For God S Sake

Four Australian thinkers come together to ask and answer the big questions, such as: What is the nature of the universe? Doesn't religion cause most of the conflict in the world? and Where do we find hope? We are introduced to the detail of different belief systems - Judaism, Christianity, Islam - and to the argument that atheism, like organised religion, has its own compelling logic. And we gain insight into the life events that led each author to their current position. Jane Caro flirted briefly with spiritual belief, inspired by 19th century literary heroines such as Elizabeth Gaskell and the Brontë sisters. Antony Lowenstein is proudly culturally, yet unconventionally, Jewish. Simon Smart is firmly and resolutely a Christian, but one who has had some of his most profound spiritual moments while surfing. Rachel Woodlock grew up in the alternative embrace of Baha'i belief but became entranced by its older parent religion, Islam. Provocative, informative and passionately argued, For God's Sake encourages us to accept religious differences but to also challenge more vigorously the beliefs that create discord.

If you’ve ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in life, this book is for you. The lives of an intensely-driven basketball coach, an ultra-successful CEO, and an unassuming janitor all intersect in this captivating parable about leadership, relationships, and the pursuit of success. An unforgettable story packed with profound truths, LEAD . . . for God’s Sake! will challenge you to think deeply about who you are as a leader, what success means to you, and why you do what you do. Whether you’re leading a business, a team, or your own family, this book is the first and most important step to becoming the leader you were meant to be.

What does God say about the arts? Can you be a Christian and an artist? How do the arts impact your church? The creation sings to us with the visual beauty of God's handiwork. But what of man-made art? Much of it is devoid of sacred beauty and is often rejected by Christians. Christian artists struggle to find acceptance within the church. If all of life is to be viewed as "under the lordship of Christ," can we rediscover what God's plan is for the arts? Philip Graham Ryken brings into sharp focus a biblical view of the arts and the artists who make art for God's sake. This is a concise yet comprehensive treatment of the major issue of the arts for all who seek answers.

An adman constantly strives to connect market research data to insight on a winning campaign. Ambi Parmeshwaran has developed a fascination for how Indians are getting more religious but also more consumption driven. Combining his thirty- year experience as an adman with a lifelong passion for religious studies, Ambi seeks to answer questions like: • Why has the bindi disappeared from advertisements? • How did Akshaya Trithaya become such a big deal? • What makes Lord Shiva so cool? • How did a Chennai-based department store start the New Year's Sale phenomenon? • Are Muslims more open-minded shoppers? • Why do people who have no interest in using an MBA degree still get an MBA degree? • How did the Manusmriti do a disservice to Hindu women? • What can Harvard Business School learn from the Kumbh Mela? Ambi has filled this book with personal stories, anecdotes, lessons and excerpts from research and other publications. This book is a treat for anyone interested in how religion has evolved and how clever marketers have ridden the wave by tailoring their products and services.

Any place you open this book will provide you with opportunities for growth and healing. This exquisite book of meditations gently directs the reader to see the gift of self in an entirely new and beautiful light. It presents a spirituality of self-love not based on narcissism, but as a response to the divine invitation to self-nurturing. "My hope is that this book can serve to remind us that loving ourselves is the link between loving God and loving others, and it is for God\'s sake that we do all three." From the New Preface to this edition

This is the – all too true – story of one person’s tragi-comic quest for spiritual enlightenment. Having given up on the (entirely godless) realm of would-be smart London restaurants, he journeyed widely (and frequently wildly) through India, China, Tibet, and parts of West Yorkshire. He also worked for various would-be deeply spiritual organisations. This unflinching quest for truth – incorporating walk-on parts for everyone from Marianne Faithfull to the Dalai Lama – led, not entirely unexpectedly – to a far from enlightened descent into alcoholism and misery. Having sobered up, and grown up (a bit), our hero began to ponder: what is really at the heart of all this spiritual carry-on anyway? And can it be of any use, given the challenges we face? What if we’re all for it anyway? What’s the appropriate response –spiritual or otherwise, to that? All good questions For God’s Sake is spirituality without the usual self-help smugness, written by a normal, flawed human being, in the hope of engaging a similar audience. It deals with serious themes of spiritual development, and the role this might play in our current environmental crisis – all in the form of a heartfelt, and often very funny personal memoir.

27 Quakers from 13 Yearly Meetings in four countries tell how they combine committed membership of the Religious Society of Friends with rejection of traditional belief in a transcendent, personal and supernatural God. For some of these 'nontheist' Friends, God is no more (but no less) than a symbol of the wholly human values of 'mercy, pity, peace and love'. For others, the idea of God and 'God-language' has become an archaism and a stumbling-block. Readers who seek a faith or world-view free of supernaturalism, whether they are Friends, members of other traditions or drop-outs from old-time religion, will find themselves in the company of a varied group whose search for an authentic 21st century understanding of religion and spirituality has led them to declare themselves 'Godless - for God's Sake'.

It's time to grow up...so that we can fulfill God's purposes for us and for our generation! For too long we've been spiritual children clinging to our mother's leg, refusing to go to school on the first day. Here David Ravenhill, son of the late Leonard Ravenhill and a seasoned pastor himself, challenges the Body of Christ to put away childish things and to mature in the things of God. There is a world that needs to be won to Christ!