Jeffreys explores the spiritual consequences and ethics of modern solitary confinement and emphasizes how solitary confinement damages our spiritual lives. He focuses particularly on how it destroys one's relationship to time and undermines our creativity, and proposes institutional changes in order to mitigate profound damage to prisoners.

The Christian believer routinely experiences periods in their life referred to as a dark night of the soul. In such times a person feels as if God has left him or her alone and God has distanced himself from the individual in this period of liminality. It is considered to be a time of trial and testing which only afterwards is viewed as a period of growth and maturing in Christ. In this book, Daniel McGregor explores the Biblical foundation for this concept, as well as providing a historical survey of Christian theologians and authors who examine these themes and experiences. This volume will provide an ideal introduction to the subject for the serious layperson or a suitable reading for an introductory class in religious studies.

Anyone seeking a deeper understanding of human spirituality will find something of value in Michael Washburn's new book. Drawing on a rich variety of psychoanalytic, Jungian, and existential-phenomenological sources and on both Western and Asian spiritual texts, Embodied Spirituality in a Sacred World provides a theoretical foundation for the idea that human development follows a spiral path. Washburn shows that ego development early in life requires us to turn our backs on original sources of our existence and, therefore, that spiritual development later in life requires us to spiral back to these sources on the way to whole-psyche integration. He elucidates the underlying causes and pivotal events that set development on its spiral course and traces six major dimensions of experience as they unfold along the spiral path: the unconscious, the energy system, the ego system, the perceived other, the experiential body, and the life-world. In providing a theoretical foundation for the idea of the spiral path, Washburn defends the idea against its critics and helps explain why the idea has been compelling to so many people in diverse traditions.

Why are people drawn to alternative religions that deviate from the norm of Christian beliefs? Why do they stay? What compels them to cling to a false dogma, even in the face of evidence that their beliefs are in error? Why do they engage in scriptural gymnastics in defense of beliefs that have no grounding in Christian theology? Why do they tolerate abusiveness from charismatic leaders and cede personal freedom? Why are they willing to defend these leaders and their institutions to the bitter end? After a lifetime of spiritual incarceration, Jim Turner began studying the cult mentality in order to better understand his actions. He researched religious cults and their practices and traced their teachings throughout history as they found their way into the "New Religions." His studies have convinced him that there is indeed "nothing new under the sun." New Religions offer amended ideas that identified past cults. Modern cults have extracted beliefs from past groups and added a spin that presents them as original and, of course, inspired. Psychological manipulation plays a significant role in the development and continuation of modern cults, but Jim Turner has presented a convincing argument that the psychological condition and willingness of cultists to surrender their freedom to cult leaders and their irrational tendencies to elevate a revered leader to a semi-divine level are equally responsible for the advancement of cults. Follow the author through the early stages of cult indoctrination, the personal abuses he experienced at the hands of the cult, his personal choices as he rose through the ranks of the cult and his eventual enlightenment to the deceptiveness of the cult led by Herbert W. Armstrong. Walk with him out of the darkness of cultic deception into the glorious light of the Grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Hashtag or trademark, personal or collective expression, #BlackGirlMagic is an articulation of the resolve of Black women and girls to triumph in the face of structural oppressions. The online life of #BlackGirlMagic insists on the visibility of Black women and girls as aspirational figures. But while the notion of Black girl magic spreads in cyberspace, the question remains: how is Black girl magic experienced offline? The essays in this volume move us beyond social media. They offer critical analyses and representations of the multiplicities of Black femmes’, girls’, and women’s lived experiences. Together the chapters demonstrate how Black girl magic is embodied by four elements enacted both on- and offline: building community, challenging dehumanizing representations, increasing visibility, and offering restorative justice for violence. Black Girl Magic Beyond the Hashtag shows how Black girls and women foster community, counter invisibility, engage in restorative acts, and create spaces for freedom. Intersectional and interdisciplinary, the contributions in this volume bridge generations and collectively push the boundaries of Black feminist thought.

