also places too much emphasis on the symbolic importance of the centennial of Joseph Smith's birth and the monument that commemorates it. Nevertheless, this book easily joins the pantheon of "must read" books in Mormon history, and no student of the early 20th century church can fail to grapple with Flake's conclusions. An excellent and highly recommended work. ... Read more

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Enlightening encounters with the world's religions from a Hindu perspective. ... Read more

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This fascinating monograph tackles a well-established problem in the philosophy of education. The problem is the threat posed to the logical possibility of non-confessional religious education by the claim that religion constitutes an autonomous language-game or form of knowledge. Defenders of this claim argue that religion cannot be understood from the outside: it is impossible to impart religious understanding unless one is also prepared to impart religious belief. Michael Hand argues for two central points: first, that non-confessional religious education would indeed be impossible if it were true that religion constitutes a distinct form of knowledge; and, second, that religion does not in fact constitute a distinct form of knowledge. ... Read more

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AQA Religious Studies Ethics is the only set of resources to have been developed with, and exclusively endorsed by AQA, making them the first choice to support AQA's 2008/2009 specification for AS and A2 Units 1A and 1B. ... Read more

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This book explores the richness of Pakistan's religious landscape, giving attention to a number of topics: Shia flagellation processions, Urdu-language pulp fiction, streetside rituals involving animals (pariah-kites and fortune-telling parrots), and the use of sorcery to contend with the jinns that are believed to infest cities such as Lahore. Uniting these topics is an investigation of how Islamist politicians seek to eradicate sectarian diversity and repress localized forms of Muslim folk practices in the name of a standardized, uniform, and globalized version of Islam. The book looks at forms of resistance to this Islamist globalization, such as collaborative efforts by Christian, Hindu, and Muslim human-rights activists to repeal Pakistan's notorious blasphemy law and assert the worth of religious pluralism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pakistan - Religious Pluralism
In Notes from the Fortune-Telling Parrot, David Pinault has gone into challenging and difficulty areas, both physically and intellectually.All too few people outside of Pakistan understand what a diverse country this is, culturally, linguistically, and ethnically.Pinault has done the hard work of preparing for the research and then has gone into difficult places with an acute sensibility as to the people's sense of connection to each other as well as to their religious and spiritual needs.The results of his work on the ground are expressed with great clarity and with occasional humor, the latter usually having to do with predicaments in which he found himself.This is an extremely well researched and written book and one important for better understanding a world that has become increasingly linked to so much beyond its own borders. ... Read more

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Long Summary Coming Soon ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great kids' study!
I bought this particular study based on the author, Kay Arthur, and her reputation.I was not disappointed.My 8-year-old son has really gotten into Bible study with the help of this book.It is challenging for him, but he is able to understand it with a little help at times. It is right on target for my 10-year-old. It has a variety of activities to reinforce the Bible texts.I totally recommend this for an at-home study.

A Great tool
I am currently using this book for a 5th-6th grade Kids Club at our church.It is such a great tool for kids who have study the bible for years as well as those who walked in for the first time this year.I am very pleased with how this study is going and am looking forward to using more Discover 4 yourself books in the future.

So far so good!
I have looked at these Kay Arthur Kid studies for years because I have been leading Precept Inductive studies since 2000.My kids are just the right age for them.I have two boys in 4th and 6th grade, and they are loving this study.They make storyboards and search for key words and answer 5 W and an H questions, and they are really enjoying it.We do it every other day during our Bible time in homeschool.

As a special bonus, since we are making a "movie" of the book of John, we watch The Gospel of John on DVD.It is a word-for-word script of the book of John.It is great for them to see an actual movie interpretation fo the chapter they just studied inductively.

It is a hit so far!

Homeschoolers, take a look at this book!
I'm using this book for my son's third grade Bible program.It's fast moving and fun, yet very extensive with weekly memory verses and step by step bible reading and questions about the child's own walk with the Lord.It puts the child in the role of a movie director researching Jesus' lifefor a movie.There are lots of study questions, as well as games andpuzzles to make it really interesting.Third grade is the very youngest Iwould have a child doing this study, in fact we are taking 2 weeks to doeach weekly unit, and it would be just as interesting for an older child upthrough jr. high. ... Read more

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What happens when Catholic social teaching is taken to heart? Sowing Justice, Reaping Peace offers a contemporary analysis of the roles played by groups and individuals in responding to many of the major social conflicts of the second half of the twentieth century. Michael Duffey offers a contemporary analysis of people and events and synthesizes the mountain of materials devoted to single conflicts or issues to give a serious, detailed look at how Catholic social teachings are lived out in times of crisis.

