Josue Prisoner At Shalem

Who is this man? Josu is locked up in Shalem State Prison, a maximum-security institution. He had never attracted much attention to himself before, and was content to just "do his own time." But then something happened to him; and now, he's on a mission to share it. "Man, I ain't never heard nothin' like this guy!" exclaims Jamal, one of the twelve prisoners that Josu has appointed to be his "Reps," and to share the Word about his message with the other prisoners. Josu freely gives of himself, praying for the healing of the many troubled people who flock to him, and telling them stories about the "New Order" that God is going to establish very soon. But the authority figures in the prison can't stand this arrogant challenger to their own power. They try to embarrass Josu publicly, and fail utterly. But then, when one of Josu's own followers offers to turn on him, betrayal and greed lead to a violent climax. Does this story sound familiar? Then come and read an all too well-known tale told in a fresh, exciting way and maybe see some things in the story that you'd never noticed before.

Who is this man? Josué is locked up in Shalem State Prison, a maximum-security institution. He had never attracted much attention to himself before, and was content to just "do his own time." But then something happened to him; and now, he's on a mission to share it. "Man, I ain't never heard nothin' like this guy!" exclaims Jamal, one of the twelve prisoners that Josué has appointed to be his "Reps," and to share the Word about his message with the other prisoners. Josué freely gives of himself, praying for the healing of the many troubled people who flock to him, and telling them stories about the "New Order" that God is going to establish very soon. But the authority figures in the prison can't stand this arrogant challenger to their own power. They try to embarrass Josué publicly, and fail utterly. But then, when one of Josué's own followers offers to turn on him, betrayal and greed lead to a violent climax. Does this story sound familiar? Then come and read an all too well-known tale told in a fresh, exciting way and maybe see some things in the story that you'd never noticed before.

You're Jewish, aren't you? This blunt question is the way that college freshman Richard Cohn is introduced to an outspoken fellow student named Dov Epstein, who calls himself a Messianic Jew, and believes that God has a special purpose for the Jewish people in these Last Days. Raised by secular Jewish parents, Richard is completely oblivious to his own Jewish background, until this ongoing dialogue forces him to confront his own heritage. The two young men vigorously argue with each other over the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible (particularly its reputed predictions of a Messiah ), Christian doctrines such as the Trinity, and most significantly, about the identity and significance of Jesus of Nazareth. The rigorous process of self-examination this initiates leads Richard to embrace his Jewish identity, even as he vehemently denies the same for Dov. The two ultimately become fast friends; but as they progress from an academic environment to the professional world, they are challenged by racist statements made by prominent national figures, anti-Semitic doctrines such as Christian Identity which teaches that white Anglo-Saxons are the true Israel and also purported scholars who deny the reality of the Holocaust itself. Circumstances in life connect them with a young Iranian émigré named Jahangir Khatami, whose Muslim beliefs conflict strongly with their own. Yet when a violent incident brings the three of them together, they are forced to reexamine not just their differences, but their similarities. While they clash over the ideals of Zionism and its ramifications in the modern State of Israel, they are united in their horror over the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Join a diverse cast of characters (some of whom appeared in the author's earlier book, Beyond Heaven and Earth) in a probing exploration that may help you reconsider just what it means to be Jewish, Christian, or Muslim in the modern world.

What is your attitude toward the holiday season? Do you have the "Christmas Spirit"? Do you refuse to observe such "pagan celebrations"? Or do you just say, "Bah, Humbug!"? Rosemary St. Nichols is a single mother (and a "Recovering Catholic") who has just moved to River City with her son Jonathan. Here, she meets Teniqua Johnson and her son Mychal, who celebrate Kwanzaa rather than Christmas. After a Nativity Scene placed outside City Hall causes controversy in the community, Rosemary wonders, "If even churches can't agree to cooperate, how in the world will all the people in River City ever learn to put aside our differences-if even for one day?" There are no angelic visitations or "Christmas miracles" here, but the residents of Riverside Apartments receive a lesson in cooperation, not to mention living together in harmony and mutual respect. Learn more about your own holiday traditions, and those of others-as well as about those who don't celebrate the season at all-in this moving journey of discovery and rediscovery of what the holiday season is all about. (Readers of the author's earlier novel Tattered Pilgrims will be pleased to see the reappearance of several of its characters in this book.)

