Reclaiming The Sacred

One of the essential books of our time, Reclaiming the Sacred draws on the work of thousands of psychologists and economists, cosmologists and activists, saints and poets, to ground us in our inherent joy, purpose, and belonging-both for our own sakes and the sake of the world. It starts with an overview of the science of happiness, highlighting the things that most nourish human well-being-and some that don't, most notably money and possessions. It goes on to examine the ways money nonetheless hooks so many of us, and the profound consequences our materialism has for us and the world-most critically the global climate crisis. And then it goes beyond all of that, diving into the very heart of ourselves and the world, taking us on an exhilarating journey-both scientific and mystical-of reclaiming the sacredness of ourselves and this gorgeous world. This book elevates our existence, and lays an essential foundation for transcending this most critical era in human history.

"This is a carefully crafted piece of social history that broadly revises widely held preconceptions about ideological currents in the French Revolution. The issues it raises go beyond those that might appeal only to specialists in communal action and religion; historical sociologists and sociologists of culture will also find this to be an important and provocative study."--American Journal of Sociology

Nobody imagined that a democratic struggle by ordinary Muslim women would hit patriarchy at its core and yield a great step forward towards gender justice. The ‘Haji Ali Case’ not only challenged the patriarchy within the Muslim community but it also created space for an alternative voice which was desperately trying to speak the language of equality, justice, and democracy. This struggle created space for an open debate on women’s rights and religion. A Muslim woman is a world citizen today. She has all the right to lead the change not just for herself or her community but for all humankind. This book captures the struggle to reclaim sacred spaces from patriarchal forces and hopes to inspire other similar movements led by women.

Indigenous religion(s) are afterlives of a particular sort, shaped by globalising discourses on what counts as an indigenous religion on the one hand and the continued presence of local traditions on the other. Focusing on the Norwegian side of Sápmi since the 1970s, this book explores the reclaiming of ancestral pasts and notions of a specifically Sámi religion. It connects religion, identity and nation-building, and takes seriously the indigenous turn as well as geographical and generational distinctions. Focal themes include protective activism and case studies from the art and culture domain, both of which are considered vital to the making of indigenous afterlives in indigenous formats. This volume will be of great interest to scholars of Global Indigenous studies, Sámi cultural studies and politics, Ethnicity and emergence of new identities, Anthropology, Studies in religion, and folklore studies.

Sexuality is our given capacity to celebrate life, a capacity that was diminished by Indo-European invaders who gave women to be the property of their husbands. That cultural imbalance remains today. Reclaiming orgasm as a powerful means of celebrating life will heal and empower us. Reclaiming the Sacred Source is a valuable story, both of one woman and of all women, and their journey of losing connection with the power of their sacred sexuality and a path forward to regaining it.

From Walt Disney World to the movie Natural Born Killers, this book explores uncommon indicators of the spiritual in contemporary art and culture. Drawing on a diversity of perspectives in philosophy and aesthetics to highlight conscious and unconscious manifestations of the sacred in art, this work makes a compelling case for its continued contemporary relevance. Contributors include Andrew Doerr, Melissa E. Feldman, Cher Krause Knight, Debra Koppman, Janice Mann, Dawn Perlmutter, Crispin Sartwell, and Susan Shantz.

When you reclaim the Divine Feminine, you create a world where women are fully empowered, living passionately and being loved in extraordinary ways. This book is dedicated to the awakening of every Soul to their full potential as emissaries of light and love, to the surrender of Ego to its rightful place as servant, to Spirit to the sacred expression of our sexuality as a path to enlightenment, to the intimate union of the Divine Feminine with the Sacred Masculine.

This edited volume explores the intersection of spirituality with childbirth from 1800 to the present day from a comparative perspective. It illustrates how over this time period in much of the world, traditional practices, home births, and midwives have been overshadowed and undermined by male dominated obstetrics, hospitalization, and ultimately the medicalization of the birthing process itself.