Since the middle of the last century, the emergence and development of fields as diverse as artificial intelligence, evolutionary science, cognitive linguistics, and neuroscience have led to a greater understanding of the ways in which humans think. One of the major discoveries involves what researchers refer to as conceptual mapping. According to theories of conceptual mapping, human thought is profoundly shaped by the ability to make connections. Simply put, human thinking is metaphorical all the way down. This insight has revolutionized the way in which scientists and philosophers think about the mind/body problem, the formation and function of language, and even the development of scientific progress itself. Until recently however, this research has gone largely unnoticed within Christian theology. But this revolution in understanding human cognition calls for broader and richer engagement with theology and religious studies: How does this new insight into human meaning-making bear on our understanding of religious meaning-making? And how might Christian theology interpret and respond to this new understanding of the development of human thought? This edited volume offers an introduction to conceptual mapping that is accessible to those with no previous knowledge of the field, and demonstrates the substantial resources this interdisciplinary research has for thinking about a variety of theological questions. The book begins with a chapter introducing the reader to the basics of conceptual mapping. The remaining chapters apply these insights to a variety of theological topics including anthropology, sacramental theology, biblical studies, ecumenical theology, and ethics.
What you believe about God sets the foundation of the person you will become. In God Has a Name, pastor and New York Times bestselling author John Mark Comer invites you to rethink many of the prevalent myths and misconceptions about God and weigh them against what God actually tells us about himself. After all, what you believe about God will ultimately shape the type of person you become. We all live at the mercy of our ideas, and nowhere is this more true than our ideas about God. The problem is many of our ideas about God are wrong. Not all wrong, but wrong enough to form our souls in detrimental and disheartening ways. God Has a Name is a simple yet profound guide to understanding God in a new light--focusing on what God says about himself in the Bible. This one shift has the potential to radically alter how you relate to God, not as a doctrine, but as a relational being who responds to you in an elastic, back-and-forth way. John Mark Comer takes you line by line through Exodus 34:6-8--Yahweh's self-revelation on Mount Sinai, one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. Along the way, Comer addresses some of the most profound questions he came across as he studied these noted lines in Exodus, including: Why do we feel this gap between us and God? Could it be that a lot of what we think about God is wrong? Not all wrong, but wrong enough to mess up how we relate to him? What if our "God" is really a projection of our own identity, ideas, and desires? What if the real God is different, but far better than we could ever imagine? No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, God Has a Name invites you to step into a fresh and biblically rooted vision of who God is that has the potential to alter your life with God and shape who you become.
GOD SEES EVERYTHING...BUT WHO'S WATCHING HIM? Five very talented and ambitious scientists asked themselves an age-old question: Where do our souls go after we die? The question was posed, not in the esoteric sense, but in a geographical one. They committed themselves to find out the exact physical locations of "Heaven and Hell."
