Lord Of The Senses

Dictionaries have multiple definitions for both the word common and the word sense/senses. Together, they represent all of humanity, along with the animal functions of hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste. Several years ago, Victoria participated in a women's retreat. The theme was "Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God." The scripture reference was Psalm 34:8, which has become a favorite of hers. She says of the retreat, "It changed my writing, and in several ways, it changed my thinking, my life." Take a walk through Eden, as Eve makes a choice that changed lives forever. Sit on a grassy pond bank and watch the meandering of a small flock of sheep. Let your heart feel the love of a young, new mother holding her hours-old, tiny son. Feel the wind tearing through trees as Elijah hides from God in a cave. Smell the perfume. Hear the whispers of men as a woman dares to intrude and anoint the feet of Jesus. See their shock when he tells her, "Your sins are forgiven." Hear a child's long-awaited first, "I love you," to his mother--understand and feel her inexpressible joy. Walk with Victoria through experiences both biblical and personal, as she explores some of the ways God has used his gifts of senses to work in people--past, present, and for all of time to come. Come. Taste and see.

From the forest-fringed suburbs of Oslo to the bustling heart of Bombay; from the timeless banks of the Ganges to the never-closing nightclubs of Berlin, this collection of short stories by gay Indian-Norwegian author Vikram Kolmannskog captures a headily contemporary sense of what it is to be queer, cosmopolitan, spiritual and sexual. "[C]aptures the essence of the gay Indian experience - funny, sensual, heartbreaking, and exhilarating, all at the same time." - Udayan Dhar (founding editor, Pink Pages India) "[A] spine-tingling exploration of what it means to be a young, gay, defiantly sexual and spiritual man navigating complex identities with a sense of fluidity. A sexy, gorgeously crafted collection." - Diriye Osman (Fairytales For Lost Children) "A joyous read. Many queer folks and people of Indian origin are going to connect with these stories." - Sukdeev Singh (founding editor, Gaylaxy magazine) "The characters... negotiate prejudices, disappointments, and multiple identities of nationality, religion, caste, and sexual orientation, making this personal, poignant, and entertaining collection... a commentary on life itself." - Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar (The Adivasi Will Not Dance; My Father's Garden & more) "Indian contemporary issues and nuances like casteism, politics, sexuality, poverty, devotion and renunciation blossom in these tales... that speak unabashedly of same-sex love and lust." - Vasudhendra (Mohanaswamy) "[A] distinctive, original voice. Written with love and precision and honesty, these sincere, sensitive, intimate stories quickly become addictive." - Rajeev Balasubramanyan (Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss)

Read God’s Intangible Senses as a way to explore your own senses and learn how they really connect us all as family in the eyes of our Savior. Understand how the power of prayer can govern our outlook and can offer a different view of situations. Instead of living a disappointing life, why not expose your emotions and attempt to see we are all connected as one by Christ? Dominate your feelings and examine your own soul. It may be unfamiliar territory, though. Keep in mind and know that angels keep a close watch over us and give us support and aid. Observe that we are all of the same “skin” and invent a new perspective and “grip” on your relationships as you find out we are all the same in God’s eyes. Brokenness can actually open many doors and create an explosion of senses. Let it be a blessing and let it change you for the good. Investigate what you can do for someone else to make them smile. We are all longing for acceptance and approval. Prayer and the presence of God on your “team” can immensely alter a perspective and “color” your world again. Overrule all of your negative senses, pray to our Lord, our God, and obtain an uplifting attitude that relays that everything is for the best.

Is it possible to see, hear, touch, smell and taste God? How do we understand the biblical promise that the 'pure in heart' will 'see God'? Christian thinkers as diverse as Origen of Alexandria, Bonaventure, Jonathan Edwards and Hans Urs von Balthasar have all approached these questions in distinctive ways by appealing to the concept of the 'spiritual senses'. In focusing on the Christian tradition of the 'spiritual senses', this book discusses how these senses relate to the physical senses and the body, and analyzes their relationship to mind, heart, emotions, will, desire and judgement. The contributors illuminate the different ways in which classic Christian authors have treated this topic, and indicate the epistemological and spiritual import of these understandings. The concept of the 'spiritual senses' is thereby importantly recovered for contemporary theological anthropology and philosophy of religion.

This book articulates a theory of Catholic tradition that departs from previous understandings. Drawing on the medieval concept of the four-fold sense of scripture, John Thiel proposes four interpretive senses of tradition. He also offers a theory of doctrinal development that reconciles Catholic belief in apostolic authority and continuity of tradition with a critical approach to the evidence of history.