To live the surrendered life—a life no longer centered on control and hence no longer at odds with the ordinary suffering of everyday living. Rabbi Rami closely examines the first three steps of Twelve-Step recovery to help us cut through the denial, illusions, and falsehoods that bind us in our fight with addictions of all kinds. He draws upon his half-century engagement with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Islam, as well as his own and other people’s struggles in Twelve-Step recovery, to guide us in our awakening to reality’s freedom and the path to living joyously and well.

Deepen Your Capacity to Live Free from Addiction—and from Self and Selfishness "Twelve Step recovery is much more than a way to escape the clutches of addictive behaviors. Twelve Step recovery is about freeing yourself from playing God, and since almost everyone is addicted to this game, Twelve Step recovery is something from which everyone can benefit." —from the Introduction In this hope-filled approach to spiritual and personal growth, the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are uniquely interpreted to speak to everyone seeking a freer and more God-centered life. This special rendering makes them relevant to those suffering from specific addictions—alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, sex, shopping—as well as the general addictions we wrestle with daily, such as anger, greed, and selfishness. Rami Shapiro describes his personal experience working the Twelve Steps as adapted by Overeaters Anonymous and shares anecdotes from many people working the Steps in a variety of settings. Drawing on the insights and practices of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Islam, he offers supplementary practices from different religious traditions to help you move more deeply into the universal spirituality of the Twelve Step system.

Explores the ritual concessions as acts of warfare, performances of submission, demonstrations of power, and representations of shifting, unstable worlds. The author considers the limits of sovereignty at conflict's end, showing how the ways we concede loss can be as important as the ways we claim victory.

Examines how each of the major religions looks at death by including stories, teachings, and rituals that present a comparative religious meaning of death and afterlife. Written in textbook style with journal exercises at the end of each chapter. +

Religion and spirituality are key aspects of the contemporary art scene. Following Ronald Barthes' 'death of the author' - which argued for the dissociation of work from creator - works of art have withdrawn as independent objects, giving way to a growing religious awareness or practice. 'Art and Theology' examines the connection between art and religion in ancient Jewish drama, Greek tragedy, the Renaissance, the Byzantine icon and the medieval cathedral. The book explores how art lost its sacred character in the late Middle Ages and how the current withdrawal or 'death' of art and the fusion of the limits of art and life are consistent with the medieval view of the religious icon.

Sensuality equals beauty—that’s what today’s young women are learning from our sex-obsessed society. Millions of 20somethings are caught up in trying to look like fashion models, movie stars, or the hottest new pop singer and end up plagued by insecurity, eating disorders, and sexual promiscuity. Bestselling author and speaker Leslie Ludy (Set-Apart Femininity and Authentic Beauty) shares a different vision for feminine loveliness as God intended it to be—the breathtaking radiance of a young woman who has been transformed by Christ from the inside out. With candid personal stories, practical advice, and inspiration, Leslie leads young women on a life-changing journey to become women of feminine grace, beauty, and enduring style. Leslie inspires girls toward inner changes but also talks about practical social grace and manners, how to dress beautifully, and even how to create a warm and lovely environment in the home. Clearly, true beauty is more than skin deep.

A Glimpse into the Infinite: In the vast expanse of the universe, where stars sparkled as distant dreams and galaxies swirled in majestic splendor, a story was about to unfold—a story that transcended time, space, and the limitations of the human experience. It was a tale woven with threads of cosmic wisdom, divine encounters, and the boundless potential that lay within the human spirit. Beyond the Stars beckoned, inviting seekers to embark on a journey of discovery—a journey that would stretch the boundaries of their imagination, expand their consciousness, and awaken within them the dormant sparks of divinity. It was a journey that would lead them beyond the confines of their limited perceptions, unveiling the infinite possibilities that awaited them in the cosmic tapestry of existence.

"Profiling Saints" follows and expands the papers presented at the homonym online international conference (December 2021), which focused on cultural, theological, artistic, and social aspects of models of sanctity and their importance in the modern world up to the post-revolutionary period. This volume aims thus to shed light on the cultural value of canonizations and models of sanctity as models of Christian perfection, including the role of iconography and artworks, in the broader context of modern, global Catholicism. The topics presented by the authors include veneration to, and canonization and representations of, saint theologians, missionaries, martyrs, mystics, and reformers, men and women. "Profiling Saints" looks at modern sanctity and saints from multidisciplinary perspectives, ranging from liturgy, theology, and Church history up to history of ideas, cultural history, history of emotions, and art history, and contributes to shed light on such a complex phenomenon of Christian history in its modern developments.