Learning Religion

An inspirational guide to the key junctures in life that, if navigated with faith and discernment, pave the way for us to become our most courageous selves, by the bishop of the famed Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C.

Ten of the Bible's best-known femmes fatales parade across the pages of Bad Girls of the Bible with situations that sound oh-so-familiar. Eve had food issues. Potiphar’s wife and Delilah had man trouble. Lot’s wife and Michal couldn’t let go of the past, Sapphira couldn’t let go of money, and Jezebel couldn’t let go of anything. Yet the woman at the well had her thirst quenched at last, while Rahab and the sinful woman left their sordid histories behind.

We all need inspiration to lead lives that honor God. When our faith is weak or the pressures of the world seem overwhelming, remembering the great men and women of the past can inspire us to renewed strength and purpose. Our spiritual struggles are not new, and the stories of those who have gone before can help lead the way to our own victories.

Pico Iyer has made more than one hundred retreats over the past three decades to a small Benedictine hermitage high above the sea in Big Sur, California. He’s not a Christian—or a member of any religious group—but his life has been transformed by these periods of time spent in silence. That silence reminds him of what is essential and awakens a joy that nothing can efface. It’s not just freedom from distraction and noise and rush: it’s a reminder of some deeper truths he misplaced along the way. In Aflame, Iyer connects with inner stillness and joy in his many seasons at the monastery.

Are you ready for a detailed yet thoroughly enjoyable study of the most profound book ever written? Using sound scientific facts, historical analysis, and Biblical narrative, acclaimed teacher Dr. Chuck Missler weaves together a rich tapestry of information - providing an accurate understanding of Scripture's relation to itself, to us, and to the world at large. Examine the heroic tales of Exodus, the lasting wisdom of Proverbs, or even the enigmatic imagery of Revelation with the simple, sound insights and fresh perspectives found in Learn the Bible in 24 Hours.

A Million Thoughts shows how to meditate correctly, how to practice various styles of meditation and how to become proficient in the many yogic practices that will lead to the final stage of Samadhi—the ultimate spiritual self-fulfillment.

To the Christian's in Rome, the Apostle Paul says "I am eager to preach the gospel to you who are at Rome." (Romans 1:15). Evidently, Christians need to hear the gospel even after conversion: and A Gospel Primer for Christians is designed to help you do just that. By showing how you can preach the gospel to yourself each day, this book will help you savor the glories of God's love and experience the life-transforming power of the gospel in all areas of life.

As a parent, you want to send your children into the world with healthy minds and vibrant faith. You want to develop a strong foundation for them. But in our fast-paced, outcome-based, technologically driven society, it's easy to lose sight of the innocence, potential, and uniqueness of each child. Childlike wonder can become lost in the fog of formulas that view children through the distorting lens of social expectations. Gain confidence in your role as a God-designed guide and teacher for your children....

What if intimacy with God doesn't begin with us knocking at God's door but with God knocking down ours? In Learning to Be Loved, author and Spoken Gospel CEO David Bowden and Hobby Lobby's Mart Green remind us that spiritual growth starts not with our giving but with our receiving. Learning to Be Loved unites biblical rigor and personal experience to show that intimacy with God isn't based on our ability to connect with him—but on all the ways he is constantly connecting with us.

Throughout history, countless women have boldly stepped out in faith and courage, leaving their indelible mark on those around them and on the kingdom of God. In lively prose, Michelle DeRusha tells their stories, bringing into focus 50 incredible heroines of the faith. From Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, and Anne Hutchison, to Susanna Wesley, Harriet Tubman, and Corrie ten Boom, women both famous and admirable live again under DeRusha's expert pen.

In Love Is a Choice, best-selling doctors Robert Hemfelt, Frank Minirth, and Paul Meier walk you through their 10 proven stages to recovery from codependency that results from external circumstances. Humans are susceptible to codependency because of our sinful tendency to use defense mechanisms to fool ourselves. In codependent relationships, deceitful games are played, and important Christian principles are often taken out of context and abused.

Let’s be real. Homemaking is harder than we thought it’d be. Others make it look easy, but we end the day exhausted with so much left to do. We feel unprepared. This book will shift your perspective on homemaking and guide you through six steps to competently and cheerfully manage your home.

In this groundbreaking book, one of America's premier religion writers revives ancient expressions through cultural commentary, vulnerable personal narratives, and surprising biblical insights. Both provocative and liberating, Learning to Speak God from Scratch will breathe new life into your spiritual conversations and lure you into the embrace of the God who inhabits them.

There is an Enemy among us. You may know who he is, but you may not know what he is about. Do you know how he wages war? Do you know how he targets you specifically? He's the Villain who wants to change your story in the hopes you live isolated, powerless, discouraged, and defeated. If you're weary from the struggle and ready to experience life as God intended, this book will help you explore the tactics of Satan, equip you to overcome spiritual battles, and remind you of the victory already secured through Jesus.

Tara Brach is an in-the-trenches teacher whose work counters today's ever-increasing onslaught of news, conflict, demands, and anxieties - stresses that leave us rushing around on auto-pilot and cut off from the presence and creativity that give our lives meaning. In this heartfelt and deeply practical audiobook, she offers an antidote: an easy-to-learn four-step meditation that quickly loosens the grip of difficult emotions and limiting beliefs.

Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, published in 34 languages and one of the most far-reaching artist-psychoanalyists of our time, teaches that in archetypal imagination, "Mother Night is the quintessential medial woman, the woman who can walk in two worlds... 'the one who knows' and who can reveal solid ways of living and unleashing creative life in both worlds."

For the past 30 years, Deepak Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution in the West. Total Meditation offers a complete exploration and reinterpretation of the physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual benefits that this practice can bring. Deepak guides listeners on how to wake up to new levels of awareness that will ultimately cultivate a clear vision, heal suffering in your mind and body, and help recover who you really are.

Ask and It Is Given is certainly a book about our ''asking'' being answered by all-that-is. But it's primarily about how whatever we're asking for is being given to us - and it's also the first book to ever, in such clear terminology, give us the simple practical formula for how to ask for, and then how to receive, whatever we want to be, do, or have. Decades ago, while searching for plausible answers to my never-ending quest to know what ''it'' is all about, I discovered the word ineffable (meaning ''incapable of being expressed in words'').

As parents, we deeply desire the best for our kids. We look for the right preschool, teach them to read, and get them involved in extracurriculars. We take our job as parents seriously. But are we also putting our time and energy into teaching them the Bible? Leading our kids to life through Scripture is not only doable, it's an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is studying God's word as a family doesn't have to be hard or overly time-consuming.

From the New York Times best-selling author of An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor’s Learning to Walk in the Dark provides a way to find spirituality in those times when we don’t have all the answers. Taylor has become increasingly uncomfortable with our tendency to associate all that is good with lightness and all that is evil and dangerous with darkness. Taylor asks us to put aside our fears and anxieties and to explore all that God has to teach us “in the dark.”