Sowing Justice, Reaping Peace explores nine recent and/or ongoing social issues and struggles from around the world, giving historical background, analysis of the conflict, pivotal events, and the role of local churches and individuals in overcoming injustices and resolving conflicts. The thread running throughout the book is the examination of the religious motivations of those who have struggled for peace and justice.These are the stories of individuals and movements whose faith has helped forge social and political change that heals the wounded. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good message, just tedious to read
This book talks about the different conflicts in history that have been a challenge to peace. Although it was interesting at times, there is a lot of frivolous information. Not a fan of history myself, I was bored by it. But from this, we are able to learn about Catholic Social Teaching. I would recommend buying it only if you like history, even if you are not Catholic. World peace is something that affects everyone and should be discussed more often. ... Read more

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Long Summary Coming Soon ... Read more

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Priceless Bible study
Cannot recommend highly enough.Get children started early in these studies and you will have much wiser and yes, even godly, children. ... Read more

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This excitingaddition to Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt’s Discover 4 Yourself® InductiveBible Studies for Kids series leads young believers ages 8–12 on a journeyto God’s heart using the inductive study method and the wonder of anadventurous spy tale.

On this latest quest, young adventurers along with theirfavorite characters Max and Molly uncover who God is by exploring His manynames and what they mean. Discoveries from the Bible, memorable stories, andclever mazes and activities unfold the names of God and His attributes, suchas:

• Creator
• Protector
• Provider
• Healer
• Shepherd

Ideal for Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, homeschoolers, and individuals.

Customer Reviews (3)

I Really Enjoyed This Book and I'm in my 20s
I bought this book a while ago and it really kept my attention and made me want to complete it ahead of schedule. I learned the different names of God and it helped me in my time of prayer.

Great Book for Kids 8 - 10
I purchased this and several other Kay Arthur Inductive Bible Study Series books to use in homeschooling my 4th grade son.All of the books were good - but this is the book that spurred the best theological conservations between my son and I and gave me a great springboard for discussions about Christianity and becoming a Christian.After studying the books, my son created a Powerpoint Presentation showing what he had learned from the books - he really got into this project and really learned a lot about the characteristics of our wonderful Savior from this book!

Lessons for grandchildren
I bought this product to have a time of Bible Study with my grandchildren.They're too young at this time (3 years and only 9 months), but I did look over the book and I think it will be an excellent tool to talk about God with my grandchildren and to have a Godly activity at home. ... Read more

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Over 500 books are described. Each entry includes full bibliographic information, a description of the contents, and additionally, in most cases, an excerpt is included that gives the "flavor" of the book. Pro- and anti-reincarnation sources are featured for this highly controversial subject. An appendix lists organizations that are concerned with reincarnation. This will be of interest to religious scholars and students and anyone interested in this fascinating topic. ... Read more

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Expanding the discussion of religious participation of women in ancient Rome, Celia E. Schultz demonstrates that in addition to observances of marriage, fertility, and childbirth, there were more--and more important--religious opportunities available to Roman women than are commonly considered.

Based on research in ancient literature, inscriptions, and archaeological remains from the fifth to the first century B.C.E., Schultz's study shows that women honored gods unaffiliated with domestic matters, including Hercules and Jupiter; they took part in commercial, military, and political rites; they often worshipped alongside men; and they were not confined to the private sphere, the traditional domain of women. The Vestal Virgins did not stand alone but were instead the most prominent members of a group of women who held high-profile religious positions: priestesses of Ceres, Liber, and Venus; the flaminica Dialis and the regina sacrorum; other cult officials; and aristocratic matrons who often took leading roles in religious observances even though they were not priestesses. Schultz argues that women were vital participants--both professional and nonprofessional--in the religion of the Roman Republic and that social and marital status, in addition to gender, were important factors in determining their opportunities for religious participation in the public sphere. ... Read more

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This eight-volume set brings together seminal papers in Buddhist studies from a vast range of academic disciplines, published over the last forty years. With a new introduction by the editor, this collection is a unique and unrivalled research resource for both student and scholar.

