A section-by-section, line-by-line commentary that reflects on the meaning of "A Brief Statement" that will help Presbyterians think about who they are and what they believe, and will interest others concerned with the relationship of the Christian tradition and contemporary issues. Appendix. Bibliography. Indexes.

A woman has invited 25 women and 25 men to come and listen to her talk about her book and ask them whether or not to publish it. In a small square room, she finds 23 men have arrived. She stays outside the room and speaks to them telepathically about relationships, honouring the female principle and the meaning of life. What does the story of the Garden of Eden mean? Later she comes into the room and educates them about the role of women and raising the men’s consciousness. She embodies light and takes them into another mental realm. She tests their ideas, surprises and shocks them to help them evolve. One of them finds that the book on the lectern is blank. In the end we realize she hasn’t written a book, but lived it. Maghzi states: This book is one woman's vision which has been reduced to a readable form. This book is about a woman who raises her voice on behalf of those women who have suffered through the centuries! This book is about cutting selfish self's rough and uneven edges in order to become wiser and smarter to circle the wiser and smarter beloved!

Journey into a world of the Alpha & Omega. If you have never been in love you will know what it feels like through True Love. If you have been or have seen someone hurt, Betrayal will speak volumes. So much Passion it sends chills down your spine. With the Joy felt, the sun will shine bright. So much Pain you will hear the thunder. Entrapped Never knowing which door to open or close, trapped, trapped within myself Mustard Seed One morning I awoke still living deep within sin. God saidThis is your day son, If you just believe I cried, How Lord, how Embraced An invisible romance, a feeling for not just a word, a love that I hold to myself Betrayal of Love Betrayal of love, so heavy so deep, my heart is crushing beneath my feet Unforgotten Pains Unforgotten pains thoughts from yesteryear a love grimace backwards, ascend an emotional mountain as cynical as the lowest valley Rarely Pure Rarely pure is our weakness. Often we are sullied and so full of guilt, blemishes fall from our affected heart.

This volume explores mixed race/mixed ethnic identities in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Mixed race and mixed ethnic identity are growing in popularity as research topics around the world. This edited collection looks at mixed race and mixed ethnic identity in New Zealand: a unique context, as multiple ethnic identities have been officially recognised for more than 30 years. The book draws upon research across a range of disciplines, exploring the historical and contemporary ways in which official and social understandings of mixed race and ethnicity have changed. It focuses on the interactions between race, ethnicity, national identity, indigeneity and culture, especially in terms of visibility and self-defined identity in the New Zealand context. Mana Tangatarua situates New Zealand in the existing international scholarship, positioning experiences from New Zealand within theoretical understandings of mixedness. The chapters develop wider theories of mixed race and mixed ethnic identity, at macro and micro levels, looking at the interconnections between the two. The volume as a whole reveals the diverse ways in which mixed race is experienced and understood, providing a key contribution to the theory and development of mixed race globally.

Cutting for Stone is very simply one of the best books ever written and read. The narrative begins in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when twin boys, Shiva and Marion, are born to a nun (who dies) and a surgeon (who runs away). The babies, conjoined at the head, are successfully separated immediately after birth. The original conjoinment and separation of the boys becomes the operating theme of the novel and we are given situation after situation in which to consider the concepts of fusion and partition. Bookclub-in-a-Box looks at all that Verghese provides: history (Ethiopia and Eritrea), medicine (blood and liver disease), psychology (the search for identity), sociology (human relationships) and philosophy (of both science and religion). The narrative's real facts and descriptions are especially interesting for their thematic implications. Every Bookclub-in-a-Box printed discussion guide includes complete coverage of the themes and symbols, writing style, and interesting background information on the novel and the author.

This volume explores existing and emerging sexual cultures of contemporary India and the predicaments faced by abjected and sexual marginalities. It traces the sexual politics within popular culture, literary genres, advertisement, consumerism, globalizing cities, social movements, law, scientific research, the Hijra community life, (alternative) families and kinship and sites that define the cultural other whose sexual practices or identities fall beyond normative moral conventions. The chapters examine a range of connected sociological and political issues including questions of agency, judgments around intimate sexual relationships, the role of the state, popular understandings of adolescent romance, notion of legitimacy and stigma, moral policing and resistance, body politics and marginality, representations in popular and folk culture, sexual violence and freedom, problems with historiography, structural inequalities, queer erotica, gay consumerism, Hijra suicides and marriage and divorce. The volume also proposes certain transformative possibilities towards envisioning and (re)scripting sexual equalities. This interdisciplinary book will be important for those interested in sexuality studies, queer studies, gender studies, cultural studies, sociology, law, history, literature and Global South studies as well as policymakers, civil society activists and nongovernmental organizations working in the area.

