the Handbooks of the Bible and Its Reception (HBR) provide comprehensive introductions to individual topics in biblical reception history. They address a wide range of academic fields and interdisciplinary matters, including reception of the Bible in various contexts and historical periods; in diverse geographic areas; in particular cultural, social, and political contexts; and in relation to important biblical themes, topics, and figures.

Sixteen original essays that discuss the question "what is philosophy." Each essay presents on great philosopher's unique vision of the nature of philosophy, and the collection illustrates the diversity of approaches that make philosophy perennially fascinating and that also make the great philosophers our contemporaries. Additional commentaries give readers a rich, multifaceted understanding of the meaning of philosophy. -- Publisher description

The Many Faces of Biblical Humor examines how the Bible writers intentionally used humor, irony, and sarcasm to argue their points concisely. This work begins with the dysfunctional families of Genesis, continues delightfully through every book of the Bible, and ends with a glorious fulfillment in Revelation. Along the way, the reader is presented humorous stories, pathetically funny characters, and poignant quips and quotes from prophets, poets, and principals. The author paraphrases each biblical text in an engaging prose that highlights the humor of that passage--humor that may not have been previously noted by the reader. Between the paraphrases, the author sets the historical and linguistic setting, allowing the reader to see how the humor (and puns) of the text enrich the biblical understanding of God's message. Also included are applications of these marvelous passages to our daily lives as we see our own foibles portrayed in the biblical characters. In many ways, this is a Bible commentary with an accent on the humorous. In another sense, it is simply a delightful book that makes the Bible come alive through the latent humor of its characters and their stories. This revised edition contains corrections of typographical errors in the first edition as well as some clarifying material to make the humor more enjoyable. For more information, visit the author's website.

Although much has been said and written about coincidences, there is a marked absence when it comes to the development of a comprehensive model that incorporates the many different ways in which they can be understood and explained. One reason for this omission is undoubtedly the sharp divide that exists between those who find coincidences meaningful and those who do not, with the result that the conclusions of the many books and articles on the subject have tended to fall into distinct camps. The Many Faces of Coincidence attempts to remedy this impasse by proposing an inclusive categorisation for coincidences of all shapes and sizes. At the same time, some of the implications arising from the various explanations are explored, including the possibility of an underlying unity of mind and matter constituting the ground of being.

Inspiring success stories can spark your productivity, strengthen your leadership, propel you on the road to your own success. And when those stories are told by the very people who have attained success despite odds big or small, people who have conquered their own self-doubts and adversity in their careers, they can set you on fire and get you going in earnest to become more productive and successful yourself. This book will get you intimately acquainted with the real-life narratives and wisdom of 17 of the country’s finest professional motivational gurus and experts, all of whom are members of the Philippine Association of Professional Speakers (PAPS). Sure, they’re often first to admit that they are far from perfect role models, but what they’ve learned and gone through over the years to get them started—whether as “barker” to call out the numbers in raffle draws, as a young girl in grade school selling yema and polvoron to classmates simply because she loved talking to people and making sales pitches, or as a struggling marketing wannabe twice refused membership in a profession organization because he simply didn’t know how to speak before big audiences—are compelling testaments to their untiring efforts to achieve excellence and productivity. In taped interviews the featured motivational speakers in this book answer such probing questions as these five: "How did you start as a professional speaker?" “What is your core message?” “What makes a person productive?” “What does it take to be a person of influence?” “What are your three keys for success?” Their answers—some pleasantly familiar but very revealing on who they thought they were and what they wanted to be, some totally unexpected because they seem to have come right out of the blue—show the many faces of the quest for productivity that are now distilled in this one-of-a-kind book about success.

Designed to introduce general readers to the great diversity of religion that exists today, this fascinating and very useful book provides short descriptions of the beliefs and practices of the world religions and the denominational branches, of Christianity. Now in paperback.