The Paradox Of Damian

The Paradox Of Damian is about love and family...but I'm open for argument. Some will argue that 'The Paradox Of Damian' is about hate. And I understand...after all a lot of people die in this book. If I have to argue, I think that one of my arguments will be for one to study the parables that dom the pages of the great spiritual book called the Bhagavad Gita; a book studied by such as the likes of a Albert Einstein.It was the great Mahatma Ghandi who called the Bhagavad Gita "Spiritual Mother." In essence I believe that the main characters in 'The Paradox Of Damian'kill out of love and not hate. The Paradox Of Damian' touches on politics. My personal opinion is that one's politics doesn't matter. If the underline theme in one's heart isn't about love, then they probably shouldn't read this book...there are many millions more to read. And last but certainly not least, if in this new millennium one is racist, or are offended by gay people, or both, then you probably shouldn't read this book-there are many books out there for you too. Rather one reads this book or not, thanks for reading period. May the Universe always bless you

THE COMMON CASE OF DAMIAN VONGCIR After five years of working at Landmark bank, Damian Vongcir was at the height of his career. He was pleased with his job and his life, believing it was taking the path that was meant for it until a single event changed the picture. A banking relationship he had introduced had been used to defraud the government. The bank moved to protect its own reputation and he was to take the fall. All of his past glory and good deeds no longer mattered. He was the villain. While he waited for his fate, his marriage which had been overshadowed by his timeless devotion to his work was nearing the precipice. At that point he began to harbour doubts about the career path he has chosen. By a stroke of fortune his luck turned. He struck a big deal that sent shock waves through the bank. It was like bringing home the Holy Grail and suddenly he was loved again. In the revelry of his accomplishment he fell into a brief moment of reflection from which he found the truth that freed him from all his fears. He must then make an inevitable decision- between work and family, fear and happiness.

St Peter Damian (1007-1072) is an exceptional example of a paradox that is found in many saints and thinkers through the ages (St Jerome, St Bernard, St Bridget of Sweden, St Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton come to mind) – of a lifelong tension between two competing vocations: the call to solitude and holiness and the call to prophetic social and ecclesial engagement. The author has explored this tension throughout his adult life, both in his published work and in his own life as an Episcopalian/Anglican priest and later bishop. Damian’s “The Book of ‘The Lord be with you’” is a profound exploration of the spirituality of solitude, whereas his “Book of Gomorrah” is an intense attack on clerical sexual abuse which has helped to give Damian a new recent prominence in the light of the huge challenges facing the Church today. The Bonds of Love shows that the paradox at the heart of Damian's life and everything he cared about was rooted in the remarkable theology of love which finds expression across the whole of his work and gives it both coherence and dynamism. His life and spirituality are of far more than academic interest, and will make a major contribution, not only to those committed to ecclesial reform and renewal, but to all who struggle to live with the kind of competing tensions that made St. Peter Damian who he was.

Intro -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- One: Italy at the Millennium -- Two: Establishing Fundamental Principles -- Three: The Mature Theologian -- Four: Standards for Church Reform -- Five: Renewal of Religious Life -- Six: Reflections on Secular Society -- Concluding Remarks -- Appendixes -- Appendix 1: Subject Index to the Writings of Peter Damian -- Appendix 2: Addresses of the Letters of Peter Damian -- Appendix 3: Subject References and Topics in Peter Damian's Sermon and Letters -- Appendix 4: Biblical Citations in Peter Damian's Letters -- Bibliography -- Index.

Prayer and Thought in Monastic Tradition presents a chronological picture of the development of monastic thought and prayer from the early English Church (Bede, Adomnan) through to the 17th Century and William Law's religious community at King's Cliffe. Essays interact with different facets of monastic life, assessing the development and contribution of figures such as Boniface, the Venerable Bede, Anselm of Canterbury and Bernard of Clairvaux. The varying modes and outputs of the monastic life of prayer are considered, with focus on the use of different literary techniques in the creation of monastic documents, the interaction between monks and the laity, the creation of prayers and the purpose and structure of prayer in different contexts. The volume also discusses the nature of translation of classic monastic works, and the difficulties the translator faces. The highly distinguished contributors include; G.R. Evans, Sarah Foot, Henry Mayr-Harting, Brian McGuire, Henry Wansbrough and Rowan Williams.

William Gerber has matched his keen analysis of the key problems concerning God with a wealth of reflections from the wisdom of the ages. Thus, he has gotten the great thinkers of the world to work for him - and for you [...] This handy book has considerable value as a reference work while giving abundant thought to the reflective reader who wonders about God. Philosophy as an art of wondering must face the God questions. These are questions not only of God's existence, but of what God might exist as, of how we might know that, and of what such a God's relationship to human beings may be. Reading through this book is journeying through our humanity caught in a universe of wonder [...] Gerber's comments - critical, gentle, eminently reasonable - are a consolation as well as guide to the reader. Even if this work of erudition and inquiry doesn't answer all our questions about God, we are better human beings for reading it and taking it to heart. Maybe God could learn something about us from it too. - Robert Ginsberg, Executive Editor

In recent years numerous scholars in disciplines not traditionally associated with theology have promoted an interesting thesis. They maintain that one particular Christian doctrine, the Incarnation, had an inordinate influence on the shape of Western culture. The doctrine, they say, was so radical that it mandated an epistemological break with pagan society's perception of the universe and forced Christians to form a new culture. As medieval society worked out the consequences of the doctrine, it gave birth to those attitudes, institutions, and actions that define modern Western culture. The claims are well argued, but it is a historically untested thesis. How the Doctrine of Incarnation Shaped Western Culture is a response to the situation. It investigates whether the presence of the doctrine had the definitive effect on Western culture that so many scholars claim it did. It searches early Christian and medieval sources for evidence and concludes that the doctrine had a dominant effect on the developing culture. No other idea was as omnipresent or pervasive in Western society during its formative stage as the Incarnation doctrine. The doctrine was influential in the establishment of every major facet of Western culture. Its paradox, irrationality, and juxtaposition of opposites created a tension that cried out for resolution, and society responded accordingly. The ideas within the doctrine acted as catalysts for cultural change. As a result, the West developed its most characteristic traits and forged a path that was uniquely its own.

John Jennings (b. 1970) is perhaps best known for his collaboration with Damian Duffy on the New York Times bestseller and Eisner Award–winning graphic novel adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Kindred. However, Jennings is also a graphic designer and comic book scholar who, throughout his career, has conducted several interviews that shed light on the importance of Black Speculative narratives. The most enlightening of his interviews are brought together in John Jennings: Conversations. As a collective these interviews explore folklore, systemic racism, his Mississippi roots, and the phrase Jennings cocreated, the Ethnogothic. Jennings discusses the necessity for black heroes, not just for the sake of diversity, but for inclusiveness, touching on the conventions he has cofounded, such as the Schomburg Center’s Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem. He addresses the struggle to be financially compensated for work, and he speaks at length about how being a professor informs his craft where he continues to examine black stereotypes in popular culture with courses of his own design. As a group the interviews in John Jennings: Conversations give a picture of a black man forging a way where comic books have afforded him a means to carve out an important space for people of color.