What the apostle Paul has to say is transformative and utterly inspiring. But too often he is clouded in complicated explanations and murky misunderstandings. Paul Distilled gets to the essence of Paul, and uncovers what is at the heart of his thinking and why he's had such an impact on the world since the first century until today. Drawing on many years of teaching and study of Paul's writings, Gary Burnett explains the driving forces behind the apostle's thinking from the letters he wrote to groups of Jesus-followers dotted around the Roman empire, addressing the real issues they faced, and shows why this matters today. A study guide with each chapter will enable church groups to get to grips with the life-changing potential of understanding Paul better.

As human beings, what is our true relationship to the animals on earth? What is our responsibility to our fellow creatures? Douglas Sloan explores these and other questions in this important book on the human-animal connection. His explorations are based on personal experience and wide-ranging research into the work of Rudolf Steiner and others, including scientist students of the inner life of animals and committed defenders of animal wellbeing. Rudolf Steiner describes how from the beginning of creation humans and animals have been united in deep kinship. A loss of the sense of this human–animal connection has resulted in an immense animal suffering the world over. Especially in their suffering, the animals now pose for the modern human being many pressing and perplexing questions. Are the animals conscious? Do they have feelings like ours? Do they experience pain? Do the animals have a spiritual reality and experience? Do the animals have souls and selves? Do the animals have capacities for cognitive intelligence, emotional empathy, language, and memory? Is there a crucial difference between the human and the animal, a basic difference in kind, or only a difference in degree? Do animals have rights? Are we justified in using the animals as we wish—eating them, hunting them, experimenting on them? Rudolf Steiner presents a vision of the ultimate redemption of the animals from their suffering. What is the nature of this redemption? What is our responsibility in making it happen? In exploring these and related questions with the help of Rudolf Steiner’s work and that of others on the issue, we can begin to see the importance in our time of our relating to the animals in a completely new way—a relationship that understands and respects the animals’ inner spiritual being, and one that requires a deep grasp of our own spiritual being in relation to theirs. In this book, Douglas Sloan seeks to help us toward this new relationship with the animals, both in concept and in everyday action.

Set against the real-life struggles and victories of the author, Redemption provides solution methods that are more than just formulaic self-improvement tips but rather a living testimony to the life revitalization that’s possible when we identify our challenges and make definite choices to bring about change. Tracey A. Larin, Founder/CEO of Curiosity Knocks Inc., coaches her clients into habits of mind that confront current realities and evaluates them against the individual’s identified life purpose and vision. In a series of breakthrough coaching modules and journal-style exercises that can be re-visited regularly, she encourages reflection, resolution, and action plans that will result in real and lasting change. Adaptable to individual or corporate use, Redemption offers a unique and thorough method for re-visioning and re-creating even the most broken life. Tracey’s entrepreneurial spirit is deep- seeded, and she has messages to share, experiences to gift, and love to spread. Her insights will help good people get even greater by achieving their goals and leading inspired lives.

The Catholic Church teaches that punishment must have a constructive and redemptive purpose and that it be coupled with treatment and, when possible, restitution. Rehabilitation and restoration must include the spiritual dimension of healing and hope. Since the publication of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's 2000 pastoral statement on restorative justice, the conversation surrounding the need for criminal justice reform and restorative justice has moved forward. Redemption and Restoration responds from a Catholic perspective to help form an educational campaign to equip Catholics and their leaders to participate in the national conversation on this issue, create the programs needed to assist in healing the harm caused by crime, and restore our communities. The book develops the traditional Catholic understanding of justice, offers a theological understanding of restorative justice, explains how it can be implemented, and reflects on the practical arguments for restorative justice. Grounded in the stories of real people, Redemption and Restoration helps readers gain a deeper understanding of how this affects us all as a country and a church. It includes discussion questions to engage groups in exploring issues related to restorative justice.