Religion Books

THE ALTAR OF MY SOUL: The Living Traditions of Santeria
by Marta Moreno Vega. Condition: NEW 2000 One World-Ballantine hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), second printing. Content: The religion of African slaves sustained itself in the Caribbean by hiding in plain sight, by melding with dominant Christianity to form Santeria, "the religion of the saints." Like vodun, from neighboring Haiti, this new world religion has been demonized and sensationalized, but today, some 75 million are thought to be practicing Santeria's reverent rituals to the ancient Yoruba divinities or orishas . Through their stories and rites, Vega, a priestess and scholar of Santeria, reveals those gods, from the creator god Oludumare to the passionate Yemaya and the creative Shango to each person's own Ori. She also unfolds her own journey from a childhood during which Santeria rituals were never discussed to her early search for teachings, to her current embracing of the tradition of her people and of her own soul. Engaging, scholarly, and accessible, this is an excellent book for nonspecialist collections and a must-have for libraries whose patrons demand material about alternative religions. [1 copy left]
$ 14.89 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

COSMOS, CHAOS AND THE WORLD TO COME:
The Ancient Roots of Apocalyptic Faith
by Norman Cohn. Occasional B&W drawings. Condition: NEW 1999 Yale University Press Trade Paperback reprint. Tiny, tiny edgewear. Content: Cohn explores the origins of the central conviction common to all apocalyptic beliefs--that the future will bring a final struggle between the forces of good and evil that will bring an end to conflict and allow the establishment of a new era of peace, prosperity, and happiness on earth. The author displays his usual mastery of the material and the almost magisterial command of both the historical period and the relevant phenomena that has earned Cohn his much deserved reputation. [This book is much better classified as "comparative religion."] [3 copies availaable]
$ 9.89 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

A DELUSION OF SATAN: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials
by Frances Hill. Intro by Karen Armstrong. B&W maps and a B&W document and photo section. Condition: Gently pre-read to page 46 and abandoned, 1999 Da Capo Press Trade Papaerback, third printing. Edge wear to the front cover fore edge with light tanning to white cover borders. No tanning to the interior pages. Content: Almost everyone knows something about the infamous Salem witch trials, but few are privy to the chilling details that Hill, a British novelist and journalist turned scholar, reveals in her superb and boldly analytical study. Hill documents every grim particular of this travesty of justice and terrifying example of the power of suggestion, from the very first accusations to the last brutal executions. As Hill tells the all but unbelievable tale about how a group of girls accused innocent women from all walks of life of practicing witchcraft, thus instigating a year of mass hysteria and causing the death of 25 people, she emphasizes the harshness, sterility, and repressiveness of seventeenth-century New England Puritan life. It's no coincidence, Hill asserts, that Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, and Elizabeth Hubbard began having their dramatic fits in the dead of winter and in the wake of serious political and economic conflicts. The mystery is why allegedly responsible adults eagerly embraced and ruthlessly acted on their wild claims. Hill's astute psychological insights offer cogent explanations for this moral breakdown, but no interpretation can diminish the horror. And Hill reminds us that "witch-hunts are still with us." Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 6.79 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

DOGMA (DVD)
by Lions Gate Films. Condition: NEW (still shink-wrapped) 2001 Lions Gate DVD. Includes a Bonus Digital copy for PC & PSP. Content: [One of the best movies ever made, IMHO.] WARNING: Language, language, language - wow! Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways Dogma is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... subpar. Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 6.50 + $ 3.09 first class shipping