This work is being released after being hindered for a little over 3 years. However, due to the importance, continued promptings, encouragement, consistent help and steadfastness of the Holy Spirit, we are finally able to release it to the body of Christ as led and directed by the Lord. Seeing that none of us are perfect, we have done our best to help you understand how the Lord is desiring us to gain the ability to resist dark spirit infiltrations, development and infestations against our body, soul, spirit life and relationships, which could lead to spiritual captivity, spiritual spoil, spirit domination and can even cause or produce servants of corruption without, consistent releases from dark spirit activity and intrusions of dark spirit life. Although, it may not be a perfect work (it is the Lord that perfects His work in our lives), it is a complete assignment within itself. None of us will ever be perfect outside of Christ. We have stood in the gap to complete this work for the body of Christ and those desiring to be in the Lord's camp, by the will of the Lord and by His grace we humbly release this writing, to help you stand in these last days, in obedience to the Lord and we pray to do a Volume Two to continue working towards perfecting anything we could have missed while continuing to stand, during try times and hindrances, to complete this work. It continues to be a good fight of faith all the way for the honor and glory of His name! Eze 22.30. Sam 15.22. Eph 6.13. Please remember that our independent flow charts are now available (to help preserve the body, soul and/or spirit life and situations in Christ) and can be used as a supplement to this writing to help you stand in battle in these areas and/or withstand whatever and however the enemy is trying to affect and/or operate in your life. Be encouraged, there is hope in Christ Jesus because of His complete work at Calvary. HE IS RISEN! He is Lord, in the spirit realm. He is Lord of all! Mt. 28.6. We bless you in the name of the Lord! Ps. 129.8. Pamela McKissack, one of our contributing authors and Lord Ministry Staff For contact information write, LMS. P.O. Box 27176. Cleveland, Ohio 44127

This gem has made it's mark with a catchy title that makes you curious enough to open its pages. Once inside, you instantly realize this book has absolutely nothing to do with the title and everything to do with making your daily events of life more enjoyable. Rhayne has exposed her personal life's journey with all the pain, struggles, internal battles and seemingly impossible obstacles so you can see that life can be very challenging. Then she adds light moments and humor to prove you can overcome all things as long as you don't give up or give in. Follow her as she takes you on a ride through many stumbles, achievements, animal metaphors and teary eyed wake up calls. As soon as you are ready to feel sorrow for her, you are struck with enlightenment as she opens the door of unconditional FAITH! It is at this point when you realize that you, too, can conquer your obstacles, enjoy each and every moment, live your dreams and be the person you really want to be. BUT...only if you really want it. GOD Bless & Safe Keeping!

The Routledge Handbook of Religious and Spiritual Tourism provides a robust and comprehensive state-of-the-art review of the literature in this growing sub-field of tourism. This handbook is split into five distinct sections. The first section covers past and present debates regarding definitions, theories, and concepts related to religious and spiritual tourism. Subsequent sections focus on the supply and demand aspects of religious and spiritual tourism markets, and examine issues related to the management side of these markets around the world. Areas under examination include religious theme parks, the UNESCO branding of religious heritage, gender and performance, popular culture, pilgrimage, environmental impacts, and fear and terrorism, among many others. The final section explores emerging and future directions in religious and spiritual tourism, and proposes an agenda for further research. Interdisciplinary in coverage and international in scope through its authorship and content, this will be essential reading for all students, researchers, and academics interested in Tourism, Religion, Cultural Studies, and Heritage Studies.

The Last Dark Place tells a story about reunion, redemption, love and friendship. In this novel Satan decides he want to regain his former place in Heaven. The Morning Star discovers that he must find a suitable replacement for his throne in Hell before he is granted an audience with Yahweh. Satan's search takes him to southern New Jersey in the form of Darius Algernon. He meets a woman named Agnes at The Tide - a less-than-reputable suburban nightclub for the over-forty crowd. Agnes has something Algernon wants - a son named Jimmy Christophe. Jimmy Christophe knows that something about his life isn't quite right. His best friend Mel Talbott thinks Jimmy is going crazy, his girlfriend Joy Felder wants him to open up to her and Christophe's mother Agnes makes no qualms about the day she will be rid of her son forever. Mixed up in Darius Algernon's quest are a myriad of characters including an immortal Roman who made the mistake of pissing off a certain son of God two thousand years ago. Angels, demons and dreams abound in this tale. The reader will meet some familiar faces - Gabriel, Raphael and Metatron. Other angels with less press included are Tarquam, the spirit of autumn, Mihir, the healer of the earth, and the angel of tame beasts who goes by the name of Behemial. Also, see why some clowns with their painted happy faces are really manifestations of pure evil. Don't be left in the dark. Read this literary fantasy and find out what they never taught you in catechism or Sunday school.

Reproduction of the original: The Mystical Element of Religion by Baron Friedrich von Hugel