Coverage includes:
- Buddhist Origins; Early History of Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia
- Early Buddhist Schools and Doctrinal History; Theravada Doctrine
- The Origins and Nature of Mahayana Buddhism; Some Mahayana Religious Topics
- Abhidharma and Madhyamaka
- Yogacara, the Epistemological Tradition, and Tathagatagarbha
- Tantric Buddhism (Including China and Japan); Buddhism in Nepal and Tibet
- Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia
- Buddhism in China, East Asia, and Japan ... Read more

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This book offers an ideal introduction to the complex field of modern biblical studies. In nine short chapters, readers are introduced to questions of inspiration, canon and authority. Chapters follow on historical approaches to the Bible, such as source, form and redaction criticism. Comparisons with other literature, such as ancient flood stories or Egyptian psalms help to set the context for this, as well as an analysis of the purpose of each of the four Gospels. The historical approaches conclude with a discussion of the text of the Bible, asking such questions as, How did we get the Bible? Why do modern versions of the Bible differ from one another? In the second section, Moyise considers a number of approaches that seek to explain why people interpret the Bible in such different ways. Beginning with literary criticism, the book considers how texts 'speak' to readers and influence their attitudes, emotions, and behaviour. This is followed by liberation and feminist approaches, which consider how gender, ethnicity, and social location affect what people regard as important and hence how they interpret the Bible.The book concludes with a variety of theological approaches used by those who consider the Bible to be sacred scripture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Brilliant introduction
Steve Moyise's Introduction to Biblical Studies is a small book but is a very well written and informative introduction to the field. There are chapters and sections on most areas of concern and confusion such as Redaction, form and literary criticism etc.

I have undertaken a degree in theology and as a `evangelical exile' stayed clear of all the biblical modules I could simply because it scared me (give me philosophy of religion any day). However, had I known this book then such modules would have been a lot easier. Whilst it is only a slim volume the amount of information in its pages is surprising. There is also a very helpful subject-specific bibliography and the end of each chapter.Overall I doubt this book will hold any real interest to advanced students or scholars however as an introduction to biblical criticism this should be on top of all the recommended reading lists.

Short, Sharp, Easy to Read
Moyise is described on the back cover of the book as being "VicePrincipal of the St. Albans and Oxford Ministry Course."The book isone in the "Cassell Biblical Studies Series" which is intended asan ecumenical biblical studies series between Protestants and (Roman, Ipresume) Catholics.

The book covers all the ways of "doing"biblical criticism in a concise way whilst illustrating with interestinganecdotes where needed.Topics covered include:inspiration, historicalcriticism, form criticism, redaction criticism, social-scientificcriticism, reader-response criticism, and post-modern criticism.This bookwill help new biblical studies students identify these types of biblicalcriticism.It does not cover any individual subject in depth. ... Read more

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Kay Arthur’s successful New Inductive Bible studies series (more than 495,000 copies sold) for kids has a new addition. Now the clever team of Max, Molly, and the wonder–sleuth Beagle, Sam, discover how to be champions for God by exploring the winning offerings of 2 Timothy.

Young readers enter an Olympic summer camp, engage in exciting competitions, and explore the official rulebook, the Bible. Together with Max and Molly, readers will race to discover:

• what the good news about Jesus is and how to learn it for themselves
• how they can pass the baton of belief on to others
• how they can stay faithful and run the race even when others quit

This engaging study, ideal for individuals or small groups, presents preteens with God’s truth and training so they can finish the course as shining winners and receive the crown that will last forever.

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Contends that Said's interpretation of the secular is not the utter opposite of religion in the modern globalized world. "Edward Said's Rhetoric of the Secular" provides an important new reading of Edward W. Said's work, emphasizing not only the distinction but also the fuzzy borders between representations of 'the religious' and 'the secular' found within and throughout his oeuvre and at the core of some of his most customary rhetorical strategies. Mathieu Courville begins by examining Said's own reflections on his life, before moving on to key debates about Said's work within Religious Studies and Middle Eastern Studies, and his relationship to French critical theorists. Through close attention to Said's use of the literal and the figurative when dealing with religious, national and cultural matters, Courville discerns a pattern that illuminates what Said means by secular. Said's work shows that the secular is not the utter opposite of religion in the modern globalized world, but may exist in a productive tension with it. ... Read more

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Peter B. Clarke’s in-depth account explores the innovative character of new religious movements and new forms of spirituality from a global vantage point. Ranging from North America and Europe to Japan, Latin America, South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, it is the perfect introduction to NRMs such as Falun Gong, Aum Shirikyo, the Brahma Kumaris, the Ikhwan or Muslim Brotherhood, Sufism, the Engaged Buddhist and Engaged Hindi movements, Messianic Judaism and Rastafarianism.

Charting the cultural significance and global impact of NRMs, he discusses the ways in which various religious traditions are shaping, rather than displacing, each other’s understanding of notions such as transcendence and faith, good and evil, of the meaning, purpose and function of religion, and of religious belonging. He then examines the responses of governments, churches, the media and general public to new religious movements, as well as the reaction to older, increasingly influential religions, such as Buddhism and Islam, in new geographical and cultural contexts. Taking into account the degree of continuity between old and new religions, each chapter contains not only an account of the rise of the NRMs and new forms of spirituality in a particular region, but also an overview of change in the regions’ mainstream religions.