DRUM & CANDLE: First-Hand Experiences and Accounts of Braxilian Voodoo and Spiritism
by David St. Clair. B&W photo section plus B&W charts and drawings illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1971 Doubleday hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition stated. Problem is the DJ - edge wear with tiny nics and rubbings along the front & back spine - and, price-clipped to boot. Content: Reviewer: The first couple of pages of David. St. Clair's book read like a critical review of Brazilian religion and spirituality. He asks questions about the educational background of practitioners, about superstitions, poverty, African influences...he starts this book as a critic, not as a "believer". What follows is a man's amazing journey through various Brazilian traditions - Spiritusm, Candomble, Umbanda and Quimbanda and not to forget "spirit healing" which in Brazil is sometimes not associated with any other practice! David. St. Clair writes in a clear and honest way. He is not afraid to ask himself in the course if this book many times "is this really happening?" Whan you have finished the book, you will see that David. St. Clair's atitude towards Brazilians and Brazilian spirituality has completelly changed. He accepts it, makes use of it, embrases it and - judging from the end of the book - might even practize it! Don't scream "Ignorance" if you have not read this book but are only put off by the titel. It is excellent, entertaining, refreshing and genuine - unlike some "modern day experts" who are now writing about the subject!" Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 9.50 + $ 3.19 first class shipping

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD (Problems of Philosophy Series)
edited by John Hick. Condition: UNREAD 1964 edition Macmillan paperback first printing. Tiny edgewear & very pale tanning to page edges. Excellent copy. Content: The principal philosophical arguments on the existence of God are brought together here. From the ancient Greeks and Anselm to the present-day and Bertrand Russell, both sides are respected. First come the contributions of Western philosophers to the five arguments traditionally used to prove that God exists; then come the basic challenges to them; and finally the recent writings that probe what it means to assert that God exists. Excellent selections. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 5.50 + $ 2.89 media shipping.

FAMOUS TRAVELLERS TO THE HOLY LAND: Their Personal Impressions and Reflections
compiled by Linda Osband. B&W maps (with a pull-out map) with B&W era drawings and photos. Introduction by Jan Morris. Condition: UNREAD, but perused on the shelf, 1989 Prion (London) hardcover & DJ (in myular jacket), asumed first impression. Light tanning to DJ edges. The DJ has been taped in place, most likely to protect the pull-out map. Content: This is a wonderful book - for both history and religon. From medieval times to the late 19th and early 20th century, the Holy Land was an ignored province of the Ottoman empire and a province of Syria. Suddenly in the 19th century, Western travellers began to make their way to "Palestine." Here are the famous travellers beginning in roughly 1951: J.T. Barclay, Gertrude Bell, James Silk Buckingham, Caroline of Brunswick, Vicomte de Chateaubriand, Robert Curzon, James Finn, William Holman Hunt, Charles Leonard Irby, Horation Herbert Kitchener, Alphonse Marie Louis de Lamartine, T.E. Lawrence, Edward Lear, John Macgregor, Sir Moses Montefiore, Laurence Oliphant, Edward Robinson, Prince rudolph of Austria, Lady Hester Stanhope, Arthur Penbryn Stanley, John Lloyd Stephens, William Makepeace Thackeray, Henry Baker Tristram, Mark Twain, Comte de Volney, Charles Warren, and Sir William Wilde. Fascinating read! [1 copy available]
$ 7.39 + $ 3.39 media shipping. International shipping available on arrangement - email us.

OUR IMMORAL SOUL: A Manifesto of Spiritual Disobedience
by Rabbi Nilton Bonder. Condition: UNREAD 2001 Shambhala hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, assumed first printing. Content: Making use of diverse sources such as evolutionary psychology and Hasidic lore, Rabbi Bonder inverts the usual "body/soul" definitions. For Bonder, it is not the evil flesh that seduces the moral soul; rather, it is the soul, in its desire to evolve, that encourages the body to break accepted mores. Bonder argues that religious conformity does not lead to spiritual maturity, which is attained instead through a thoughtful rebellion against the status quo. So, for example, "Adam and Eve were apes until this act of disobedience [eating of the Tree of Knowledge] marked the advent of consciousness," and the biblical Abraham founded Judaism by abandoning his home in "civilized" Ur a betrayal in his countrymen's eyes. The results are intriguing, with Bonder posing moral dilemmas involving everything from the causes of anti-Semitism to infidelity in marriages. Some questions remain, however. Moral or not, the mind or soul, not the body, is usually seen as the human "decision-making" faculty, but Bonder's insistence on the mind/body tension does not identify who or what is doing the choosing. And if conventional morality is the sole purview of the body, how does one distinguish between "genuine" evolutionary impulses and willful licentiousness? Other points seem far-fetched, such as the prediction that "the Human Genome Project will map the soul" using uncertainty principles similar to those in quantum physics. Nevertheless, Bonder's method can provoke a worthwhile examination of commonly held religious values. [1 copy available]
$ 3.50 + $ 3.09 media shipping.

