Practical Religion

How much religion among many members of churches consists of nothing but church rituals! They belong to their church. They are baptized, married, buried in at the church, and preached to on Sundays by her ministers, but the great doctrines of truth have no place in their hearts and only a little influence on their lives. Is the religion of these people real Christianity? No, it is Churchianity – and nothing more!

Clear, concise, and penetrating, Practical Religion contains a series of writings about the daily duties, dangers, experiences, and privileges of all who profess and call themselves true Christians. Ryle explains that a "practical religion" is not a religion of works, but rather one in which those who are saved can put their faith into practice.

Paganism for Beginners: A Modern Guide to Nature-Based Spirituality, Pagan Rituals, and the Old Gods is your comprehensive introduction to the fascinating world of Paganism. Whether you're curious about earth-based religions, searching for a deeper spiritual connection, or ready to start your own Pagan path, this guide offers everything you need to take the first steps with confidence. This easy-to-follow book explores the core beliefs of Paganism, its ancient roots, and the many modern traditions practiced today—including Wicca, Druidry, Heathenry, Hellenic Polytheism, and Eclectic ...

In this collection of essays and articles, key members of Google’s Site Reliability Team explain how and why their commitment to the entire lifecycle has enabled the company to successfully build, deploy, monitor, and maintain some of the largest software systems in the world. You’ll learn the principles and practices that enable Google engineers to make systems more scalable, reliable, and efficient - lessons directly applicable to your organization.

Preparing to Die is for anyone interested in learning how to prepare for death from a Buddhist perspective, both spiritually and practically. It is also for those who want to learn how to help someone else who is dying, both during the time of illness and death as well as after death.

The Critique of Practical Reason was published in 1788, seven years after Immanuel Kant's major work, Critique of Pure Reason. In it, Kant sets out his moral philosophy - and it proved a seminal text in the history of the subject. He argues that the summum bonum (the highest good) of life is...

Using his own understanding and study of Scripture, J.C. Ryle consolidates, organizes, and explains this learned wisdom in The Duties of Parents. Broken up into 17 principles, perfect for devotional use, this resource provides advice, guidance, instruction, reminders, and tools for parents who desire to raise children who not only know God but who can also develop their own relationship with Him and live according to His Word. Preparing a Biblical foundation is the desire of all God-fearing parents, and Ryle’s words and Biblical insights help inspire and encourage this exact path.

Why are you drawn to Kabbalah? Are you a beginner trying to understand what Kabbalah can do for you? Are you trying to understand Jewish mysticism? Are you confused about what Kabbalah is and is not? Are you looking for answers to some of life’s deepest questions? Are you seeking a deeper connection with the Divine? Explore the mystical teachings of Kabbalah in this book designed to guide the beginner or the confused. Whether you seek personal growth or a deeper understanding of the universe, this book is your gateway to the life-changing secrets of Kabbalah. Start your journey now.

David K. Bernard investigates the theology of holiness, provides historical perspectives on practical holiness issues, and delves into topics such as dress, hair, marriage and divorce, abortion, and astrology.

We don't have to lose the next generation to culture. In this practical guide, John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle explore questions including: What unseen undercurrents are shaping 21st-century youth culture?Why do so many kids struggle with identity? How do we talk to kids about same-sex marriage and transgenderism? How can leaders steer kids away from substance abuse and other addictions? With biblical clarity, this is the practical go-to manual to equip kids to rise above the culture.

When circumstances in our life change, many of us are left feeling uncertain and uneasy. From pandemics to natural disasters, from personal traumas to workplace issues, we often find ourselves at a crossroads—hurting, blindsided, and confused about what to do. Michelle McKinney Hammond knows all about life’s curveballs. She’s caught plenty of them. But when she was visiting England for some speaking engagements and the world suddenly went into lockdown mode because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was taken by surprise along with the rest of us. It was time for her to shift gears. Again.

