Created by two of the field’s leading experts, this unique introduction to international religious demography outlines the challenges in interpreting data on religious adherence, and presents a contemporary portrait of global religious belief. Offers the first comprehensive overview of the field of international religious demography – detailing what we know about religious adherents around the world, and how we know it Examines religious freedom and diversity, including agnostics and atheists, on a global scale, highlighting trends over the past 100 years and projecting estimates for the year 2050 Outlines the issues and challenges related to definitions, taxonomies, sources, analyses, and other techniques in interpreting data on religious adherence Considers data from religious communities, censuses, surveys, and scholarly research, along with several in-depth case studies on the global Muslim population, religion in China, and the religious demography of recently created Sudan and South Sudan Argues against the belief that the twentieth-century was a ‘secular’ period by putting forward new evidence to the contrary Provides resources for measuring both qualitatively and quantitatively important data on the world's religious situation in the twenty-first century
Käesolev raamat on järg rahvusvahelisele menukile „Inglid minu juustes” ja kirjeldab autori edasist elu, laste kasvatamist, kohtumisi peaingel Miikaeli ja ingel Eelijaga, suure õnne ja suure kurvastuse aegu ning kaotatud ja leitud armastusi. Raamatus räägib Lorna Byrne võimalustest, kuidas oma kaitseingliga lähedasemaks saada. Ta vaatleb lahkunud lähedaste, nende taevaste hingede rolli meie elus, kellel on lubatud meid põgusalt külastada, ja räägib sellest, kuidas me peaksime nendega suhtlema. Eelkõige aga saame tema vahendusel teada, millistena inglid meid näevad, kuidas nad meid armastavad, mida nad saavad meie jaoks teha ja mida meilt soovivad. Sellest ajast alates, kui Lorna Byrne’i tavatu anne avalikuks sai, on ta kuulsus üha kasvanud. Katoliku kirik on avaldanud talle lõpuks tunnustust, kutsudes teda kirikutesse kõnelema. Ameerika mõjukas teoloog Matthew Fox on võrrelnud Byrne’i keskaja pühaku Bingeni Hildegardiga. Samuti on tunnustanud tema erilisi võimeid juhtivad islami usuteadlased.
Selleks, et arendada endas täiuseni selliseid vaimuomadusi, nagu on armastus, kaastunne ja altruism, tuleb mediteerida. Praegusel ajal on inimese meel väga hajevil ning selle jõud piiratud. Kui suuname meele oma voolusängi, siis muutub see, nagu vesi, palju jõulisemaks. Dalai-laama, meie aja austatuimaid ja armastatuimaid vaimseid juhte, kõneleb selles raamatus sisemise teadvelolu saavutamisest, mis võib hõlmata kõiki elukogemusi. Toetudes 19. sajandi Tiibeti laama Patrul Rinpotše kirjapandud õpetustele, jagab Tema Pühadus üksikasjalikke nõuandeid, kuidas praktiseerida Suure Terviklikkuse meditatsiooni ehk dzogtšen’it, et arendada endas kaastunnet ja kasvatada tarkust. Need omadused on hindamatu väärtusega nii isiklikuks vaimseks arenguks kui ka kogu inimkonna rahumeelseks kooseluks. Dalai-laama kõneleb südamest südamesse, olles mõistetav ja pakkudes hinnalisi kaemusi igaühele, algajaile ja kogenud mediteerijaile.
В этой книге собраны наставления известного современного учителя тибетского буддизма Йонге Мингьюра Ринпоче по основополагающим, или предварительным, практикам нёндро. В них отражена самая сущность этих основополагающих практик, их бесконечная глубина и безграничное богатство смысла. Конкретные указания разъясняют практические аспекты нёндро, а многочисленные примеры из собственного опыта Ринпоче и его учителей вдохновляют и придают уверенности вступающему на этот путь.
Christianity in Asia explores the history, development, and current state of Christianity across the world’s largest and most populous continent. Offers detailed coverage of the growth of Christianity within South Asia; among the thousands of islands comprising Southeast Asia; and across countries whose Christian origins were historically linked, including Vietnam, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea Brings together a truly international team of contributors, many of whom are natives of the countries they are writing about Considers the Middle Eastern countries whose Christian roots are deepest, yet have turbulent histories and uncertain futures Explores the ways in which Christians in Asian countries have received and transformed Christianity into their local or indigenous religion Shows Christianity to be a vibrant contemporary movement in many Asian countries, despite its comparatively minority status in these regions
This unique reception history of the Epistle of James is a prominent addition to the Blackwell Bible Commentaries series. Written by an outstanding New Testament specialist, it chronicles the major theological, political, and aesthetic responses to the text over the centuries, and to James as a historical figure. Surveys the many theological, cultural, literary, political, and artistic uses of the Epistle of James, and the broader influence his letters have had throughout the ages Includes extensive excerpts offering vital historiographical context Examines James’s impact on popular culture, including examples such as Charles Schulz’s Peanuts Unearths a range of neglected writings and opens access to material not readily available elsewhere
The Future of Christian Theology represents a personal manifesto from one of the world's leading theologians, exploring the ways Christian theology in the twenty-first century has been, and can now continue to be, both creative and wise. Represents an outstanding and engaging account of the task of theology today Offers an insightful description of what makes for discerning and creative theology. Written from the perspective of decades of experience, and in close dialogue with theologians of other faiths Features a strong interfaith and public theology dimension, and a contemporary portrait of the field from the inside A hopeful and illuminating search for wisdom and understanding in the increasingly complex religious and secular world of the twenty-first century.
With a combination of essay-length and short entries written by a team of leading religious experts, the two-volume Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodoxy offers the most comprehensive guide to the cultural and intellectual world of Eastern Orthodox Christianity available in English today. An outstanding reference work providing the first English language multi-volume account of the key historical, liturgical, doctrinal features of Eastern Orthodoxy, including the Non-Chalcedonian churches Explores of the major traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy in detail, including the Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopic, Slavic, Romanian, Syriac churches Uniquely comprehensive, it is edited by one of the leading scholars in the field and provides authoritative but accessible articles by a range of top international academics and Orthodox figures Spans the period from Late Antiquity to the present, encompassing subjects including history, theology, liturgy, monasticism, sacramentology, canon law, philosophy, folk culture, architecture, archaeology, martyrology, hagiography, all alongside a large and generously detailed prosopography Structured alphabetically and topically cross-indexed, with entries ranging from 100 to 6,000 words
Through a series of essays contributed by leading experts in the field, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology presents an introduction to practical theology as a major area of Christian study and practice, including an overview of its key developments, themes, methods, and future directions. The first comprehensive reference work to provide a survey, description and analysis of practical theology as an area of study A range of leading scholars in the field provide original contributions on the major areas, issues, and figures in practical theology Reviews an extensive range of methods for studying theology in practice, along with sub-disciplines in theological education such as pastoral care and preaching Covers developments in the discipline in a range of global contexts and distinct Christian traditions Shows how practical theology is relevant to everyday life
A New History of Christianity in China, written by one of the world's the leading writers on Christianity in China, looks at Christianity's long history in China, its extraordinarily rapid rise in the last half of the twentieth century, and charts its future direction. Provides the first comprehensive history of Christianity in China, an important, understudied area in both Asian studies and religious history Traces the transformation of Christianity from an imported, Western religion to a thoroughly Chinese religion Contextualizes the growth of Christianity in China within national and local politics Offers a portrait of the complex religious scene in China today Contrasts China with other non-Western societies where Christianity is surging