Религиоведение
Различные книги в жанре РелигиоведениеPraying the Jesus Prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”
This very simple prayer was developed in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine during the early centuries of Christian faith, and has been practiced in the Eastern Orthodox Church ever since. It is a prayer inspired by St. Paul’s exhortation to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and its purpose is to tune one’s inner attention to the presence of the Lord.
This series of “little books” is designed to enable you to grasp the meaning of one ancient method of Christian prayer in a relatively short amount of time. In Praying the Jesus Prayer, one of today’s most respected voices on Orthodoxy in America introduces you to:
• The history and meaning of this popular but rarely understood method of talking to God • What it means to really pray with both heart and mind • How to get started incorporating the Jesus Prayer into your life.
A Life Together
Written in the tradition of the Orthodox East’s “desert tradition” of short meditations on spiritual themes, Bishop Seraphim’s new book is the Eastern Church’s answer to Bonheoffer’s great reflection on similar themes. Here, Bishop Seraphim explores the Russian understanding of the term Sobornost, a word for “community” first introduced in the 19th century, which has taken shape as a key concept for exploring what community means and how unity between human beings is truly possible.
This uniquely Eastern perspective on a topic of interest to people everywhere will appeal to anyone hungering for a new understanding of community that can inspire daily life. The book will also leave readers with the happy awareness that the history of the Church is not something closed and complete, nor is Christianity an exhausted creed which has run its course. Instead, Christianity is young and ever new, and the Church is just beginning to discover the inwardness that is implicit in the Gospels.
The Jesus Prayer
"The Jesus Prayer has historically been passed on face-to-face, from one Christ-loving person to the next, down the generations ever since the desert saints. It is learned in a community of fellow-believers, all of whom are aware of their need and sin, trying daily to resist temptation better and love God more. As you form the habit of saying this prayer in the back of your mind all the time, it soaks into you, like dye into cotton, and colors the way you encounter every person and circumstance you meet…"
Frederica Mathewes-Green offers the most comprehensive book to date on the Jesus Prayer – a spiritual jewel for anyone who yearns for a real and continuous presence with Christ. She illuminates the history, theology, and spirituality of Orthodoxy, so that the Prayer can be understood in its native context, and provides practical steps for making it a part of our being.
First Fruits of Prayer
Join Frederica Mathewes-Green on a guided retreat through an ancient Orthodox text. Regardless of your denominational background, First Fruits of Prayer will bring to life the prayer experience of first millennium Christianity through immersion in this poetic hymn, an extraordinarily beautiful work that is still chanted by Christians around the world each Lent. It weaves together Old and New Testament Scriptures with prayers of hope and repentance and offers ancient ways of seeing Christ that still feel new today.
"Fascinating and sometimes magisterial…. A skilled interpreter of the theology and history of the Orthodox tradition, Mathewes-Green arranges the Great Canon of St. Andrew…into 40 readings accompanied by scriptural references, commentary, theological reflection and questions." —Publishers Weekly
"Rick Warren gave us 40 days of purpose. Frederica Mathewes-Green gives us 40 days of deep prayer and reflection…. This is destined to become a devotional class for generations to come." —Dallas Morning News
Christmas Countdown
Prepare your heart and home for a meaningful Christmas – Create new family traditions for Advent!
This guide provides easy-to-use devotionals with Scripture, music, food, and fun family activities to prepare your heart and home – and reach out to others – in celebration of Christ's coming.
"This book includes activities that will facilitate learning and bring families together during the Christmas season. Margie's warm spirit, personal flair, and strong desire to teach transcend throughout." – Deanna Stock, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Chesapeake College
"The Christmas Countdown reminds us that Christmas is more than a shopping list. This book isn't simply another list of things-to-do this December but rather it is a plea to stop 'doing' and begin 'being' once more. Twenty-five new traditions remind us that family is a gift which reflects the great Gift of God incarnate, restoring us to the beauty of Christmas." Joel Kurz, Pastor, The Garden Community, Baltimore
Story of the Other Wise Man
One of the most meaningful stories ever written…
"You know the story of the Three Wise Men of the East, and how they traveled from far away to offer their gifts at the manger-cradle in Bethlehem. But have you ever heard the story of the Other Wise Man?"
