Led into Mystery is an unanticipated sequel to John de Gruchy's book Being Human: Confessions of a Christian Humanist. It was prompted by the untimely and tragic death of his eldest son, Steve, in February 2010, and the questions this posed about the meaning of life and death from the perspective of Christian faith. A further prompt came as a result of a multi-disciplinary research project on "the humanist imperative in South Africa" (2009-2010). This raised critical questions about being human from the perspective of science, especially neuroscience, as well as other faith and secular perspectives. All these inform the discussion which is an exploration of mystery on the boundaries of human knowledge and experience, engagement with the world and the evolution of consciousness from a specifically Christian theological perspective. The title derives from Karl Rahner's comment that theology is about being led back into mystery -- the ultimate mystery of God disclosed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the creative presence of the Spirit in the life of the world. This mystery is an open secret waiting to be explored, expressed and entered into by faith. In doing so, we discern the fragmentary mystery of being human alone and in relationship within the constraints of our time and space. We are rudely encountered by the perplexing mysteries of evil and death, but embraced by the mysteries of goodness and beauty, hope and love. We draw on memory and imagination to develop a language that enables us to explore mystery through the genre of myth, parable, poetry, the novel, music and art, we participate in the mysteries of faith that communicate grace, forgiveness, and freedom which enable us to be more fully human in the life of the world in the struggles for justice and peace.

Contemporary Paganism focuses on practice, often neglecting theology. Yet belief and practice are intertwined. As the religious movement continues to grow, so does the need for intellectual frameworks for practice and ways of approaching the controversial question of belief. In this book, Christine Hoff Kraemer asks central questions about the varieties of Pagan belief: Why is multiplicity so important to contemporary Pagan understanding of deities? How do Pagans experience divinity in nature? In what way can the human body be a sacred site? And what are "virtue ethics" for Pagans? With an estimated 1.2 million Pagans in the United States and significant numbers elsewhere, Seeking the Mystery is important for Pagan self-understanding and also for non-Pagans who want to understand what their Pagan neighbors believe. This short introduction to Pagan theology--or better, theologies--is a valuable primer for students and practitioners alike.

In Pagan Theology, Michael York situates Paganism—one of the fastest-growing spiritual orientations in the West—as a world religion. He provides an introduction to, and expansion of, the concept of Paganism and provides an overview of Paganism's theological perspective and practice. He demonstrates it to be a viable and distinguishable spiritual perspective found around the world today in such forms as Chinese folk religion, Shinto, tribal religions, and neo-Paganism in the West. While adherents to many of these traditions do not use the word “pagan” to describe their beliefs or practices, York contends that there is an identifiable position possessing characteristics and understandings in common for which the label “pagan” is appropriate. After outlining these characteristics, he examines many of the world's major religions to explore religious behaviors in other religions which are not themselves pagan, but which have pagan elements. In the course of examining such behavior, York provides rich and lively descriptions of religions in action, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Pagan Theology claims Paganism’s place as a world religion, situating it as a religion, a behavior, and a theology.

Seek-and-solve mystery Monsters on the Loose by Bruce Hale delivers hours of Halloween holiday fun for kids. Halloween is about to be canceled in spooky Hallow Hills. A ghastly ghoul has stolen all the Halloween candy so there is nothing to give trick-or-treaters. Children will have to use their look-and-find skills and the process of elimination to discover the thief before midnight and save Halloween. The colorful cartoon illustrations are crammed with detail, making the search an entertaining challenge. A page of bonus searches encourages multiple readings.

New York Times Best Seller! 1500 5-Star Reviews! From the author that brought you NEW YORK TIMES best selling books The Harbinger, The Mystery of the Shemitah, and The Paradigm selling over 3 MILLION copies Imagine if you discovered a treasure chest in which were hidden ancient mysteries, revelations from heaven, secrets of the ages, the answers to man’s most enduring, age-old questions, and the hidden keys that can transform your life to joy, success, and blessing…This is The Book of Mysteries.

Fr. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II’s name before he became the pontiff in 1978) published Love and Responsibility in 1960. It revealed his fully formed philosophy of marriage and sheds light on the dynamics between men and women. Some consider his analysis of the true meaning of human love as life changing and practical, shedding light on real issues between men and women. This updated and expanded edition of Edward Sri’s classic meditation on Pope John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility includes a new introduction, new chapters for single people and engaged couples, and maybe most importantly the stories of people whose lives have been transformed by Pope John Paul II’s foundational teaching on relationships. “Edward Sri is a gifted teacher and an equally talented writer. This book shows why. He breaks open Karol Wojtyla's great text, Love and Responsibility, in a way that's clear, engaging and very practical for the challenges of daily life.” – Charles J. Chaput, OFM, Archbishop of Philadelphia. In Men, Women and the Mystery of Love, Edward Sri breaks down the contents of John Paul’s epic work, making it more accessible to the reader. It isn’t a manual on sexual ethics, more so a no-nonsense discussion on issues we face as couples. He emphasizes the down-to-earth nature of Love and Responsibility, giving readers actionable advice on issues like: How to determine if a relationship is one of authentic love or is doomed to failure; The problem of pornography; The meaning of friendship; How to achieve greater intimacy in marriage; The difference between feeling “I’m in love” and love itself; and so many other valuable questions. While this book is a great personal resource, it also can be used in a variety of situations like small group studies, marriage preparation classes, and other parish settings. It offers valuable advice for just about everyone, from young single adults and engaged couples to newlyweds and couples celebrating their 35th anniversary. Study questions with each chapter make this a valuable resource not only for individual personal reading, but also for small group study.

A revered Buddhist monk tells the bracing and beautiful story of a singular life compelled to contemplation, sharing lessons about the power of mentorship and an open mind “A necessary and captivating narrative of spiritual courage and truth seeking far beyond the veil of our contemporary delusions.”—Sting Born in India to a prominent Hindu Brahmin family, the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi was only six years old when he began having visions of a mysterious mountain peak, and of men with shaved heads wearing robes the color of sunset. “It was as vivid as if I were watching a scene from life,” he writes. And so at the age of ten, he ran away from boarding school to find this place—taking a train to the end of the line and then riding a bus to wherever it went. Strangely enough, he ended up at a Buddhist monastery that was the place in his dreams. His frantic parents and relatives set out to find him and, after two weeks, located him and brought him home. But he continued to have visions and feel a strong pull to a spiritual life in a tradition that he had never heard of as a child. Today, he is a revered monk and teacher as well as President and CEO of The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he works to build bridges among communities and religions. Running Toward Mystery is the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi’s profound account of his lifelong journey as a seeker. At its heart is a story of striving for enlightenment, the vital importance of mentors in that search, and of the many remarkable teachers he met along the way, among them the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Mother Teresa. “Teachers come and go on their own schedule,” Priyadarshi writes. “I clearly wasn’t in charge of the timetable and it wasn’t my place to specify how a teacher should teach.” And arrive they did, at the right time, in the right way, to impart the lessons that shaped a life of seeking, devotion, and deep human connection across all barriers. Running Toward Mystery is the bracing and beautiful story of a singular life compelled to contemplation, and a riveting narrative of just how exciting that journey can be.