Men's Bodies, Men's Gods explores the intersection of body, religion, and culture from the specific perspective of male identities. How are male bodies constructed in different historical periods and contexts? How do race, ethnicity, and sexual preference impact on the intersection of male bodies and religious identity? Does Christianity provide models to cope with the aging and ailing male body? Does it provide models for intimacy between men and women? Between men and men? And, how do men reflect the carnal dimensions of power, abuse, and justice?

In many of the world's religions, both polytheistic and monotheistic, a seemingly enigmatic and paradoxical image is found--that of the god who worships. Various interpretations of this seeming paradox have been advanced. Some suggest that it represents sacrifice to a higher deity. Proponents of anthropomorphic projection say that the gods are just "big people" and that images of human religious action are simply projected onto the deities. However, such explanations do not do justice to the complexity and diversity of this phenomenon.In Religion of the Gods, Kimberley C. Patton uses a comparative approach to take up anew a longstanding challenge in ancient Greek religious iconography: why are the Olympian gods depicted on classical pottery making libations? The sacrificing gods in ancient Greece are compared to gods who perform rituals in six other religious traditions: the Vedic gods, the heterodox god Zurvan of early Zoroastrianism, the Old Norse god Odin, the Christian God and Christ, the God of Judaism, and Islam's Allah. Patton examines the comparative evidence from a cultural and historical perspective, uncovering deep structural resonances while also revealing crucial differences.Instead of looking for invisible recipients or lost myths, Patton proposes the new category of "divine reflexivity." Divinely performed ritual is a self-reflexive, self-expressive action that signals the origin of ritual in the divine and not the human realm. Above all, divine ritual is generative, both instigating and inspiring human religious activity. The religion practiced by the gods is both like and unlike human religious action. Seen from within the religious tradition, gods are not "big people," but other than human. Human ritual is directed outward to a divine being, but the gods practice ritual on their own behalf. "Cultic time," the symbiotic performance of ritual both in heaven and on earth, collapses the distinction between cult and theology each time ritual is performed. Offering the first comprehensive study and a new theory of this fascinating phenomenon, Religion of the Gods is a significant contribution to the fields of classics and comparative religion. Patton shows that the god who performs religious action is not an anomaly, but holds a meaningful place in the category of ritual and points to a phenomenologically universal structure within religion itself.

Britomartis, goddess of the moon, was a clever, active girl who loved to hunt with her bow and arrows.... Britomartis was sacred to fishermen, hunters and sailors.

Gods after God provides an accessible introduction to a wide range of contemporary radical theologies. Radical theology can be defined as talk about the divine that rejects the notion of God as a supernatural personal consciousness who created the world and who intervenes in it to accomplish his purposes. In addition, radical theologies tend to reject the absolute authority of traditional sources of guidance such as the Bible and the tradition of a church. Richard Grigg demonstrates that there is a discernible stream of radical theologies beginning in the seventeenth century and continuing to the present. He explores a host of rich and lively contemporary radical religious positions, including the radical feminist theology of Mary Daly, the deconstructive theology of Mark C. Taylor, the religious naturalism of Ursula Goodenough and Donald Crosby, the pragmatist approaches of Sallie McFague and Gordon Kaufman, the Taoist interpretation of Jesus of Stephen Mitchell, and the feminist polytheism of Naomi Goldenberg. This in-depth examination asks, in unflinching terms, what challenges radical theologies face and whether they have a realistic chance of surviving in American society.

Learn the powerful stories behind over 40 goddesses from around the world, and discover how you can embody their power to improve your wellbeing, and live your best life. From ancient myth to modern day icons, there’s a goddess to help you with every situation. Including some of the best and less well-known goddesses throughout mythology, and accompanied by a gorgeous illustration of each, learn the stories of: · Freya (Norse Goddess of Love, Beauty, and War) · Eostre (Celtic Goddess of the Dawn and Spring) · Guan Yin (Buddhist Goddess of Compassion and Mercy) · Nut (Egyptian Goddess of the Sky) · Selene (Greek Goddess of the Moon) · Jaci (Brazilian Moon Goddess) · Gaia (Greek Goddess of the Earth) · Pele (Goddess of Fire, Volcanoes, and Dance) · Inanna (Sumerian Goddess of Love, Fertility, and Sensuality) · Amaterasu (Shintu Goddess of the Sun) · Lakshmi (Hindu Goddess of Wealth, Good Fortune, and Success) …and many more! With a simple ritual or activity alongside each story to help you channel the iconic energy of each goddess, this is the ultimate book of female empowerment. The perfect self-gift for Valentine's Day.

In recent years, the doctrine of God has once again become a central focus of theological discussion and debate. In this ecumenical, international, and contextual introduction, internationally respected scholar Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen offers a global survey of understandings of God in Scripture, Christian history, and contemporary theology. This new edition incorporates developments in theological research over the past decade and has been substantially updated throughout.

When pastors and evangelists preach, they try to convince you to change your lifestyle now. This is not their fault. They know that they have to do this. They have to get you close to God because time could be short. That is not equipping and preparing. Equipping and preparing means giving you the tools of the trade. That is living Gods Word and how to plan to do this. The Word teaches that pastors are to equip the servants. All that time convincing and not equipping is destroying Gods world. Jesus equipped and encouraged Gods children and changed the world. What is our excuse? We need to divert all our mental and physical abilities to become like Jesus and begin to feel these changes in our bodies. We have to stop becoming people of behaviors. Over many generations, we have reacted to what we have seen and heard and to the pleasures the world has given us. We dont look and listen to God anymore, because he doesnt give us what we want when we want it. When the world sees this, it gives us what we want and we take it. We are not patient enough! God gives us what we need. As long as the world dangles that carrot in front of our faces, we will continue to pull that heavy, burdensome load of sin and pain. It is only by seeing and hearing what God does in this world to bless his children that will show us how his grace and greatness will tower above our fears.