Songs for the Spirits examines the Vietnamese practice of communing with spirits through music and performance. During rituals dedicated to a pantheon of indigenous spirits, musicians perform an elaborate sequence of songs--a "songscape"--for possessed mediums who carry out ritual actions, distribute blessed gifts to disciples, and dance to the music's infectious rhythms. Condemned by French authorities in the colonial period and prohibited by the Vietnamese Communist Party in the late 1950s, mediumship practices have undergone a strong resurgence since the early 1990s, and they are now being drawn upon to promote national identity and cultural heritage through folklorized performances of rituals on the national and international stage. By tracing the historical trajectory of traditional music and religion since the early twentieth century, this groundbreaking study offers an intriguing account of the political transformation and modernization of cultural practices over a period of dramatic and often turbulent transition. An accompanying DVD contains numerous video and music extracts that illustrate the fascinating ways in which music evokes the embodied presence of spirits and their gender and ethnic identities.

"Songs of the Spirit" is a compilation of poetry that chronicles the personal experiences and spiritual growth of author, Lee Ann Mardel, over a span of twenty-five years. Originally intended as a private journal, her pieces have evolved into a book, addressing the joys, struggles and concerns common in everyday life. From the author's thoughts on family to her words about her relationship with God, the reader will find each piece steeped in passion and meaning. Through a simplistic and straightforward style of writing, the author takes the reader with her on a spiritual journey. In the end these poems remind us that good can be found in the worst situations if you look for it, God uses everything to the betterment of His divine plan, He is working to have a personal relationship with you even when you aren't... He is ever-present and always faithful. Marriage, motherhood, divorce, the deaths of loved ones, work outside the home and the search for fulfillment are just some of the experiences, which Lee Ann Mardel shares with the common woman. All of her positive and less-than-positive situations and relationships have been invaluable teachers in her understanding of life's true treasures. While marking off the years, Lee Ann spent countless hours seeking to fill the void in her life, struggling to find greater meaning and purpose. Without realizing the direction God was moving her, she discovered that the sum total of her life had given her insight into what she maintains was her missing piece. In fact, that missing piece was an understanding of the meaning of life. She found it in the development of a personal relationship with God and in the understanding of His unwavering love. With that awareness she also found a sense of contentment and release.

These arrestingly thoughtful translations and meditations on the Psalms encompass a wide range of emotional responses to God, providing a richly varied resource for Lent and Easter. ‘As John Calvin said, the Psalms are a “mirror of the soul”, and Megan Daffern helps us to look into this mirror in a way that transforms us and leads us into a deeper relationship with God.’ Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Grundy Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, Virginia ‘A fresh and insightful guide for any Christian who seeks to engage with these practical and prayerful reflections on ancient psalmody.’ Susan Gillingham, Professor of the Hebrew Bible, University of Oxford ‘Written by someone who enthuses about Hebrew, but who knows how to write short sentences comprised of ordinary words, and who knows how to relate the Bible to everyday life.’ John Goldingay, Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary, California

Christian exegesis of the Song of Songs has long interacted creatively with - and, more recently, reacted critically against - the allegorical interpretation developed by Origen of Alexandria (c.185-c.254) in his Commentary and two Homilies on the Song of Songs. Interest in Origen's exegesis of the Song's narrative elements has dominated past scholarship, which has almost entirely ignored how Origen assesses the Song itself, in its unity as a revealed text. This study aims to show that the Commentary and Homilies - when read in light of Origen's hermeneutic, his nuptial theology, his understanding of the prophetic mediation of inspired texts, and his doctrine of last things - clearly portray the Song of Songs itself as the divine Bridegroom's perfect marriage-song. As such, it mediates Christ's eschatological presence, as the `spirit' of Scripture, in and through the intelligible structures of the text itself.