Looking for direction in your life? Ever wonder how God is working in you and around you? Join pastor and trainer Steve Witt as he helps you locate the intersection where our passions and personal currencies meet—your sweet spot—and in the process discover where God has been at work all along. Partnering with God’s Spirit in these ways will breed a deep sense of inner peace and cause your faith to grow. You will begin to recognize God’s hand in your past, your present, and see how He is plotting a course for your future. Complete with interactive charts and guides, Your Prophetic Life Map will become the go-to instrument in your spiritual development. Steve will show you how a lifetime of encounters with God can shape your destiny. You will learn to: view your pain as a guide work your way out of immovable moments in life spot Spirit-led opportunities navigate life’s eight great choices see the art of planning as an act of faith
Why have the monotheistic religions failed to produce societies that live up to their ethical ideals? A prominent rabbi answers this question by looking at his own faith and offering a way for religion to heal itself. In Putting God Second, Rabbi Donniel Hartman tackles one of modern life’s most urgent and vexing questions: Why are the great monotheistic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—chronically unable to fulfill their own self-professed goal of creating individuals infused with moral sensitivity and societies governed by the highest ethical standards? To answer this question, Hartman takes a sober look at the moral peaks and valleys of his own tradition, Judaism, and diagnoses it with clarity, creativity, and erudition. He rejects both the sweeping denouncements of those who view religion as an inherent impediment to moral progress and the apologetics of fundamentalists who proclaim religion’s moral perfection against all evidence to the contrary. Hartman identifies the primary source of religion’s moral failure in what he terms its “autoimmune disease,” or the way religions so often undermine their own deepest values. While God obligates the good and calls us into its service, Hartman argues, God simultaneously and inadvertently makes us morally blind. The nature of this self-defeating condition is that the human religious desire to live in relationship with God often distracts religious believers from their traditions’ core moral truths. The answer Hartman offers is this: put God second. In order to fulfill religion’s true vision for humanity—an uncompromising focus on the ethical treatment of others—religious believers must hold their traditions accountable to the highest independent moral standards. Decency toward one’s neighbor must always take precedence over acts of religious devotion, and ethical piety must trump ritual piety. For as long as devotion to God comes first, responsibility to other people will trail far, far behind. In this book, Judaism serves as a template for how the challenge might be addressed by those of other faiths, whose sacred scriptures similarly evoke both the sublime heights of human aspiration and the depths of narcissistic moral blindness. In Putting God Second, Rabbi Hartman offers a lucid analysis of religion’s flaws, as well as a compelling resource, and vision, for its repair.
Examines the pivotal relationship between mapping and civilization, demonstrating the unique ways that maps relate and realign history, and shares engaging cartography stories and map lore.
The #1 Bible Reference book celebrates its 10th anniversary with this 230-page edition that features more Bible maps, charts and illustrations than the original! This stunning, easy-to-understand reference book still provides the same full-color, reproducible Bible charts and overviews that made the original a favorite--but in an easier-to-use, updated format! This 10th anniversary edition of the Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps and Time Lines features over 200 Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines--and includes more pages, 6 extra topics, updated information, and a bonus 24" fold-out on Jesus' Family Tree. Every church library and every home should have a copy of Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps and Time Lines. This book contains thousands of facts that will enrich your understanding and study of the Bible, and will be a great resource as you teach others about the Word of God. "If I could give only two books to a new Christian, one would be the Bible and the other would be this book." --Dr. Ed Hindson, President of World Prophetic Ministry and pastor on the The King is Coming telecast Features more than 200 reproducible Bible charts, maps, and timelines, including: Foldout Posters: Bible Time Line and Jesus' Genealogy Overviews on Popular Old Testament Topics, including the Tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant, Names of God, Feasts & Holidays of the Bible, and much more Overviews on Popular New Testament Topics, including the 12 Disciples, Armor of God, Fruit of the Spirit, and much more Overviews of Jesus' Life and Teachings Bible Overview: Books of the Bible and Key Bible Stories Christian History, including "How We Got the Bible" and a Christian History Time Line Charts Comparing Christianity to Islam and 20 Other World Religions Overviews on Bible Prophecy, Revelation, and the End Times Bible Maps Bible Illustrations and Diagrams "It is awesome! Rose Publishing has produced one of the finest books I have ever seen. Every aspect of the charts, maps and time lines leaps off the page with spectacular color, incredible accuracy and intricate detail. . . . A must for every pastor and teacher who wants to clearly present the truths of the Bible." --Dr. Jerry Falwell, Founder of Liberty University "A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible. This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is 'How We Got the Bible, ' which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah's Ark and Solomon's Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the author's leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work's usefulness. As a resource, it's well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing. Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations." --Kirkus Reviews
