Devotional Sovereignty

Devotional Sovereignty: Kingship and Religion in India investigates the shifting conceptualization of sovereignty in the South Indian kingdom of Mysore during the reigns of Tipu Sultan (r. 1782-1799) and Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (r. 1799-1868). Tipu Sultan was a Muslim king famous for resisting British dominance until his death; Krishnaraja III was a Hindu king who succumbed to British political and administrative control. Despite their differences, the courts of both kings dealt with the changing political landscape by turning to the religious and mythical past to construct a royal identity for their kings. Caleb Simmons explores the ways in which these two kings and their courts modified and adapted pre-modern Indian notions of sovereignty and kingship in reaction to British intervention. The religious past provided an idiom through which the Mysore courts could articulate their rulers' claims to kingship in the region, attributing their rule to divine election and employing religious vocabulary in a variety of courtly genres and media. Through critical inquiry into the transitional early colonial period, this study sheds new light on pre-modern and modern India, with implications for our understanding of contemporary politics. It offers a revisionist history of the accepted narrative in which Tipu Sultan is viewed as a radical Muslim reformer and Krishnaraja III as a powerless British puppet. Simmons paints a picture of both rulers in which they work within and from the same understanding of kingship, utilizing devotion to Hindu gods, goddesses, and gurus to perform the duties of the king.

New from Best-Selling Author John Piper From Genesis to Revelation, the providence of God directs the entire course of redemptive history. Providence is "God's purposeful sovereignty." Its extent reaches down to the flight of electrons, up to the movements of galaxies, and into the heart of man. Its nature is wise and just and good. And its goal is the Christ-exalting glorification of God through the gladness of a redeemed people in a new world. Drawing on a lifetime of theological reflection, biblical study, and practical ministry, pastor and author John Piper leads us on a stunning tour of the sightings of God's providence—from Genesis to Revelation—to discover the allencompassing reality of God's purposeful sovereignty over all of creation and all of history. Piper invites us to experience the profound effects of knowing the God of all-pervasive providence: the intensifying of true worship, the solidifying of wavering conviction, the strengthening of embattled faith, the toughening of joyful courage, and the advance of God's mission in this world.

In the late nineties, Pastor Ernest Easley received difficult news from his doctor: a throat cancer diagnosis. This diagnosis would be enough to cause any individual to fear for one’s life and to worry about whether or not tomorrow would be seen. But for Pastor Easley, this diagnosis, though tragic, would be an opportunity to learn to rest in the Sovereignty of God. Now more than twenty years later, the cancer is gone, but the lingering effects of forty-four radiation treatments have left him with a withering voice. His doctors have said the damage that has been done may or may not ever heal. He will be a preacher who cannot preach. Yet, we still find a man whose trust and reliance upon God has allowed him to know that even if he cannot speak or preach about God, that does not mean that God has lost his sovereignty. He is still Lord. And even more so, Pastor Easley has Scripture to remind him that he is not the first who has had to come to terms with God’s sovereignty. In Resting in God’s Sovereignty, readers will find not only the wisdom of a seasoned pastor who has learned the goodness that comes from trusting the Lord, but they will also discover ten biblical figures who trusted in the Lord as well.

The book presents a novel defense of the beneficial epistemic effect that extra logical features can have on the assessment of religious arguments.

