Pacaritambo

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]
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THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MIDDLE EASTERN MYTHOLOGY & RELIGION
by Jan Knappert. B&W maps. Condition: Gently pre-read 1993 Element hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), no printing given. No problems, just pre-read. Content: The author explains mythologies and concepts of the various living and ancient religions of the Middle East, the cradle of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha'i, Zoroastrianism, and Egyptian, Sumerian, and Babylonian mythologies. The introduction explains the geography, ancient and modern peoples, religions and their gods and spirits, and myths of the Middle East. The entries are in alphabetical order by "common English forms with variant spellings given immediately." There are some see references from these variations, but they are not consistently given. The average entry is a paragraph in length; some are a page, some a sentence. Scriptural citations are included where appropriate. The six-page bibliography lists both popular and scholarly titles. There are entries for persons (Idris, Lilith), things (Olive Tree, Phoenix), places (Persia, Gehenna), and concepts (Predestination, Resurrection). Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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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]
$10.50 + $ 2.89 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

HISTORY OF MYSTICISM: The Unchanging Testament
by S. Abhayananda. B&W photos illustrate. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1996 ATMA Press Trade Paperback, third revised edition, no printing given. Problem: personal stamp bottom title page. Content: Reviewer: "Although the former Stan Trout (now known by the who-knows-how-you-pronounce-it Sanskrit name of Swami Abhayananda) leans toward the philosophical schools of India, he is certainly not close-minded. He surveys the thought of 40 people who throughout history have had mystical/idealist experiences, covering pagan (which only means "country-dweller"), Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Taoist experiences. Although all are superficially different, all are the same in their essentials: there is an Ulimate Reality (call it by whatever name you wish) that creates the visible universe, and that it can be experienced by anyone who wishes it. I can't remember seeing another collection that is as encyclopadic as this one: there are descriptions that range from the early Egyptians to Meister Eckhart. Whether you agree with him or not, he certainly has done his homework, and produced quite a detailed and informative book." Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE NEW REVISED SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOKS OF MOSES and THE MAGICAL USES OF THE PSALMS
by Johann Scheibel. Edited by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. B&W drawings & photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1991 Original Publications Trade Paperback, second printing. Content: Originally written in 1849 by German author Johann Scheibel. A work long hailed by occult masters as a valuable tool in the study and practice of Kabalistic magic. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 7.69 + $ 3.19 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

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]
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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]
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THE RETURN OF THE LIGHT: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice
by Carolyn McVickar Edwards. Cover art & B&W decorations by Kathleen Edwards. Condition: NEW 2000 Marlowe & Company soft cover, third printing. Remainder mark bottom edge at spine. Content: The winter solstice, the day the "sun stands still," marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year (it occurs either on December 20 or 21). Celebrations honoring the winter solstice as a moment of transition and renewal date back thousands of years and occur among many peoples on every continent. This book makes an ideal companion for everyone who carries on this tradition, no matter what their faith. Storyteller Edwards retells twelve traditional tales - from North America, China, Scandinavia, India, Africa, South America, Europe, and Polynesia-that honor this magical moment. These are stories that will renew our wonder of the miracle of rebirth and the power of transition from darkness into light. "Each story is a glimpse into the imagery and mysteries of another culture-from a female Santa Claus in Italy to a girl marrying the sun in Africa, to the North American Raven creating light. Read the stories one day as a meditative journey or read them to your kids, or read one after another. They tell of an inner journey too, the universal journey from light to dark and back to light again. As Carolyn says, myths are the soul stories of a particular culture. Each of her commentaries creates a tone, paints the landscape, and deepens our journey through these other worlds. Wonderful stories for the holidays or for any day of the year." -ELLIE FIDLER M.F.A.," Questions welcome. 1 copy available]
$ 10.49 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

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]
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THE SATANIC WITCH
by Anton Szandor LaVey. Intro by Zeena LaVey. B&W charts. Condition: UNREAD 1989 Feral House Trade Paperback, updated and expanded edition, no printing given. Tiny, pale "spot" fore edges. Content: This is the classic guide to using and interpreting the black arts for seduction and manipulation. This new updated and expanded edition fills readers in on the final days of LaVey and the latest from the Church of Satan, and includes a new introduction by the church’s current leader. The book empowers its readers with a series of workable formulas, which in an instant surpass the entire catalogue of self-help tomes and New Age homilies. Questions welcome. 1 copy available]
$ 6.49 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO BIBLICAL MYSTERIES
by Robert W. Faid. Condition: NEW 1995 New Leaf Trade Paperback, first printing. Light "smudged" remainder dog fore edges. Interior perfect. Content: This book studies questions Bible scholars and lay people alike have had for centuries. Faid examines a wide variety of fascinating subjects, including the Star of Bethlehem and Genesis, etc. Faid is careful in his presentation of theories of biblical mysteries, while always uplifting the power and majesty of God. Written to provoke thought and discussion, this book attempts to answer both well-known and obscure questions from God's Word. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 4.39 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

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]
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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]
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THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE: Being the Gifford Lectures on Natural Religion Delivered in Edinburgh 1901 - 1902
by William James. Foreword by Jacques Barzun. Condition: UNREAD 1958 Signet reissue edition, 24th printing (c. 1990). Content: When William James went to the University of Edinburgh in 1901 to deliver a series of lectures on "natural religion," he defined religion as "the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine." Considering religion, then, not as it is defined by--or takes place in--the churches, but as it is felt in everyday life, he undertook a project that, upon completion, stands not only as one of the most important texts on psychology ever written, not only as a vitally serious contemplation of spirituality, but for many critics one of the best works of nonfiction written in the 20th century. Reading this book, it is easy to see why. Applying his analytic clarity to religious accounts from a variety of sources, James elaborates a pluralistic framework in which "the divine can mean no single quality, it must mean a group of qualities, by being champions of which in alternation, different men may all find worthy missions." It's an intellectual call for serious religious tolerance -- indeed, respect -- the vitality of which has not diminished through the subsequent decades. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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