Lynne Huffer’s ambitious inquiry redresses the rift between feminist and queer theory, traversing the space of a new, post-moral sexual ethics that includes pleasure, desire, connection, and betrayal. She begins by balancing queer theorists’ politics of sexual freedoms with a moralizing feminist politics that views sexuality as harm. Drawing on the best insights from both traditions, she builds an ethics centered on eros, following Michel Foucault’s ethics as a practice of freedom and Luce Irigaray’s lyrical articulation of an ethics of sexual difference. Through this theoretical lens, Huffer examines everyday experiences of ethical connection and failure connected to sex, including queer sexual practices, sodomy laws, interracial love, pornography, and work-life balance. Her approach complicates sexual identities while challenging the epistemological foundations of subjectivity. She rethinks ethics “beyond good and evil” without underestimating, as some queer theorists have done, the persistence of what Foucault calls the “catastrophe” of morality. Elaborating a thinking-feeling ethics of the other, Huffer encourages contemporary intellectuals to reshape sexual morality from within, defining an ethical space that is both poetically suggestive and politically relevant, both conceptually daring and grounded in common sexual experience.

Recovering from betrayal can be hard, but it can be done with grace, love, and dignity, using the tips and tools in this warm and engaging book on learning to trust again. You couldn’t brace yourself because you never saw it coming. Your sense of safety and security is shattered in an instant, and the shock is imprinted on your body and mind. Your heart breaks, you feel like you got sucker punched, and the pain is so raw, consuming, and overwhelming you can barely breathe. Someone close to you, possibly a family member, partner, or friend, just pulled the rug out from underneath you—lies you so easily believed and actions you dismissed because it never crossed your mind that the one you trusted the most could ever hurt you. You thought this person had your back. You thought the two of you were honoring the same rules, sharing the same moral code, and respecting the same beliefs. This was a person you loved, trusted, and believed. This is what it feels like to be blindsided by betrayal. During times of betrayal, when we most need support, sometimes the ones we would turn to first are the betrayers. Other times, we’re saddled with shame and fear. But it’s during these times when we need to turn for help and learn to trust again. This work offers support, comfort, and community to those struggling with feelings associated with betrayal and guides them to healing from a painful experience with betrayal. Readers will learn about, and move through the proven five stages from betrayal to breakthrough, and will be lovingly guided with tools and strategies along the way. They’ll also learn how predictable healing can be as they read not only Debi’s journey through betrayal, but the stories of others who have learned to copy, heal, and move on from betrayal to a place of trust and well-being. Readers will identify with at least a few of the many people in the book who share their unique experiences. In addition, they’ll learn about the three groups who didn’t heal and be inspired to take a different course of action so that they can have a more positive outcome.

“Seamlessly combines analytic rigor with personal memoir . . . its arguments are drawn from political history . . . Biblical commentary . . . novels and biographies.” (Amélie Rorty, Tufts University) Adultery, treason, and apostasy no longer carry the weight they once did. Yet we constantly see and hear stories of betrayal. Avishai Margalit argues that the tension between the ubiquity of betrayal and the loosening of its hold is a sign of the strain between ethics and morality, between thick and thin human relations. On Betrayal offers a philosophical account of thick human relations?relationships with friends, family, and core communities?through their pathology, betrayal. Judgments of betrayal often shift unreliably. A traitor to one side is a hero to the other. Yet the notion of what it means to betray is remarkably consistent across cultures and eras. Betrayal undermines thick trust, dissolving the glue that holds our most meaningful relationships together. On Betrayal is about ethics: what we owe to the people and groups that give us our sense of belonging. Drawing on literary, historical, and personal sources, Maraglit examines what our thick relationships are and should be and revives the long-discarded notion of fraternity. “Provocative and illuminating.” —Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study “Witty and wise, precise and profound, On Betrayal is an easy but deep read: it sees life as it really is with all its turmoil.” —The Christian Century “The range of Margalit’s examples is astonishing. . . . He is much more knowledgeable about and comfortable with communities (and in communities) than most philosophers are, and so he is very good at recognizing when they go wrong.” —New York Review of Books

The intertwining of magic and sexuality has long been a source of fascination, intrigue, and controversy across cultures and throughout history. This book delves into the complex relationship between magic and sex, exploring how these two primal forces intersect, influence each other, and shape human experience. Drawing upon a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates insights from anthropology, psychology, folklore, and esoteric traditions, this book seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding the enchantment of desire. It examines the role of magic in shaping sexual practices, beliefs, and taboos, as well as its impact on individual and collective perceptions of eroticism, intimacy, and power dynamics. Through an exploration of mythological narratives, historical accounts, and contemporary practices, this book illuminates the ways in which magic has been used to enhance sexual pleasure, attract partners, and navigate the complexities of romantic relationships. It also delves into the darker aspects of magical sexuality, including the use of love spells, aphrodisiacs, and sexual rituals for manipulation, control, and exploitation. Furthermore, this book investigates the psychological and spiritual dimensions of sexual magic, examining its potential for personal transformation, healing, and transcendence. It explores the concept of sexual energy as a potent force for creativity, spiritual awakening, and the cultivation of ecstatic states of consciousness. Finally, this book reflects on the ethical considerations and moral implications surrounding the practice of sexual magic, addressing issues of consent, boundaries, and the responsible use of power. It calls for a nuanced and holistic understanding of the intersection of magic and sexuality, one that recognizes both the potential for liberation and empowerment, as well as the risks of exploitation and harm.