Transcendence And Mystery

Binding the Ghost is both manifesto and example of a new variety of reading that centers a theological perspective in considering what literature actually does. Neither dogmatic nor apologetic, sectarian or denominational, this mode of reading acknowledges the inherently charged strangeness of writing and fiction, whereby authors have the ability to seemingly create entire universes from words alone. Ed Simon considers the theological depth, resonance, and mystery of the acts of reading and writing. His lyrical, incisive essays cover subjects such as the incarnational poetics of reading a physical book as opposed to reading online, the historical relationship between monotheism and the development of the alphabet, how the novel and Protestantism developed interiority within people, the occult significance of punctuation, and the functional similarities between poetry and prayer. Binding the Ghost presents a humane sacralization of reading and writing that takes into account the wonder, enchantment, and mystery of the very idea of poetry and fiction.

A travel guide to the inner realm of spirit. It is the flipside of magick: personal spiritual development, also known as mysticism or mystery. Respected occultist Nema explores our human desire and need for transcendence and how to go about achieving it. The Way of Mystery guides you to the inner realms, providing information on landmarks, pitfalls, and ways of navigating them. It's a practical and pragmatic manual for pursuing metaphysical truth, based in both Eastern (chakra) and Western (Qabalistic) teachings. When you've experienced high levels of spirituality, it guides you by explaining what to do next. It ends with two versions of the short book of mystical revelation for which Nema is famous in magical circles. Selling Features •A guide to solitary contemplative spirituality, using the techniques of magick to complement the way of the mystic •Written by one of the most important occultists in the world today, whose writings have influenced many top occultists and writers •A nondenominational guide to transcendence without the need for a personal guru/teacher•Reveals the nature of the soul through self-experience, and presents drugless methods of altering consciousness

This work focuses on a reality central to each human life and basic to every branch of theology; namely, the immanent transcendence of God. This study begins by exploring that theme of mystery hidden yet revealed from the perspective of the interrelationship of transcendence, self-actualization and creative expression. The book goes on to describe the interplay of those three elements in the lives and the works of,Thomas Merton, monk and writer, and Georgia O'Keeffe, artist. People from a wide variety of backgrounds and traditions will find this study a stimulating source of insight for their spiritual quest.

The question of the transcendence of God has traditionally been thought in terms of the difference between pantheism, which affirms that God is wholly "within" the world, and theism, which affirms that God is both "within" and "outside" the world, both immanent and transcendent. Against Heidegger's critique of onto-theology and the general postmodern concern for respecting and preserving the difference of the other, Merold Westphal seeks to rethink divine transcendence in relation to modes of human self-transcendence. Touching upon Spinoza, Hegel, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, Aquinas, Barth, Kierkegaard, Levinas, Derrida, and Marion, Westphal's work centers around a critique of onto-theology, the importance of alterity, the decentered self, and the autonomous transcendental ego. Westphal's phenomenology of faith sets this book into the main currents of Continental philosophy of religion today.

In The Mystery and the World, Maria Clara Bingemer explores how the place of religion in society has dramatically shifted since the Enlightenment. The modern era is characterised by a major change in humanity's fundamental desires that means that reason has taken the place of faith. Human beings, in their ongoing search for a scientific understanding of the world, have drifted away from seeking any essence of transcendence in their lives. Bingemer examines this transition and how, especially inthe postmodern era, it has led to technology and superficial happiness becoming all-important as opposed to the more sacred sense of contentment that governed us for centuries prior to the Enlightenment. In her discussion, however, Bingemer demonstrates that we as humans have not lost our innate desire to believe in a higher power and that, even in our world of instant satisfaction, we still need to fill the void left by religion. Through well-researched analysis of the modern era and discussion of some of the mystics of more recent times, she reveals to readers how our religious belief, whilst changed, is not dead and is still an important aspect of our existence.