Its 1976, and Janet Tanhurst is a teenager who feels stifled by life with her strict mother, and the authoritarian church she must attend. Once out of high school, however, Janet is initiated into a fascinating new world of Astrology, Tarot cards, and Spirit Mediums. Next, she encounters the mysterious world of UFOs?a bewildering and sometimes frightening realm encompassing ancient astronauts, alien abductions, and shadowy government conspiracies. As the 1980s arrive, the Christian-dominated Piscean Age seems to be giving way to a long-anticipated Aquarian Age, with its hope for a coming revolution in higher consciousness. There are new paradigms in philosophy and science?promoting a holographic conception of the universe as engaged in a Cosmic Dance?along with the emergence of an introspective type of instrumental music known as New Age. With the help of bookstore owner Whisper Wynn, Janet investigates subjects such as reincarnation, quartz crystals, chakras and the human aura, in addition to an exciting new form of spiritual teaching called channeling. Following movement leaders including Shirley MacLaine and Marianne Williamson, studying enigmatic teachers like G.I. Gurdjieff and Carlos Castaneda, and inspired by medical doctors such as Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil, she learns about Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health, as well as traditional health practices from China, Japan, and India. She assimilates wisdom from the ancient Celts along with rituals from contemporary Goddess worshippers, in formulating her own unique concept of the Divine that is within us all.

Psychology means the study of the soul; it is the social science concerned with investigating who we are, why we have certain feelings, and why we do the things we do. Are we no more than a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules? Is biology (our genetic inheritance) destiny, or does social upbringing play a crucial role? What are the roles played by Nature and by Nurture? Are we purely physical beings, or is there an aspect that can be called spiritual? This thought-provoking novel takes you on a journey of intellectual and emotional exploration, considering along the way questions that weve all asked ourselves, such as: Is it true that we only use 10% of our brains? Does playing classical music for infants increase their intelligence? Do crime rates go up during a full moon? Can hypnosis, or post-hypnotic suggestions, make us do something we wouldnt normally do? Does subliminal advertising influence us to buy products? Are our memories stored indelibly, almost like a tape recorder? What causes memory lapses as we age? Can repressed traumatic memories be recovered through hypnosis? Do some people have multiple personalities? How can I tell if someone has a neurosis, or a psychosis? Do men have an inner feminine side, and women an inner masculine? Are there innate psychological differences between males and females? The four main characters in this book will guide you through a diverse and sometimes bewildering world of differing approaches to answering such questions, such as Freudian, Jungian, and Adlerian; Humanistic, Existential, and Transpersonal; as well as Cognitive, Emotive, and Behaviorist. Along the way you will learn about the developmental stages proposed by psychologists such as Erikson, Kohlberg, Piaget, and Fowler, and even explore some of the questions currently being asked by both neuroscientists, and philosophers of the mind. Start reading, to begin your study of our innermost selves...

According to Christian doctrine, what happens to those who have died? While traditionally it has been said that one group of people spends eternity in heavenly happiness while another group experiences conscious, unending torment in hell, there are other Christians who believe in alternativesthat hell is simply a separation from God, that the lost are simply annihilated and not subject to torment, or that actually, in the end, all will be reconciled to God and live in heavenly glory. The Gift of God Is Eternal Life explores a five-century journey that traces the development and dispersal of the doctrines of universalism and conditional immorality in a compelling narrative collection of short stories. Beginning from when these doctrines were merely whispered about or published anonymously to the days when traveling evangelists preached them in the new and growing American republic, these engaging vignettes show how this once intense debate between Christians has evolved into modern times where such ideas can be freely discussedeven in mainstream television and evangelism. Do infants who die prior to an age of accountability receive salvation, and are those who have never heard the Christian message simply doomed? What about loved ones who die without having embraced the Christian gospelor those who believe in less-traditional Christian dogmas and institutions? The Gift of God Is Eternal Life can help both believers and nonbelievers understand the implications of these theological perspectivesnot just in an afterlife, but in their own lives here and now.

Here is the first-ever English translation of the ancient Greek Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea, written in the early 4th century A.D. Presented in parallel with Jerome's Latin rendering of the same work, it provides an alphabetical listing of place names mentioned in the Bible and identified by the author with contemporary sites. Accompanied by maps and indexes, this book is an indispensable tool for students and scholars alike.