Showing results by narrator "S. D. Cousins" in All Categories

In his own day the dominant personality of the Western Church, Augustine of Hippo today stands as perhaps the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity, and his Confessions is one of the great works of Western literature. Now modern listeners will have easier access to St. Augustine's deeply personal meditations. Chadwick's lucid translation and helpful introduction clear the way for a new experience of this classic.

Over the millennia we have relied on mystics, shamans, and priests to explain what awaits us in the next life, but what if it’s all an illusion? What really lurks behind the veil separating this world from the next? Might this other world be something real and tangible and literally "not of this Earth"? In other words, might what we currently define as extraterrestrials perform an entirely different function. What if the afterlife is an illusion created by the beings that exist within that realm.

Born in 1905 in the center of the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire, Viktor Frankl was a witness to the great political, philosophical, and scientific upheavals of the 20th century. In these stirring recollections, Frankl describes how as a young doctor of neurology in prewar Vienna, his disagreements with Freud and Adler led to the development of "the third Viennese School of Psychotherapy", known as logotherapy; recounts his harrowing trials in four concentration camps during the War; and reflects on the celebrity brought by Man's Search for Meaning in 1945.

This spiritual classic has long been beloved by Catholics for its wondrous distillation of the teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux into a listener-friendly set of meditations. It's perfect as a personal retreat when you have only a few moments to spare each day and for spiritual listening anytime and anywhere.

Many of the traits on which modern Europe prides itself came to it from Muslim Spain. Diplomacy, free trade, open borders, the techniques of academic research, of anthropology, etiquette, fashion, various types of medicine and hospitals, all came from the great city of cities: Cordoba. The age that paved the way for the European renaissance was known as the Islamic Golden Age and a renaissance took place under the influence of the Arabs and Moorish revival of culture. Re-visiting the Islamic Golden Age is crucial to understanding the nature of a renaissance.

A great many Jewish holidays and practices, in their earliest understanding, reflect the great innovation of Biblical religion. The Bible emphasized historical events in contrast to nature. Other ancient Near Eastern religions stressed the latter. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel noted, in the Jewish tradition, faith is memory. The observances of Jewish holidays and various Jewish practices articulate theological ideas reflective of collective Jewish memory.

The word "Mishnah" is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “repetition” or “to study and review”. The term Mishnah may be used to indicate a single paragraph or verse of the Mishnah. Several passages in the Talmud illustrate derivatives of the word and its connection to study.

In the context of Crypto-Jewish individuals and communities, both in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies of the New World, as well as in India, the knowledge of and distinction between halakhah and minhag persisted. But as contact with established Jewish communities (in particular, in Spain before the expulsion), with rabbis, and with Jewish texts lessened, the overall knowledge of Jewish practice and beliefs diminished. This short work explores the practices and beliefs that characterized the dual identity of crypto-Jews.

The year was 1391. Spring was about to turn into summer. By the end of the summer, 80 Jewish communities in Castile and Aragon were torn by violence. A third of the Jewish community had been murdered. Perhaps another third of the Jewish community had converted. Only a third of the Jewish population remained intact. While their conversions had initially been met with a grand celebration by their Christian neighbors, those Jews who had yielded to baptism to rescue their lives and those of their families eventually proved a thorn in the side of the church. Could they be trusted?

We live in a radically different world than we did just a year and a half ago. The world has experienced unprecedented fear due to COVID-19. Consequently, most countries have undergone lockdowns, social distancing, and mandated masks because of the worldwide pandemic. The concept of community and its importance has radically changed in the minds of many people. This especially applies to religious communities, and the consequences of this are disturbing. This work discusses the importance of religious community from a Jewish perspective, but also emphasizes other religious traditions.

Rumi is a renowned Sufi mystic who lived a life in devotion to the divine, through adhering to the ways of the appointed seal of the prophets, Muhammad (SAW), who can be more commonly referred to as the chosen one. Many fail to recognize and realize this. Many also fail to recognize who Shamsudeen Tabrizi (RA) was and how he had such a life-changing impact on the life of Rumi that would then make him world-famous and his works magnetic. This is a unique book written about Maulana Jalaludeen ar-Rumi (RA), who is famous for his poetry, writings, and his spirituality.

Revelation: Disarming the Most Dangerous Book in the World presents overwhelming evidence, both from history and scripture, that the events of Revelation have all been fulfilled and have no direct relevance to anyone living today. Part one details the troubled history of John's Revelation and the ways in which lives have been destroyed by the misapplication of this dangerous book. Part two is a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the Book of Revelation, explaining its mysterious symbols in the light of Old Testament prophecy.

Interstellar senior researcher Anda, from the advanced Sorian civilization that exists on planet Amtora, in a very old solar system in the Milky Way galaxy, determines that humanity, an infant species that inhabits Earth, a jewel of a planet, is on a crash course with reality. Anda finds that humans have created the perfect storm for self-destruction. Anda, who provides a road map for humanity to shift to stable and sustainable behavior, concludes that humans are running out of time, but urgent and needed changes are still possible.

Just before the outbreak of World War II, Fabienne, a young German girl, flees her abusive, widowed father and takes a job caring for disabled children in a home on the outskirts of Berlin. When Jurgen, a young soldier, turns up on the doorstep of the home asking if he can take Fabienne to the local dance, the women running the organisation agree against their better judgement. Soon the young couple is in love.

Maral, a fawn left alone in the thickets of the forest, befriends a white-bearded gnome named Bilge. An unlikely friendship blossoms, and Bilge becomes an audience to Maral’s poignant sadness about the fleeting nature of happiness. Determined to show her a way toward fulfillment, Bilge takes Maral on a contemplative walk through the forest. As they wander to the edges of the forest and back, Bilge points out the special wisdom revealed by natural life.

As a parlor maid, Blanche Eplett is invisible to everyone in her life…except for Ludwig Turner, the rakishly handsome master of the house. When Ludwig’s interest in Blanche becomes something more amorous, she finds herself pregnant with his child and soon gives birth to a little girl named May. At first, Ludwig is there to care for them both. But when tragedy strikes, Blanche and May are thrown out onto the streets. Blanche will do anything to care for May and to protect the child’s kind and loving heart—a heart soon enamored by a fellow street urchin named Taylor Harris.

The Twin is the fictional retelling of the story of Jesus of Nazareth from the point of view of Thomas Didymus, known to most as Doubting Thomas. The narrative draws upon the belief of many that Jesus traveled to Kashmir during the “missing” years of his youth, studied Buddhism, and then returned to Galilee to begin his ministry.

Diego thought he had it all: money, fame, a life of luxury and a beautiful wife. Then, at the pinnacle of international stardom, his world comes crashing down when his wife suddenly leaves him. Desperate for answers, Diego meets Nessie, a high-spirited backpacker, and is presented with an opportunity to walk along the only road he has ever been happy on.

Despite living in a village on the fabled Camino de Santiago, Diego never expected to walk the pilgrimage, but his father's retirement and sudden death changed everything. Now, weeks later, after stopping en route and recovering from a fever, he's determined to complete his journey and follow his true path to becoming a flamenco guitarist. But Diego soon discovers that the life of a musician is not an easy one, especially for one with no formal training. Madrid beckons, but can he even summon the courage to audition, or will he end up drinking too much in the murky shadows of flamenco bars?

Sister and brother, Cara and Brom, from the Earth-like planet Ammeron, visit nearby idyllic planet Jashar. There, at a young age, they meet and befriend Boda, a very gentle, advanced, and ageless sage who becomes their teacher.