THE PASSOVER PLOT: New Light on the History of Jesus
by Dr. Hugh J. Schonfield. Condition: UNREAD, but sure not perfect, 1981 Bantam paperback, 23rd printing. Pale shelfwear hinge crease, edgewear. Interior clean & tight but tanning. Content: When this book was first published, it was a bombshell to traditional religion - Christianity and Judaism alike. Although it was near-heretical in its day, some of the ideas of this book are considered mainstream today. Reviewer: "It was Schoenfeld's specualtion that Jesus faked his crucifixion that made this a hot best-seller in its day, but the virtues of the book lie in the meticulous and persuasive scholarship that underlie the sensational element. Schoenfeld is particulary good at explaining what it means to understand Jesus as a Jew, a fact given lip service but rarely understood by Christians. Also outstanding is his analysis of the differing theological conceptions and aims of the four gospel authors, and how their religious views shaped their versions of the story. His idea that Jesus deliberately set out to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies and become the Messiah is interesting and plausible. One needn't accept his highly speculative passover plot theory of just what happened on that first Easter to get quite a lot out of this excellent work." BTW, Schonfield was not some sort of "nut" - Born in London in May, 1901, Dr. Schonfield was an eminent historian, biblical archaeologist and best-selling author. A scholar of unrivalled repute in the field of the Jewish origins of Christianity, he was one of the greatest popularisers of ideas of our time.Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 3.50 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

MYTH, RITUAL & RELIGION (Volume 1)
by Andrew Lang. Condition: UNREAD 1995 Senate Trade Paperback, no printing given. Originally published in 1887. Tanning to page edges with tiny edge wear. Content: This book provides a fascinating survey of humankind's ritualistic past before traditional beliefs and customs had began to suffer under the weight of more "rational" forms of thought. This volume is principally concerned with the rich and diverse myths of creation - of humans, the world and the cosmos - drawing on the experience of many differing peoples at various stages of developemnt. Myths from Greece, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 7.29 + $ 3.19 media shipping,

RELIGION AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT: From Descartes to Kant
by James M. Byrne. Condition: NEW 1997 Westminster John Knox Press Trade Paperback, first pritning. Content: Reviewer: "If you're looking for a book on the Enlightenment and religious and philosophical thinkers in the Enlightenment that takes seriously that thinkers' ideas emerge in response to historical context, this one is great. Clearly written and not overloaded with technical theological and/or philosophical terms, the author helps readers understand the mutual relation between historical context and thinkers -- how both shape each other. Very suitable for courses on Modern Christian Thought." Questions welcome. 1 copy available]
$ 7.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

SACRED SEXUALITY (The Sacred Arts series)
by A T Mann & Jane Lyle. Color photos througout. Condition: NEW 1995 Elements (UK) large softcover, first American printing. Simply beautiful color photos - some of artwork you may not have seen before. Content: Not all history has been written on the battlefield--there's been plenty of world-shaping action taking place in the boudoir as well! In this sizzling survey of sexuality and sexual mythology from around the globe, you'll find out how the pursuit of carnal pleasures and sensuality has played a pivotal cultural and historic role, from explaining humankind's origins to defining group morality and achieving communion with the divine. Meticulously researched text and hundreds of color photographs and illustrations expose the full spectrum of our sacred sexuality and its impact on civilizations and cultures across the ages. Egyptian fertility rites, Tantric Buddhism and sexual imagery in the Roman Empire are all featured. The sensual legends of such cultures as the Hindus, Greeks and Celts reveal yet another extraordinary link in the chain that binds us together as sensual beings whose highest expressions of ecstasy are grounded in the ultimate questions of existence and renewal. Interesting chapters on The Celts and the Aztecs. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 12.50 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

SEARCH FOR SODOM AND GOMORRAH: A True Adventure in the Dead Sea
by Ralph E. Baney. B&W photos & maps. Color decorations. Condition: UNREAD 1963 CAM Press soft cover, no printing given. Light edge wear with pale hinge shelfwear hinge creases front and back hinges. Interior clean & tight. Content: While this book details the search for the fabled twin evil cities of the Bible almost 50 years ago, the informati on and processes of the time still make this compelling reading. [1 copy available]
$ 3.50 + $ 3.19 media shipping. Priority & International shipping available.

