Religion

A clear, concise and compelling analysis of the eclectic and beautiful visual and material culture of shamanism. Entering trance states, healing body and soul, invoking animals as spirit guides and journeying to incorporeal realms - these skills have been central to shamanism over thousands of years and across much of the world, from the Evenki shamans of northern and central Asia to contemporary Neo-Shamans of the West. Join cultural and social anthropologist Max Carocci as he explores an eclectic array of shamanic artefacts and images, decoding the symbolism and explaining their extraordinary shamanic ritual practices. Marvel at the adornments of a Siberian shaman's coat; examine the prehistoric rock art that depicts mystical transformations of shamans into animals; and discover the psychotropic plants that open our minds to interdimensional journeys of healing and wisdom. Carocci makes the manifold meanings encoded in the forms, colours and purposes of shamanic images and objects clear, painting a vibrant and in-depth picture of shamanic cultures past and present.

The perfect introduction to the gods, heroes and ancestors of the great Maya civilization. The Maya civilization was highly complex, divided into politically fragmented noble houses, the Maya have produced a diverse and complicated mythology that can vary between groups and retellings. For example, there are three different myths about the origins of the sun and moon, in one creation myth animals and objects rise up to torment humanity; whilst in another, pots shatter and speak, unleashing demons upon the people. Elsewhere, heroes descend to the ballcourt of the underworld where trees grow fruit in the likeness of severed heads, the ancestors converse with animals and the Maize God is caught in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth. But to the Maya these were more than fireside tales, these myths formed the foundation of their culture, weaving together their ancestral and primordial pasts into a cohesive and meaningful narrative. In The Maya Myths Mallory Matsumoto skilfully evokes the enduring vibrancy of Maya culture, from the peak of the Maya hieroglyphic tradition in the eighth century AD, through the invasions of the Spanish conquistadors up to the present day. The book draws from texts, images and Maya oral histories, reflecting a history of contact and change, rather than a sealed-off past. The Maya region has always been fragmented, leading to a unique cultural and linguistic diversity resulting in a varied and intriguing mixture of stories. Here are well-known texts like the Books of Chilam Balam and the Popol Vuh, Spanish texts, as well as lesser-known sources. This will highlight the richness and varied nature of Maya myths, offering readers a deeper understanding of the communities that produced these captivating stories.

The unfolding of your words gives lightPsalms 119:130Since early medieval times, artists and scribes throughout the Christian world have illustrated the scriptures to magnify and celebrate the word of God.The NIV Illuminated Bible welcomes you into this tradition. With spacious margins on every page, there is room to add your own notes, drawings and calligraphy. A series of beautiful full-page illustrated Bible verses dispersed throughout the text will inspire you to reflect on God's glory and to engage creatively with the power of His truths and promises.Including the full text of the New International Version, renowned for its combination of accuracy and clarity of language, the NIV Illuminated Bible invites you to relight your reading of the Word.Royalties from all sales of the NIV Bible help Biblica in their work of translating and distributing accurate and readable Bibles around the world.

"Practical, biblical guidance for every step of your relationship journey-from single to dating to engaged to married from the bestselling author of Stop Waiting for Permission"--

An exquisitely illustrated look at the stories of 50 ghosts from around the world, written by folklore and supernatural expert Icy Sedgwick

This richly textured book helps students and scholars of religion and politics to understand the surprising ways in which conflict and conciliation can renew grassroots democracy. It appraises contemporary discussions of democratic pluralism in religious and ethical theory while advancing a bold new account of conflict's religious significance.

Illuminates the cross-border migration and settlement of Catholics from Canada to northern New York.

Illuminating new essays on Fichte's 1804 Wissenschaftslehre, or The Science of Knowing.