Carl Jung on Religion: God, Symbols, Faith, Mysticism, and the Psychology of Spiritual Experience offers a practical introduction to Jung’s view of religious life for readers who want clarity rather than jargon. Jung did not treat religion as a side issue in human psychology. He saw it as a central expression of the psyche, visible in prayer, ritual, dreams, myth, moral struggle, and the search for meaning. This book explains that approach in direct language, showing how Jung read spiritual experience neither as simple dogma nor as illusion, but as something psychologically real and often...

The New Thought and Occult Revival Explained: A Practical Guide to Hermeticism, Spiritualism, Mysticism, Manifestation, and Metaphysical Religion shows how a cluster of religious and esoteric movements reshaped spiritual life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Instead of treating the period as a blur of vague occult interests, this book focuses on the specific ideas that drew readers, healers, lecturers, and seekers: mental causation, spiritual healing, prosperity teaching, mediumship, mystical experience, initiation, and the belief that hidden laws governed both mind and...

Carl Jung and Ancient Egypt: Archetypes, Symbols, Myth, and the Psychology of the Unconscious examines why Jung turned to ancient Egyptian myth, ritual, and imagery when thinking about the deeper structure of the psyche. It gives readers a clear introduction to Jung’s central ideas, including archetypes, the collective unconscious, and symbolic thinking, then applies them to specific Egyptian materials rather than speaking in broad generalities. The result is a focused guide to how Egyptian religion can be read psychologically without losing its strangeness, richness, or symbolic power. ...

Hans Vaihinger Explained: The Philosophy of As If, Useful Fictions, Science, Truth, and Human Understanding introduces a philosopher best known for a simple but far-reaching claim: people often think and act by using ideas that are not literally true, yet remain useful. Vaihinger called these ideas fictions, not because they are careless inventions, but because they help people reason, calculate, judge, and cooperate. This book explains his philosophy of “as if” in direct language, showing how it applies to science, mathematics, morality, law, religion, and everyday thought. The ...

Clifford Geertz Explained: Culture, Symbols, Thick Description, and the Interpretation of Human Behavior introduces one of anthropology’s most widely read interpreters of culture with a focus on the ideas and case studies that made his work matter. Geertz argued that human behavior cannot be understood by listing rules, instincts, or social functions alone. People live inside shared systems of meaning, and those meanings shape how they joke, pray, celebrate, obey, compete, and display status. This book explains that argument in plain language, showing why Geertz treats culture as ...

What is meditation? Why practice it? Which techniques are best? How do I do it? The answers to these often-asked questions are contained in this down-to-earth book, making it of enormous value for anyone who wishes to begin and maintain a meditation practice. Written by a Western Buddhist nun with solid experience in both the practice and teaching of meditation, How to Meditate contains a wealth of practical advice on a variety of authentic techniques.

Imagine being stuck on a crazy merry-go-round that won't stop. You're spinning endlessly, unable to focus or catch your breath. This is the reality for many children today, caught in the frantic pace of life. Forces beyond their control rush them along, moving so fast that there's little room for God in their thoughts or on their calendars. They're left struggling to establish roots in community, reliable morals, or any kind of relationship with God.

Manly P. Hall Explained: A Practical Guide to Esoteric Philosophy, Symbolism, Hermeticism, Freemasonry, Ancient Mysteries, and The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a clear introduction to Hall’s ideas for readers who want substance rather than mystique. Hall’s work brings together ancient myth, religious symbolism, moral philosophy, initiation, and the search for hidden order in human life, but his books often overwhelm new readers with dense references and sweeping claims. This guide helps readers make sense of his project by placing his life, sources, and central themes in plain view. ...

The Neuroscience of Religion: Ritual, Mystical Experience, Meditation, Symbolism, and the Brain’s Search for Meaning examines how religious life is built from attention, emotion, memory, embodiment, and social connection. It asks why ritual actions calm the nervous system, why prayer and meditation can alter awareness, and why sacred symbols and stories can feel charged with significance. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and the study of religion, the book explains how the brain detects agency, forms beliefs, responds to pattern and repetition, and turns experience into meaning. The ...