Three sections explore the complex lives of ordinary people who continually made choices about the way they expressed their faith. Part one begins with a brief survey of the context of lay Catholics in Adelaide and Perth between 1922 and 1962, considering the place of Catholics in wider society and

In the heart of sixteenth-century Aztec civilization, Eztli, a defiant young woman, harbors deep resentment towards the Spanish conquerors who have changed her world forever. Tasked with spying on Juan Diego, who claims to have seen the Virgin Mary, Eztli’s life takes an unexpected turn. Witnessing the miraculous apparitions at Tepeyac Hill, she is drawn into a world of divine enigmas and newfound faith. Eztli discovers the profound art of forgiveness through her friendship with a compassionate Spanish nun and indigenous missionaries. Sacred Threads is a captivating historical fiction that unveils the power of faith, love, and reconciliation, offering a unique perspective on the Virgin Mary’s apparitions through the eyes of a fierce Aztec woman. Join Eztli on her transformative journey of cultural collision, as she becomes a beacon of hope and unity in a world torn apart.

What are UFOs? And what did happen in Hanger 57? This book looks into the stories behind the sightings, including several closed military files that may have some very strange evidence within them.

Traces the author's journey to motherhood after a devastating late-term miscarriage, describing the experiences of a struggling mother in India with whom the author shared a poignant effort in international surrogacy.

The insightful studies contained in this book will be of significant value to anyone interested in experiencing more deeply the intersections between materiality and spirituality. Part 1 introduces readers into Egyptian, Israelite, Christian, and Hindu temples, shrines, or sanctuaries. Part 2 helps readers understand how items of colored fabrics, clothing, robes, and veils, convey ritual meanings. Part 3 reports two panel discussions that exemplify the pathway of fruitful conversation. Matter and spirit might seem to some to be polar opposites. But as these studies by distinguished and diverse scholars demonstrate, spiritual experiences are constructively defined and refined within the coordinates of place and time. Sacred space, as well as sacred cloth, define borders, but not necessarily boundaries, between the sacred and the profane. These material coordinates physically enclose and also spiritually disclose. They both symbolize and synergize, as they encompass and expansively inspire. These original and enjoyable presentations will help all readers to hold tenaciously to the tenets and also the tensions inherent in physical spiritual experiences.

Set in a fictitious village called Kanthapura in Kasaragod district, Mukh?ntara spans across the life of seven generations of a Havyaka Brahmin family. A story about the realities of living in a society marked by caste distinctions, the desire to find communal harmony and the tribulations of the characters through the entirety of the novel, it is also a tale of changing times and people. After unexpectedly coming into possession of a huge portion of land, Thirumal?shwara Bhat of ?shwar?m?le becomes a satisfied man. But childless, Thirumal?shwara Bhat and his wife P?rvathakka decide to adopt Venkappaiah and also give shelter to his widowed mother, Rathnamma. Venkappaiah is to inherit Thirumal?shwara’s vast wealth but when Krishnaiah, the illegitimate child of Thirumal?shwara and Rathnamma is born, rivalry ensues. Through the overlapping narratives of the characters, we get a glimpse into their journey from tradition to modernity. The characters strive to reshape new values when old values are slowly questioned and erased as they move on and are swept along in the waves of globalization.

For more than 100 years, Vancouver has been home to a vibrant and thriving Cantonese opera scene. As a performance art carried out by transient troupes, it is an ephemeral medium that rarely leaves a trace in the historic records. However, an extraordinary treasure trove of early 20th-century Cantonese opera costumes, props, and stage dressings made its way to the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC. In the first book-length study of this little known collection, April Liu retraces the arduous journeys of early Cantonese opera troupes who began arriving along the west coast of North America during the mid-19th century. A close examination of the costumes and props reveal the moving songs, stories, performances, and ritual practices of early Chinese migrant communities who struggled to make a home in a foreign and often hostile land.