The Repose of the Spirits
The Repose of the Spirits

Author: Ahmad Sam'ānī

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2019-10-01

Total Pages: 710

ISBN-13: 1438473354

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The Repose of the Spirits is a translation of one of the earliest and most comprehensive treatises on Sufism in the Persian language. Written by Aḥmad Sam'ānī, an expert in Islamic law from a famous Central Asian scholarly family in about the year 1135, it is one of the handful of early Sufi texts available in English and is by far the most accessible. It also may well be the longest and the most accurately translated. Ostensibly a commentary on the divine names, it avoids the abstract discourse of theological nitpicking and explains the human significance of the names with a delightful mix of Quranic verses and sayings of the Prophet and various past teachers, interspersed with original interpretations of the received wisdom. Unlike the usual books on the divine names (such as that of al-Ghazali), The Repose of the Spirits reminds the reader of the later poetical tradition, especially the work of Rumi. The prose is richly embroidered with imagery and interspersed with a great variety of Arabic and Persian poetry. What is especially remarkable is the manner in which the author speaks to his readers about their own personal situations, explaining why they are driven by a love affair with God, a God who is full of compassion and good humor, whether they know it or not. William C. Chittick's masterful new translation brings this work to an English-language audience for the first time.

Angle of Repose
Angle of Repose

Author: Wallace Stegner

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2000-12-01

Total Pages: 495

ISBN-13: 1101075821

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Stegner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of personal, historical, and geographic discovery Confined to a wheelchair, retired historian Lyman Ward sets out to write his grandparents' remarkable story, chronicling their days spent carving civilization into the surface of America's western frontier. But his research reveals even more about his own life than he's willing to admit. What emerges is an enthralling portrait of four generations in the life of an American family. "Cause for celebration . . . A superb novel with an amplitude of scale and richness of detail altogether uncommon in contemporary fiction." —The Atlantic Monthly "Brilliant . . . Two stories, past and present, merge to produce what important fiction must: a sense of the enchantment of life." —Los Angeles Times This Penguin Classics edition features an introduction by Jackson J. Benson. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion
Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion

Author: Stephen J. Shoemaker

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2016-07-28

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 0300219539

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For the first time a noted historian of Christianity explores the full story of the emergence and development of the Marian cult in the early Christian centuries. The means by which Mary, mother of Jesus, came to prominence have long remained strangely overlooked despite, or perhaps because of, her centrality in Christian devotion. Gathering together fresh information from often neglected sources, including early liturgical texts and Dormition and Assumption apocrypha, Stephen Shoemaker reveals that Marian devotion played a far more vital role in the development of early Christian belief and practice than has been previously recognized, finding evidence that dates back to the latter half of the second century. Through extensive research, the author is able to provide a fascinating background to the hitherto inexplicable “explosion” of Marian devotion that historians and theologians have pondered for decades, offering a wide-ranging study that challenges many conventional beliefs surrounding the subject of Mary, Mother of God.

When God is Silent
When God is Silent

Author: Archbishop Luis M. Martinez

Publisher: Sophia Institute Press

Published: 2014-08-11

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 162282220X

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When God Is Silent shows you how to trust God even when He seems unresponsive and remote — even when, as in the famous incident in the Gospels, He seems to sleep while you are buffeted by the storms of life. Author Luis Martinez quotes that beautiful line from the Song of Songs — “I sleep, but my heart is awake” — and confirms that with Jesus this is indeed the case: His love for you never sleeps, no matter what. Martinez shows how you can make better sense of your life once you realize that God has actually been closest to you when He seemed farthest away; and once you learn why He often speaks to you only in silence. Best of all, Martinez teaches you the secret of true happiness, which you can achieve even amid the troubles that are inescapable elements of every human life. With sober realism and simple faith, this book will show you how to discover — and then to take refuge in — the comfort our Lord offers you, even when He seems to sleep. “A powerful masterpiece. A great gem of Catholic spirituality.” Fr. Benedict Groeschel Author, Arise from Darkness “Anyone who wants to progress in prayer or who seeks to get past blockages in spiritual growth will find graceful help here.” Bert Ghezzi Author, Getting Free “In the silence of Christ’s sleep, we can learn the silence of charity, cultivate the silence of discretion, experience the interior silence of contemplation, and so find peace.” Donna Steichen Author, Prodigal Daughters Learn to get through the times when God seems distant, as you discover: Silence: why it’s essential for all real gr0wth in the spiritual lifeWhy Jesus must seem to sleep in order to refine your love and purify your soulJesus’ thirty “hidden years”: the important lessons they hold for your life todayWhy worry? Two common reasons why people do worry — and remedies for eachA simple, effective, and gentle procedure for becoming holy in your daily lifePrudence: why it’s one of the most difficult — and most important — virtues that you must acquire while Jesus sleepsThe three paths to spiritual peace: are you taking them? Do you know what they are?Two times that Jesus grieved — and what He meant to teach you in eachThree surprising things that promote your spiritual welfare — if you know how to use themHow the presence of Jesus in your life can transform your experience of sufferingThe medicine of the spiritual life: why it must often be bitterAnd much more that will help you endure the storms of your life with confidence that even as Jesus sleeps, He cares for you!