Halbert could no longer endure to look upon this quiet scene, but, starting up, dashed his book from him, and exclaimed aloud: "To the fiend I bequeath all books, and the dreamers that make them ..." -from The Monastery They were the literary phenomenon of their time: The Waverly novels, 48 volumes set in fanciful re-creations of the Scottish Highlands (and other lands) of centuries past, published between 1814 and 1831 and devoured by a reading public hungry for these sweeping, interconnected melodramas. The series popularized historical fiction, though they're also abundant in astute political and social commentary. The Monastery, Volume 18 of Waverly, is a delightfully humorous and surprisingly supernatural tale of theological and family conflict during the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. Scottish novelist and poet SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771-1832), a literary hero of his native land, turned to writing only when his law practice and printing business foundered. Among his most beloved works are The Lady of the Lake (1810), Rob Roy (1818), and Ivanhoe (Waverly Vols. 16 and 17) (1820).

For almost two millennia, Christian men and women have banded together to live in devotion to God and humanity. Recent studies have shown that, on average, men and women in Holy Orders are healthier and live longer than the rest of us. What timeless solutions to the things that ail us might we have dismissed in our rush into the modern age? Written by three very modern seekers who visited monastic communities to explore facets of the contemplative life, Wisdom from the Monastery reveals what these lay practitioners found so rewarding and deeply relevant to their lives today. Originally published in Germany as three separate volumes, the U.S. edition combines these major aspects of monastic practice: fasting, healing, and meditation. The book’s warm, engaging tone presents millennia-tested practices of contemplative Christianity free from Church dogma. One need not be Catholic, nor even Christian, to benefit from fasting, herbal and other natural remedies, and profound approaches to prayer, meditation, and silence. Readers learn what characterizes the best monastic communities and discover a sense of the retreat experience as spiritual adventure. Featuring over 100 photographs, daily exercises, personal anecdotes, and fascinating snippets on monastic experience through the ages, Wisdom from the Monastery introduces readers to a cast of remarkable monks and nuns who have chosen lives of renunciation and simplicity. Within these pages, monastic wisdom demonstrates its relevance across millennia and beyond monastery walls.

'With fascinating characters and an intriguing plot, this is a real page turner' KATIE FFORDE praise for the series An addictive and unputdownable crime mystery novel perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Faith Martin, J.R. Ellis, LJ Ross, Miss Marple and Midsummer Murders! Lesley Cookman's bestselling series featuring amateur sleuth Libby Sarjeant is back for its eleventh instalment! A jewelled Anglo-Saxon reliquary has mysteriously appeared on a website, apparently containing a relic of St Eldreda herself. The nuns at St Eldreda's Abbey are understandably curious, and invite Libby Sarjeant to look into the matter in more depth. Fascinated by the story, Libby's friend Peter obtains permission to mount 'Murder In The Monastery', a play based on St Eldreda's story, excitingly set in the ruins of the original monastery. Unfortunately for Peter's plans, a real body is discovered, and Libby and her friend Fran find out that this is sadly not the first. Together, Libby and Fran dive into their investigations, to hopefully find the link between the relic, St Eldreda, and the pile of bodies. __________________________________________________ Praise for the bestselling series: 'Great characters , enthralling stories, would make a BRILLIANT T.V. series' ***** Amazon review 'Curl up with a cuppa for another fascinating mystery, Lesley has done it again! The stories all just pull you into them...hook line & sinker' ***** Amazon review 'I found the book un-put-downable (good job I was on holiday!) so it is definitely worth 5 stars. Waiting for more, Lesley!' ***** GoodReads review 'Excellent story as usual, love these books and looking forward to reading the next in the series' ***** Goodreads review

An introduction to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Talmage, California, a Buddhist monastery founded by Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua in the 1970s.

Unlike the "Rob Roy", the new historical novel written by Walter Scott "The Monastery" was taken by critics and readers rather cool. Nevertheless, the writer managed to brightly describe the dark and deaf Scotland during the tragic times of military defeat and at the same time - spiritual renewal, with the dying old religion and the emerging new, full political anarchy within the country and with the Scotch-typical thirst for political freedom. Pretty illustrations by Elena Odarich provide you with new impressions from reading this legendary story.

As the cultural and ideological foundations of imperial Russia were threatened by forces of modernity, an array of Orthodox churchmen, theologians, and lay thinkers turned to asceticism, hoping to ensure the coming Kingdom of God promised to the Russian nation.