So begins Henry van Dyke's Christmas classic, told in the manner of the great fairy tales—and like a great fairy tale, it couldn't be more true! This beautiful edition is designed so that you can read The Other Wise Man as it is intended to be read—slowly.
His name was Artaban, and he told his doubting friends why he wanted to travel far away to see the promised king: «It has been shown to me and to my three companions among the Magi—Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. We have searched the ancient tablets of Chaldea and computed the time. We have studied the sky. We saw a new star there, which shone for one night and then vanished. Now again the two great planets are meeting. This night is their conjunction.»
Try as he might, Artaban was unable to join the three Magi on that historic night. But as it turns out, he had even more important things to do—and he learned what it really means to know God.
The War on Christmas
Is it a bunch of pagan symbols «Christianized» for the celebration? Why is our concept of Christmas so important for those who don't believe in Jesus? Most may say Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, but are we truly worshiping Him or just celebrating the earthly gifts we give ourselves? Filled with family get-togethers, office parties, breaks from school, decorating the tree, and more, Christmas is a time of peace and love. So why has so much controversy clouded this sacred holiday? It has become ground zero in an ongoing culture war where Nativity scenes are nixed, Merry Christmas becomes Happy Holidays, and even the word «Christmas» is considered by some as offensive. Find the truth about Christmas and the Christian's response to a culture that seems to be declaring war.
Treasures in the Psalms
A book from “the Father of the Modern Creationism Movement,” this marvelous look at the author’s favorite book of the Bible gives the reader insights not commonly taught in the Church today. This devotional, focusing on the spiritual, physical, and scientific dimensions of the Psalms, starts with the conviction that the Bible is a supernaturally-transmitted collection of the books, with Psalms leading the parade of the world’s greatest literature. From the book’s definite nod to scientific concepts, to the groanings of King David, Treasures in the Psalms promises to be a gift beyond measure.
The True Story of Noah's Ark
Dramatic and exciting retelling of a timeless Bible story Excellent evangelistic tool Breathtaking artwork makes the story come alive Realistic art and text give the Genesis story validity God always has a plan; God always has a man. The plan: destroy the wickedness of the world. The man: Noah. How would you feel if you knew that God was going to destroy the world, and you had been chosen out of millions of people to continue the human race? This book is not just Sunday school material for kids, but the thrilling adventure of Noah comes to life through the dazzling, detailed illustrations and the exciting True Story of Noah’s Ark. The images of the interior of Noah’s ark are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. The people and cities depicted here are certainly more advanced than what you’ve been led to believe – these people weren’t cavemen! They invented metals and musical instruments; they were skilled craftsmen; they built grand cities – all BEFORE the Flood. And this is not fiction – it’s all biblically and historically based. This book can be a fantastic evangelistic tool because it comes directly from the multi-media presentation of author Tom Dooley, who uses it to witness to multitudes of people across America every week.
The Law of Love and The Law of Violence
An examination of the conflicts within and among nations, this treatise proposes a remedy based on true Christian doctrine: recognition of love as the supreme law of life. Written just before World War I, it articulates Tolstoy's famous dictum that it is morally superior to suffer violence than to do violence—a philosophy that has inspired Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and countless others. Famed for such popular novels as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Tolstoy experienced a religious crisis at the age of fifty. Thenceforth he devoted himself to promoting the transformation of society, writing stories, essays, and books advocating the pursuit of an inner moral revolution. In the preface to this work, Tolstoy declares, «The only reason why I am writing this is because, knowing the one means of salvation for Christian humanity, from its physical corruption as well as from the moral corruption in which it is sunk, I, who am on the edge of the grave, cannot be silent.» A century later, Tolstoy's powerful plea for nonviolence continues to resonate.