Set against a bloody Sudanese civil war, a disgraced American mercenary pilot and a missionary’s widow find a love as rich and complicated as its milieu.
The Hiddenness of God addresses the problem of divine hiddenness which concerns the ambiguity of evidence for God's existence, the elusiveness of God's comforting presence, the palpable and devastating experience of divine absence and abandonment, and more; phenomena which are hard to reconcile with the idea, central to the Jewish and Christian scriptures, that there exists a God who is deeply and lovingly concerned with the lives of humans. Michael C. Rea argues that divine hiddenness is not a problem to be explained away but rather a consequence of the nature of God himself. He shows that it rests on unwarranted assumptions and expectations about God's love for human beings. Rea explains how scripture and tradition bear testimony not only to God's love, but to God's transcendence. He shows that God's transcendence should be understood as implying that all of God's intrinsic attributes—divine love included—elude our grasp in significant ways.
If they found and destroyed the Scroll they would bring down all civilisation. Would the sacrifice of one man’s life save humanity? Five years after the Great Fire of Lundun, ex-dragoon Laqua is lured into helping the Keepers of the Light, a covert band fighting the equally clandestine Cult of the Death of Hope. The Cult would bring down the empire of the Moors and, indeed, all civilisation. An empire that has conquered most of Europe, where the language is Arabic and the flag of the falcate moon flies. Where alcohol is banned and hashish legal, prison is unknown and punishment by whip, knife or hook. A world in which the Industrial Revolution is already well advanced and steam engines chug. Where the Norse have settled the New World first. In Lundun, capital of the Tin Isles, the largest mosque looms over St Pauls Cathedral. And Samuel Peppin has given up his diaries to write bawdy poems. Vital to defeating the Cult is an ancient secret Scroll, the final chapter of the sacred Script, its authenticity assured by the Seal. While the Cult would destroy it, the Keepers intend its dissemination to all. Until they have the means to do so, Laqua is charged with its safekeeping. He falls in with a dour eunuch, a functionary of the Court of the Amir in Qurtuba, and a perfidious, possibly drug-addled, heretic. And what part might a libidinous Norsewoman play? Ahead of him lie spying, fighting, loving, torture and tragedy … and the discovery of a hideous truth. As Ants to the Gods is an alternate history adventure that challenges some of the orthodoxies and assumptions of Western culture. For adults only, certainly not for the faint-hearted or easily shocked, it is a ribald and irreverent exploration of a world that could have been. Visit bit.ly/AsAntsToTheGods Cover artwork by Alison Buck
"God and the Ants" is the coming-of-age story about AJ, the daughter of conservative Korean immigrants. From an impoverished Chicago neighborhood to the manicured lawns of the suburbs, AJ struggles to make sense of her faith and her identity as a female, a sister, and a daughter. Follow AJ through seasons of chaos and joy as she questions helmet-haired aunties, fights the status quo, and makes life-long friendships. AJ searches for meaning as she sits on church pews, kisses boys on her parents' rooftop, and overdoses at a warehouse party. This culminates on the sunniest, most tragic of mornings, where AJ finally finds answers to lifelong questions.
Some things are better left unseen… A N T G O D "You should try them yourself, Dan. It'll blow your mind. Wait till dark though. They work better at night." Big Ideas. Big and weird Ideas. That's what Dan's best friend Jason does best. Like the one when he decided that cats ruled the world. Now he's made the Truth Glasses. He says they show him things. . .things that shouldn’t be seen. Dan has a bad feeling. He thinks that Jason might have gone one step too far this time. Will Dan be able to stop him, before it's too late? NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR
Mythology is a subject that has entertained people for thousands of years. These stories of gods and supernatural beings of the distant past are important in explaining how things came to be and are an integral part of societies. Insect myths are numerous and widespread in mythology, but have received little attention. This is the first book dedicated specifically to showing the important roles insects have played in mythology. This is a comprehensive and readable survey of insect myths from around the world. The book ranges from older, better-known insect myths such as sacred scarabs to new unpublished subjects such as insects as examples of parallel mythology. Numerous black and white figures are found in the book including new figures not previously seen in entomological literature. How insects are related to larger themes of mythology such as symbols and parallel mythology is discussed. Insects in Old World mythology (Egypt, China, etc.) and New World mythology (Native American, Mayan, etc.) are featured. This book brings to light the fascinating role that insects played in mythology and is the most comprehensive and authoritative reference on the subject.