Putting God Into Einstein's Equations: Energy of the Soul is the direct outcome of an unusual and unique collaboration by soul mates Marcia and Jerry Pollock spanning the spiritual and physical worlds. Marcia is deceased, and her contributions come from the powerful intelligent energy of her Divine soul, which is without her physical body in the spirit world. Jerry is alive with his Divine soul, which is constrained within his physical body on planet Earth. Communicating through thought-energy telepathy or channeling, the authors have written this exquisitely, simply explained book in their humble attempt of gratitude to bring new knowledge to the understanding of God's Essence and our world. The Creator Himself has endorsed our book, "TRUTH, LOVE AND WISDOM LIE WITHIN THESE PAGES." Putting God Into Einstein's Equations: Energy of the Soul is a provocative book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Have you ever wondered about how a psychic contacts a spirit or where God comes from? The book answers questions about God, the big bang, Einstein's Relativity Equations and how they fit in with God's energy, soul mates and love, the spirit world of souls, past lives, telepathic thought-energy communication, channeling, removing negative body-soul energy, intelligence of the soul, independent and combined functions of the soul versus the human brain, acquiring spirituality, miracles, resurrection and reincarnation, the Devil, good and evil, science and spirituality, Creation and Evolution, and how a new soul that God will give us in the future Messsianic Age at the End of Days will allow us to live for the eternity according to Einstein's Equations. God is energy and so is our Divine soul. Each of us receives a tiny "piece" of God's virtually infinite energy, and the difference between our energy and that of God is simply the enormous difference in order of magnitude when comparing God's energy to ours. The behavior of this energy mirrors the equations brilliantly originated and described by Albert Einstein with two exceptions -- the mass, m referenced in Einstein's famous equation, E=mc2, is a special Mass, M, originating in God's energy particles, and God's and our soul energy travels at one million times the speed of light, c, or 186 billion miles per second. In fact, this Mass is the source of the independent intelligence and sensory properties found in the soul of all human brains. Putting God Into Einstein's Equations: Energy of the Soul is a provocative and compelling book that weaves together empirical, scientific observation, academic research, and theoretical and theological considerations, bolstered by revelatory, first-hand testimony bearing witness to the existence of the Divine soul in both the physical and spirit worlds. Contained in the pages of Putting God Into Einstein's Equations are moving, personal reflections on the authors' life experiences, from the thrill of discovering one's true soul mate to both traumatic and joyous events like a descent into bipolar depression, Divine miracles, and the pain and loss associated with the death of a loved one. Equally explored and discussed are practical first hand experiential techniques for hypnotic-spiritual world regression and directing spiritual energy and using light to alleviate negative forces. Above all else, Putting God Into Einstein's Equations seeks to advance an awareness and comprehension of God, drawing upon points of reference as diverse as Qigong and yoga to the word of rabbinical scholars.
Religion is a multi-faceted and complex human phenomenon, combining many different mental and social characteristics. Among these, language plays a crucial though often neglected role. This volume brings together groundbreaking work from linguistics, cognitive science and neuroscience, as well as from religious studies, in order to illuminate the origins and centrality of religion in human life.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of the widely acclaimed The Book of Ruth comes a harrowing, heartbreaking drama about a rural American family and a disastrous event that forever changes their lives. "It takes a writer of rare power and discipline to carry off an achievement like A Map of the World. Hamilton proves here that she is one of the best." —Newsweek The Goodwins, Howard, Alice, and their little girls, Emma and Claire, live on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Although suspiciously regarded by their neighbors as "that hippie couple" because of their well-educated, urban background, Howard and Alice believe they have found a source of emotional strength in the farm, he tending the barn while Alice works as a nurse in the local elementary school. But their peaceful life is shattered one day when a neighbor's two-year-old daughter drowns in the Goodwins' pond while under Alice's care. Tormented by the accident, Alice descends even further into darkness when she is accused of sexually abusing a student at the elementary school. Soon, Alice is arrested, incarcerated, and as good as convicted in the eyes of a suspicious community. As a child, Alice designed her own map of the world to find her bearings. Now, as an adult, she must find her way again, through a maze of lies, doubt and ill will. A vivid human drama of guilt and betrayal, A Map of the World chronicles the intricate geographies of the human heart and all its mysterious, uncharted terrain. The result is a piercing drama about family bonds and a disappearing rural American life.