Families today are busy, and it's tough to make time for devotions. Parents want to pass on their faith to their children, but sitting down doing a devotion workbook might not be feasible or desirable for them. But everyone needs to eat! What if making time to dive into God's Word together could be the same as getting ready for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? The Family Cookbook Devotional combines family devotion time with the everyday experience of cooking and enjoying food together as a family. Each Weekly Devotion Includes: 1 fun, easy-to-do recipe for kids to follow (with simple ingredients and step-by-step instructions)--adults are the helpers! Easy-to-understand devotion to practically connect the recipe to the Bible lesson Memory verse 7 days of devotions (including discussion questions and prayers) Prayer prompts to use all week (before meals, at bedtime, etc.) Each devotion starts out with a fun, delicious treat for families to create together in the kitchen. This is not a complicated book of recipes for adults to make, but rather a fun activity book for kids to cook with them! The recipes are simple enough that even young children can participate, not just standing and watching. From cakes being baked to creating your own popsicle recipe, there are treats and snacks to delight kids of all ages. After the recipe is complete, families will read the devotion, learning from the Word of God by actually diving into and using their Bibles. Each devotion also includes scripted discussion time. Key Features: Flexible: Whether you're headed to the grocery store or just working with what you already have, pick any devotion or work through the book in order. Practical, Interactive Applications: Dive into a hands-on devotion, perfect for even the shortest attention spans, that helps illustrate Bible values to kids' lives in real ways they can understand. Fun and Healthy!: Enjoy having an exciting collection of recipes that have simple ingredients you can pronounce and includes a mix of fruit, veggies, grains, and more! Also includes fun dessert recipes as a treat! Short, Easy-to-Understand Devotions: Enjoy short devotions and memory verses that get straight to the point and are clear. These devotions are powerful and meaningful for older children and easy enough for even the youngest kids. Age-Appropriate: The recipes are simple enough that even young children can participate, rather than stand and watch adults cook. Safety instructions are available for when adults need to pitch in! 3 Easy Steps to Using The Family Cookbook Devotional Each devotion starts with you in the kitchen, making something together as a family, while serving up the Word of God. Pick any weekly devotion or work through the book in order! Start with the Day 1 devotion, where you will be making something yummy then tying it to the Word of God. Talk about the devotion using the provided discussion questions, go over the week's memory verse, then pray together. Spending time in the Word is that simple! The rest of the week will be based upon the Day 1 cooking devotion. You'll work on memorizing the same verse, all week, but each day will have different discussion questions and a sample prayer. Use the sample prayer, or pray in your own words using the prayer prompts from Day 1. Covers 50 Easy-to-Do Recipes with Bible Lessons across 4 Key Topics: Knowing God Homemade Pizza (The Foundation of God's Word) Root Beer Slushies (God Is a Miracle Maker) Breakfast Roll-Ups (God Is Our Comforter) Faith Foundations Confetti Krispies (Made to Praise) Rock Candy (The Rock of the Church) Chocolate Cake in a Mug (The Forgiveness of Sins) Christian Living Bird in the Nest (Give Your Worries to God) Sweeter than Honey Parfaits (Psalm 119:103) Fruity Earth Pie (Proclaim the Gospel) Holiday Devotions Easter Marshmallow Lamb Pretzels (The Perfect Lamb) Christmas Wreath Treats (Jesus Gives Everlasting Life) Thankful Harvest Popcorn Praise (In Everything Give Thanks)

Explores the contemporary nature and the diverse narratives, rituals, and performances of the Navar?tri festival. Nine Nights of the Goddess explores the festival of Navarātri—alternatively called Navarātra, Mahānavamī, Durgā Pūjā, Dasarā, and/or Dassain—which lasts for nine nights and ends with a celebration called Vijayadaśamī, or "the tenth (day) of victory." Celebrated in both massive public venues and in small, private domestic spaces, Navarātri is one of the most important and ubiquitous festivals in South Asia and wherever South Asians have settled. These festivals share many elements, including the goddess, royal power, the killing of demons, and the worship of young girls and married women, but their interpretation and performance vary widely. This interdisciplinary collection of essays investigates Navarātri in its many manifestations and across historical periods, including celebrations in West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. Collectively, the essays consider the role of the festival's contextual specificity and continental ubiquity as a central component for understanding South Asian religious life, as well as how it shapes and is shaped by political patronage, economic development, and social status.

"What brings religious scholars Constance Furey, Sarah Hammerschlag, and Amy Hollywood together in Devotion is a shared conviction that "reading helps us live with and through the unknown." For them, the nature of reading raises questions fundamental to how we think about our political futures and modes of human relation. Each essay suggests different ways to characterize the object of devotion and the stance of the devout subject before it. Furey writes about devotion in terms of vivification, energy, and artifice; Hammerschlag in terms of commentary, mimicry, and fetishism; and Hollywood in terms of anarchy, antinomianism, and atopia. They are interested in literature not as providing models for ethical, political, or religious life, but as creating the site in which the possible-and the impossible-transport the reader, enabling new forms of thought, habits of mind, and modes of life. Ranging from German theologian Martin Luther to French-Jewish philosopher Sarah Kofman to American poet Susan Howe, this volume is not just a reflection on forms of devotion, it is also an enactment of devotion itself"--

In the last few years, 9/11, a tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and many other tragedies have shown us that the vision of God in today's churches in relation to evil and suffering is often frivolous. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, many Christians are choosing to become more shallow, more entertainment-oriented, and therefore irrelevant in the face of massive suffering. In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, contributors John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, Steve Saint, Carl Ellis, David Powlison, Dustin Shramek, and Mark Talbot explore the many categories of God's sovereignty as evidenced in his Word. They urge readers to look to Christ, even in suffering, to find the greatest confidence, deepest comfort, and sweetest fellowship they have ever known.