The Sacred Bridge

Of all the writings held sacred by the world's religions, only the Bible presents a message linked to geography. This is not just the location of religious centers but the experience of a people in its land, a people that has insisted on its God-given right to self-identity throughout the ages and in defiance of all forces that sought to deny it. All Jews and Christians who profess to find the source of their faith in these Scriptures look to the experiences of that people depicted in the Bible as examples and role models for their search after the Divine will and for their moral conduct among men. The religious experiences of that ancient people took place in relation to a geographical setting, generally a small postage stamp on the face of the globe, a patch of terrain in the southern part of the eastern Mediterranean littoral. The Bible is replete with geographical information, not as a guidebook for travelers or a textbook on geography, but often almost incidental to the message. Yet without the geography, that message is often obscured or vitiated for the uninformed reader. The present atlas seeks to introduce the reader to the geographical elements that can help to make real the social, historical and spiritual experience of the People of the Book. - Publisher.

"This is the first full-length comparative study of the music of the Christian and Jewish liturgies. It is designed to show the liturgical and musical interdependence of Church and Synagogue during the first millennium of the Christian era and to highlight the series of cultural exhanges between East and West that occurred during those centuries. With a wealth of scholarly evidence, the author tells the story of the development of the Christian forms of worship, both Eastern and Roman. At the same time he explains the modifications made in Jewish ceremonies and rituals, in areas where Jews and Christians lived side by side, with resulting exchange in both directions, from Church to Synagogue as well as from Synagogue to Church. Professor Werner first examines Jewish practices of worship at the time of the beginnings of Christianity and then traces the spread and modifications of these ancient Jewish, and even pre-Jewish, conceptions of sacred music and ritual as they were adapted by various Christian groups. Historical, philological, and musicological scholarship is used to discover the complex interrelationship between Christian and Hebraic elements in prayer books, poetry and psalmody, hymns, devotional music, and all the other aspects of sacred liturgy. Professor Werner has used many sources previously neglected and has reexamined those already available. Scholars of theology, liturgy, and music, and historians as well, will find much that will stimulate further research, and all interested in the formation of the religions of the West will stand to profit from this scholarly work on the interplay of two great religious movements." --Jacket.

Most of the papers included in this volume were first presented at a conference convened by the Friends of Mount Athos at Madingley Hall, Cambridge, in 2003. Mount Athos is the principal surviving centre of Orthodox monasticism and the spiritual heart of the Orthodox world. The aims of the conference were to draw attention to the historic importance, the spirituality, and the religious legacy of the Holy Mountain and to shed light on the contribution made by Athonite monasticism not only to worldwide Orthodoxy but also to Christianity at large. Many of the papers focus on particular individuals who from the fourteenth century to the twentieth have exemplified the spiritual traditions of Athos and whose memory as spiritual fathers, confessors, and ascetics continues to inspire their successors today.

Don’t miss the TV series, Dark Winds, based on the Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito novels, now on AMC and AMC+! NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A fine legacy series . . . in the spirit of her late father, Tony.”—Booklist An ancient mystery resurfaces with ramifications for the present day in this gripping chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman. Sergeant Jim Chee’s vacation to beautiful Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell has a deeper purpose. He’s on a quest to unravel a sacred mystery his mentor, the Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, stumbled across decades earlier. Chee’s journey takes a deadly turn when, after a prayerful visit to the sacred Rainbow Bridge, he spots a body floating in the lake. The dead man, a Navajo with a passion for the canyon’s ancient rock art, lived a life filled with many secrets. Discovering why he died and who was responsible involves Chee in an investigation that puts his own life at risk. Back in Shiprock, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is driving home when she witnesses an expensive sedan purposely kill a hitchhiker. The search to find the killer leads her to uncover a dangerous chain of interconnected revelations involving a Navajo Nation cannabis enterprise. But the evil that is unleashed jeopardizes her mother and sister Darleen, and puts Bernie in the deadliest situation of her law enforcement career.

Don’t miss the TV series, Dark Winds, based on the Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito novels, now on AMC and AMC+! New York Times Bestseller “Fans of Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito, characters created by the author’s father, Tony Hillerman, will savor this multilayered story of suspense, with its background of contemporary environmental vs. development issues.” — Library Journal A deadly bombing takes Navajo Tribal cops Bernadette Manuelito, Jim Chee, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, back into the past to find a vengeful killer in this riveting Southwestern mystery from the bestselling author of Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock with Wings. When a car bomb kills a young man in the Shiprock High School parking lot, Officer Bernadette Manuelito discovers that the intended victim was a mediator for a multi-million-dollar development planned at the Grand Canyon. But what seems like an act of ecoterrorism turns out to be something far more nefarious. Piecing together the clues, Bernadette and her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, uncover a scheme to disrupt the negotiations and inflame tensions between the Hopi and Dine tribes. Retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn has seen just about everything in his long career. As the tribal police’s investigation unfolds, he begins to suspect that the bombing may be linked to a cold case he handled years ago. As he, Bernadette, and Chee carefully pull away the layers behind the crime, they make a disturbing discovery: a meticulous and very patient killer with a long-simmering plan of revenge. Writing with a clarity and grace that is all her own, Anne Hillerman depicts the beauty and mystery of Navajo Country and the rituals, myths, and customs of its people in a mystery that builds on and complements the beloved, bestselling mysteries of her acclaimed father, Tony Hillerman.

If you're feeling lost, disconnected, or longing for something more, join bestselling authors John Eldredge and Brent Curtis as they explore the greatest love of our lives: our faith. The Sacred Romance invites us to find the peace and purpose we crave by slowing down, asking questions, and deepening our relationship with God. Eldredge and Curtis believe that modern Christians have lost touch with our hearts. We've left that essential part of ourselves behind in the pursuit of efficiency, success, and the busyness of our lives. The Sacred Romance will guide you through a journey to getting to know yourself and your creator even better, asking you: What is this restlessness and emptiness I feel, sometimes after years into my Christian journey? How will my spiritual life touch the rest of my life? What is it that is set so deeply in my heart, that simply will not leave me alone? When did I stop listening to God’s leading? The Sacred Romance is a journey of the heart. It is a journey full of intimacy, adventure, and beauty, that will guide you to your fondest memories, your greatest loves, your noblest achievements, and even your deepest hurts--but the reward is worth the risk.