"The church must learn from the ant that Christians cannot be spectators. We are to be transforming the world!" A Christian book for small groups and individuals. Based on Proverbs 6:6-8 "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." Each chapter of Consider the Ant focuses on the incredible attributes of ants which offer a surprisingly great model of Christian greatness. Because of their willingness to submit and sacrifice for the good of the whole and because of their drive to self-initiate, ants are highly successful. In fact, their body mass equals that of total human body mass in the world. When local churches learn from ants, we will thrive as well. Pastors and small group leaders will find this book to be an indispensable asset in developing a community of Christ-like disciples who are quick to serve, anxious to reproduce, and sure to grow. Consider the Ant contains 10 chapters with small group discussion questions at the end of each chapter. While it is structured to easily use the first six chapters during Lent and the last four chapters after Easter, it can be used at any time of the year. Practical suggestions for building teams, empowering people and growing the church community and its outreach are given throughout each chapter. "I wrote this book because I want you, your family and your friends to know how much God loves all of us. Though our Creator directs our lives best in Scripture, we are given heaven's light in other ways. God created these ants, and they can teach us wisdom in so many ways. I hope when we see their dedication to others, we might be imitators of their best attributes-and always imitators of Christ." Whether you are building a team spirit or wishing that your group or church were better at multiplying, this book is for you.
A whimsical tale in which family lore inspires newfound daring, told by Argentina's sleepiest ant Juan Hormiga, the greatest storyteller of his entire anthill, loves to recount his fearless grandfather's adventures. When Juan and his fellow ants gather around for storytime, he hypnotizes all with tales of his grandfather's many exploits - including his escape from an eagle's talons and the time he leapt from a tree with just a leaf for a parachute. When he's through telling these tales, Juan loves to cozy up for a nice long nap. He's such a serious napper that he takes up to ten siestas every day! Though well loved by his ant friends, Juan decides telling tales and sleeping aren't quite enough for him - it's time to set off on his own adventure. With whimsical, irresistible illustrations, Juan Hormiga affirms the joys of sharing stories, and of creating your own out in the world.
Nothing compares to the Antasy Saga, a highly original series set in a distant future where humans have evolved to the size of insects and intertwined with their world. Book One, Prophets of the Ghost Ants, was named a Best of the Year by KirkusReviews and was followed by Prophet of the Termite God. The final chapter of the trilogy, The Ghost Ants of Grylladesh, continues the story of an empire in ruins, vicious and mysterious usurpers, and a young man who would lead his people from hopeless squalor to a stable utopia. In the Barley Lands to the East, the deformed and demented Emperor Volokop has blinded the hero Anand and sent him to Dranveria with a message for its rulers. But when Anand is captured by a mysterious people, the fate of his family and his new nation of Bee-Jor is suddenly in jeopardy. Because Bee-Jor remains in chaos. In the South, starving refugees from Hulkren have overwhelmed Mound Palzhad and segregated into warring camps to fight for their very survival … with some descending into cannibalism. Beyond them, the roach riders of The Promised Clearing threaten a new conflict in a quest for more land. And in the West, a new peril arises from the Velvet Ant League, one not seen in a thousand generations. Aiding all of these enemies is the deluded Queen Trellana, who has gathered the royal women of the East to march out of Bee-Jor and leave it vulnerable to attack. The founding of Bee-Jor was Anand’s dream of a perfect society, but without their leader, is that all it ever will be: a dream?