Customer Reviews (2)

A Welcomed Addition to the Study of Religion & Spirituality

"New Religions in Global Perspectives" by Peter B. Clarke (2006) is a good book, especially if you are interested in how humanity's religious sentiment is expressed in different and similar ways across societies and cultures in the modern (and so-called postmodern) world.Clarke's book is less profound than Needleman & Baker's (1981) classic "Understanding the New Religions." It provides, however, a more balanced view of so-called New Age Movements (NAMs) than presented by Lewis & Melton's (1992) edited "Perspectives on the New Age."Clarke thankfully avoids the polemics and loaded language that characterizes such books as Peters' (1991) "The Cosmic Self" and LeBar's (1989) "Cults, Sects, and the New Age," which not infrequently disparage NAMs as alterative faith systems to Christianity that turn man into God, while disingenuouslyaccepting alternative conventionally-held Christian doctrinal tenets that turn God into man and the notion that the Son of God could be contained in one human frame.
Drawbacks to the text are its cost, its over-attention to detail, and repetitiveness.The sticker price of the book is a bit of a shock. It costs over $100 "used" as of this writing which I consider over-priced, especially for an Amazon.com book. My recommendation is to have an academic library purchase the book (or obtain a copy through interlibrary loan) and then borrow it as a patron to read.The first two chapters that provide defining characteristics of NRMs and NAMs are the best chapters of the book. Subsequent chapters outline NRMs as they appear in Europe, North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. These characteristics are presented in such excruciating detail that the global forest becomes lost in the local trees.The repetitiveness occurs as the author tries to make connections among the diverse geographical regions -- connections that are repeated within each chapter -- to establish the book's "global perspective" and to point out similarities across the multiple and diverse forms that spirituality and religion take in the human species.
Positively, this is a scholarly work with references and a selected bibliography at the end of each chapter. These bibliographies are helpful aids for the student of cross-cultural psychology who is interested in pursuing the innovative character of new religious movements in more depth.One evocative idea that comes out of Clarke's work is the notion of "glocalization" -- the process of shaping the local religion and being shaped by it.It draws readers' attention to the emergence of "a new class (of seekers) that neither belongs nor believes. . . Even where affiliation to one faith only is still considered important, doctrinal tenets are increasingly seen as matters of personal opinion. . . .The possibility of multiple belonging becomes much more likely as religions come to reshape each other" (pp. 4-5).In other words, the various NRM and NAMs are shaping rather than displacing the form and content of traditional world religions, and giving rise to spirituality over religion and personal praxis over doctrinal tenets.
Clarke's global perspective is appreciated at a time when much conventional research into the psychology of religion and spirituality is covertly ethnocentric.It complements the cross-cultural approach that academic fields such as transpersonal studies take in their study of the religious change that we as a species are experiencing today.For these reasons, this reader has found Clarke's book to be a welcomed addition to the scholarly literature of religious and spiritual change in the modern world.

Students' thesis, shallow research
This research pretends to embrace the whole world, but it doesn't go into deep. It's just a survey of cults, and clearly the author just filled the 380+ pages with useless bibliography and repeating the same phrases over and over again, such as "see chapter x". Poor work coming from such an exalted scholar. It seems that he asked his students to research on the topics , and then he just published the results. Very expensive book for the poor and shallow outcome. Obviously they made a good business. ... Read more

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These topical guides will deal with issues that women wrestle with today: God's Will, Living in Christ, Prayer, and Worry.

Reaching an audience across race, socio-economic, denominational, and age boundaries, these guides will enhance the lives of women in America as they empower them in their weekly devotions. The study guides can be used for both individual and group settings.

Women are asking good questions about their faith. With our study guides, we want to join them in their quest for knowledge and lead them in finding the answers they are seeking.

Customer Reviews (1)

good response
I received the study guide in good timing.I thought I was ordering the full book and didn't realize it was the short version of the study guide.Will keep it anyway. ... Read more

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This is a facsimile of the 1817 fourth edition of Hannah Adams's pioneering harbinger of the scholarly study of religion. The book surveys the diversity of religion, mostly of historical and contemporary Christian sects and movements but with significant inclusions of Jewish, Muslim, and "heathen" religious groups. Adams's particular contribution was the self-conscious effort to treat all religious groups on the same level and to avoid explicit or implicit judgments. She preferred to use self-descriptions where she had them.It is this non-normative approach that gives the book its historical value. Thomas Tweed's introduction discusses Adams's life and sets her and her book usefully in their context. He includes a helpful guide to the key entries. ... Read more