Ocean State Libraries

Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Karen Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality. While noting that the changing face of the world has necessarily changed the importance of religion at both the societal and the individual level, she makes a powerful, convincing argument for drawing on the insights of the past in order to build a faith that speaks to the needs of our dangerously...

A preeminent scientist—and the world's most prominent atheist—asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11.
With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments...

This book is a compelling argument for Christianity that equips believers like never before. The goal of God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty is straightforward: to help readers develop "a faith that is real and credible -- and strong enough to help others find faith in God." To that end, Rice Broocks outlines a roadmap that guides seekers to acknowledge the most basic truths of Christianity: There is overwhelming and exciting...

Provides insight into the question of how to deal with human suffering and death.

Martin Buber's I and Thou has long been acclaimed as a classic. Many prominent writers have acknowledged its influence on their work; students of intellectual history consider it a landmark; and the generation born after World War II considers Buber one of its prophets. Buber's main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways: (1) that of the “I” toward an “It,” toward an object that is separate in itself, which we either use...

The author explores "such mysteries as religious awakening, ecstasy, genius, telepathy, multiple personality, and clairvoyance" and explains the "seven biological responses that correspond to seven levels of divine experience ... [which] are shaped not by any one religion (they are shared by all), but by the brain's need to take an infinite, chaotic universe and find meaning in it."--Jacket.

n Deepak Chopra's powerful, groundbreaking, and imaginative new work, a unique blend of storytelling and teaching, the" New York Times" bestselling author explores the evolution of God. By capturing the lives of ten historical prophets, saints, mystics, and martyrs who are touched by a divine power, Chopra reveals a riveting portrait of a constantly changing God. Our belief--and therefore God itself--transforms with each passing century. In this new...

This is a book about God. Not just any god, but the god that created Adam and Eve; the god of Abraham, the god of the Jews; the god of the Christians; and the god of Islam, without a doubt, the most influential figure in the history of human civilization. But, what do we really know about him? Who is he? Where did he come from? What does he look like? What sort of character does he have? What, if anything, does he eat? Does he have a family? In...