The SIGN AND THE SEAL (Lost Ark of the Covenant)
by Graham Hancock. Four B&W photo sections. Condition: NEW 1993 Touchstone Trade Paperback, 13th printing. Content: The History Channel has a program based on Hancock's book and they still show it periodically. It's great! Look for it! Not only is this book history, religion, & archeology, but adventure and mystery as well. "The fact of the Lost Ark of the Covenant is one of the grant historical mysteries of all time. To believers, the Ark is the legendary vesel holding the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Bible contains hundreds of references to the Ark's power to level mountains, destroy armies, and lay waste to cities. The Ark itself, however, mysteriously disappears from recorded history sometime after the building of the Temple of Solomon. After ten years of searching through the dusty archives of Europe and the Middle East, as well as braving the real-life dangers of a bloody civil war in Ethiopia, Graham Hancock has succeeded where scores of others have failed. This intrepid journalist has tracked down the true story behind the myths and legends -- revealing where the Ark is today, how it got there, and why it remains hidden. Part fascinating scholarship and part entertaining adventure yarn, tying together some of the most intriguing tales of all time -- from the Knights Templar and Prester John to Parsival and the Holy Grail -- this book will appeal to anyone fascinated by the revelation of hidden truths, the discovery of secret mysteries." [608 pages] [1 copy available]
$ 12.50 + $ 3.49 media shipping.

SIGNS & SYMBOLS OF PRIMORDIAL MAN: The Evolution Of Religious Doctrines From The Eschatology of the Ancient Egyptians
by Albert Churchward. Intro by Dr. John Henrik Clarke. B&W photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1994 A&B Trade Paperback, second printing. Light edge wear with 3 very pale impressions front cover. Content: Reviewers: "African people developed signs and symbols as a way of communicating and delivering messages. It is most unfortunate that most people who today are members of secret societies have no in-depth knowledge of the history of the society and the unifying role it played in the early intellectual life of the Nile Valley." "In order to gain a true conception of the origin & evolution of Freemasonry, its Signs, Symbols, and all its Rituals & Ceremonies, one must have also a knowledge of the origin & evolution of the Human Race, with all the Totemic Mysteries performed in Sign Language by Primitive Man. The author will teach knowledge of the Periodic Laws of the corpuscles, The Divine Laws of the Universe, for the reader to understand how and why progressive evolution is constantly and for ever taking place to reach that "higher type of Homo." and "Churchward was strait [sic] to the point that civilization came from Africa. He also traces the origins of his fraternal order of Masonry to ancient Egypt and also explaining the African origins of their signs and symbols." A complicated & detailed work. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 27.89 + $ 3.39 media shipping. Priority & International shipping available.

STAIRWAYS TO HEAVEN: Drugs in American Religioius History
by Robert C. Fuller. J. F. Hardy cover photo. Condition: UNREAD 2000 Westview Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first ediiton, first printing. Content: This book explores the historical link between mind-altering substances and religious experience in the United States. From Native Americans' use of tobacco for solemnizing oaths to the spread of New Age religious beliefs in Haight-Ashbury coffeehouses, drugs have been intimately associated with American spirituality. Fuller illustrates how such substances as peyote, jimson weed, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, marijuana, wine, and coffee have stimulated ecstatic revelations of spiritual truth and strengthened the social bonds that sustain communities of faith. The book deftly moves from historical examples to an engaging consideration of the legal, ethical, and spiritual controversies that surround drug use in contemporary America. Clearly written and accessible, Stairways to Heaven is a significant scholarly review of the relationship between religion and drugs in America. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 10.50 + $ 3.29 media shipping.