". . . and it was Evening and it was Morning, the Third Day." Why was this day different from all others according to the Bible? In the Book of Genesis we are told that every plant on earth, including trees, was created on that day. In this seminal study, Jo Ann Gardner shows how the ancient Israelites, the compilers of the Hebrew Bible, not only made practical use of native plants but studied them to reveal meanings that enabled them to better understand the Biblical text. From the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate, to the mandrakes Rachel pleaded with her sister to share with her, to the reeds used to protect Moses when he was set adrift as an infant, deeper insights are provided regarding their significance. Seeds of Transcendence has been designed to enable readers to develop a more profound appreciation of the most influential book ever written. Over 100 full-color photos. "One of the most erudite and fascinating books I have read in recent times" -- Blu Greenberg, author of On Women and Judaism

The next novel in bestselling author R.A. Salvatore’s second DemonWars saga, Transcendence is an extraordinary adventure that introduces a remarkable new hero—and explores the mysteries of enlightenment and the art of war in a dazzling epic of imagination. Brave and beautiful Brynn Dharielle has ventured on a daring mission to free her beloved homeland from tyrannical rule. But she cannot imagine the depths of chaos and betrayal that seethes amid a ruthless sect of warrior priests led by an evil chieftain who conceals a dark, age-old secret. For Brynn and her trusted elven companion, the way to Behren turns into a fierce and illuminating voyage. But by the time Brynn reaches the land where she once saw her parents murdered, the seeds of revolution are already flourishing. The first salvo of a sweeping battle has begun—one that will threaten to destroy the heart and soul of her world. In book six of the DemonWars saga, #1 New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore continues the second trilogy of the saga in what Booklist raves “outstanding…Brynn Dharielle is a first-rate female high-fantasy protagonist.”

This innovative collection examines the transnational movements, effects, and transformations of religion in the contemporary world, offering a fresh perspective on the interrelation between globalization and religion. Transnational Transcendence challenges some widely accepted ideas about this relationship—in particular, that globalization can be understood solely as an economic phenomenon and that its religious manifestations are secondary. The book points out that religion's role remains understudied and undertheorized as an element in debates about globalization, and it raises questions about how and why certain forms of religious practice and intersubjectivity succeed as they cross national and cultural boundaries. Framed by Thomas J. Csordas's introduction, this timely volume both urges further development of a theory of religion and globalization and constitutes an important step toward that theory.

In this volume, an interdisciplinary group of scholars uses history, sociology, anthropology, and semiotics to approach Transcendence as a human phenomenon, and shows the unavoidability of thinking with and through the Beyond. Religious experience has often been defined as an encounter with a transcendent God. Yet humans arguably have always tried to get outside or beyond themselves and society. The drive to exceed some limit or condition of finitude is an eduring aspect of culture, even in a "disenchanted" society that may have cut off most paths of access to the Beyond. The contributors to this volume demonstrate the humanity of Transcendence in various ways: as an effort to get beyond our crass physical materiality; as spiritual entrepreneurship; as the ecstasy of rituals of possession; and as a literary, aesthetic, and semiotic event. These efforts build from a shared conviction that Transcendene is thoroughly human, and accordingly avoid purely confessional and parochial approches while taking seriously the various claims and behavioral expressions of traditions in which Transcendence has been understood in theological terms.

Some seeds are thrown about and end up buried in murky darkness; forgotten. But many of these seeds sprout deep roots, thrive and transcend into beautiful flowers. This book speaks from my heart and soul as I was a forgotten seed, buried...or was I planted? The writing samples shared are poignant, painful, personal and real. Some of them depict things I have endured, others were inspired by conversations, images, songs, movies and things I have read that spoke to my soul. There are also poems and insights from several contributors who wrote amazing pieces for Buried Seeds. It was placed on my heart to ask a handful of people to write something for me; no rules, just straight from the heart. I was truly impressed and blessed to have their contributions.My intention is to motivate, encourage, inspire, uplift or provoke you to think...I want people to understand darkness and solitude may be painful, but there can be tremendous growth achieved; if you push through you will thrive and flourish! You may shed a few tears, you may chuckle a little, but above all else, I pray that anyone who reads this book THINKS and thinks deeply about yourself and the people you encounter; you are not alone and on the flip side, you never know what the next individual is going through or has gone through...Love and Light.

Makes key excerpts from Daly's work accessible to readers who are seeking to access the essence of her thought in a single volume. Outrageous, humorous, inflammatory, Amazonian, intellectual, provocative, controversial, and a discoverer of Feminist word-magic, Mary Daly’s influence on Second Wave feminism was enormous. She burst through constraints to articulate new ways of being female and alive. This comprehensive reader offers a vital introduction to the core of Daly’s work and the complexities secreted away in the pages of her books. Her major theories—Bio-philia, Be-ing as Verb, and the life force within words—and major controversies—relating to race, transgender identity, and separatism—are all covered, and the editors have provided introductions to each selection for context. The text has been crafted to be accessible to a broad readership, without diluting Daly’s witty but complicated vocabulary. Begun in collaboration with Daly while she was still alive, and completed after her death in 2010, the chapters in this book will surprise even those who thought they knew her work. They contain highlights from Mary Daly’s published works over a forty-year span, including her major books Beyond God the Father, Gyn/Ecology, and Pure Lust, as well as smaller articles and excerpts, with additional contributions from Robin Morgan and Mary E. Hunt. Perfect for those seeking an introduction to this path-breaking feminist thinker, The Mary Daly Reader makes key excerpts from her work accessible to new readers as well as those already familiar with her work who are seeking to access the essence of her thought in a single volume.

The first classics in human history—the early works of literature, philosophy, and theology to which we have returned throughout the ages—appeared in the middle centuries of the first millennium bce. The canonical texts of the Hebrew scriptures, the philosophical writings of Plato and Aristotle, the Analects of Confucius and the Daodejing, the Bhagavad Gita and the teachings of the Buddha—all of these works came down to us from the compressed period of history that Karl Jaspers memorably named the Axial Age. In The Axial Age and Its Consequences, Robert Bellah and Hans Joas make the bold claim that intellectual sophistication itself was born worldwide during this critical time. Across Eurasia, a new self-reflective attitude toward human existence emerged, and with it an awakening to the concept of transcendence. From Axial Age thinkers we inherited a sense of the world as a place not just to experience but to investigate, envision, and alter through human thought and action. Bellah and Joas have assembled diverse scholars to guide us through this astonishing efflorescence of religious and philosophical creativity. As they explore the varieties of theorizing that arose during the period, they consider how these in turn led to utopian visions that brought with them the possibility of both societal reform and repression. The roots of our continuing discourse on religion, secularization, inequality, education, and the environment all lie in Axial Age developments. Understanding this transitional era, the authors contend, is not just an academic project but a humanistic endeavor.