LITMIR.BIZ

As a result of his controversial works criticizing the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church, Tolstoy was excommunicated in 1901, dismissing the event lightly as he continued his search for a practical religion. «A Confession and Other Religious Works» is the product of years of introspection, resulting in a drastic reorientation of Tolstoy's beliefs and values. He felt undeserving of the wealth and fame he had accumulated, while millions around him were illiterate and afflicted, and therefore sought an acceptable faith wherein he could find the answers to life's most profound questions. In this autobiographical work of exceptional emotional honesty, he records his various attempts to find those answers in areas of science, philosophy, eastern wisdom, and the opinions of his fellow novelists. As a result of this process, Tolstoy recognizes in ordinary people a deep religious conviction, in which he may find the true answers to questions without which life, to him, is impossible. This collection includes Tolstoy's «Confession» as well as the following three other religious essays: «What is religion? and What is its Essence?», «Religion and Morality», and «The Law of Violence and The Law of Love.»

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Here is presented Cicero's theological exposition, «The Nature of the Gods», in which the ancient Roman philosopher reflects upon the philosophical questions of religion. «He was, he says, urged to them as a means of relief from the irksome political inactivity to which he was reduced by the supremacy in the state of Julius Cæsar, and he also hoped to find in them a distraction from the grief caused him by the death of his daughter Tullia. He felt, too, that for the sake of the national credit it was right that the philosophy of Greece should be brought before his countrymen in their own tongue, and in the case of the special branch of philosophy discussed in the 'De Natura' he had another and more pressing motive. For it was necessary there to consider those theological questions the answers to which determined the character and even the possibility of religion, and therefore, in his opinion, of morality as well.»

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The «Mahabharata» tells the narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pandava princes who are part of it. Along with the «Ramayana» it is one of two Sanskrit epics of ancient India. The authorship of the work is generally attributed to Vyasa, who is also a major character in the epic. Intermixed within the descriptions of conflict between the warring factions of this epic are numerous philosophical digressions and discussions of Hinduism. One of the more famous of these digressions is the «Bhagavad-Gita», a battlefield conversation between Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide Lord Krishna on a variety of theological and philosophical issues. Also included within the «Mahabharata» are the story of «Damayanti» and «Rishyasringa,» often considered as works in their own right. This sweeping epic, the longest every written in Sanskrit, is widely considered as one of the most important works to ever be authored in any language. This four volume edition collects together the complete epic in a translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli. Here we have the third volume which includes books eight through twelve.

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Due to her lifelong efforts towards political and social equality among men and women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) is known today as the mother of women's suffrage and founder of the women's rights movement. She saw blatant injustices towards women in legal matters, schooling, religion and employment, and took vigorous action to correct them; perhaps her most famous act was in 1848 when she presented her Declaration of Sentiments at the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Stanton worked extensively with Susan B. Anthony promoting the cause of women's suffrage. In 1895 she published «The Woman's Bible», written by all women (mostly Stanton herself), which addressed issues of sexism in the Bible. The work was intended to target specific sections of the Bible which Stanton felt degraded women, and which were a result of grave human error in a work that generally placed value on principles of love, liberty, justice and equality.

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William Tyndale (1492-1536) was a prominent English scholar who greatly aided the Protestant reformation with the translation and publication of the Tyndale Bible. Tyndale received a B.A. and M.A. from Cambridge University, where he would begin his extensive research and translations of the New Testament. Utilizing recent printing technologies, Tyndale's version of the Bible became widely known, attracting controversy along with praise. His theological views developed as he became more involved with the reformation. In «The Obedience of a Christian Man» (1528) outlays his notions for the diving right of kings, wherein the king of a country is also the head of the church.

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"On Christian Teaching" or «On Christian Doctrine» is a classic religious exposition by Saint Augustine of Hippo which includes four books that discuss how to interpret and teach the Holy Scriptures. This work is a basic outgrowth of Augustine's early frustrations with interpreting the Scriptures. In interpreting the Scriptures one must decide whether a literal or an allegorical interpretation is most appropriate and Augustine discusses this matter extensively in an effort to help Christian teachers and preachers to discover the truth in the contents of the Scriptures, to teach the truth from the Scriptures, and to defend scriptural truth when it was attacked. This important religious work written around the turn of the 5th century is a must read for all who wish to gain a greater confidence in interpreting Holy Christian Scripture and overcoming the difficulties that lie therein.

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Contained within this volume are the first and second parts of «Abandonment to Divine Providence» by Jean-Pierre De Caussade. In the first part readers will discover a treatise on the practice of total abandonment to Divine Providence, or in other words, completely giving yourself over to God's will. The second part is a compilation of letters by the author discussing the practice of abandonment to Divine Providence. A spiritual classic, «Abandonment to Divine Providence» will delight readers of all faiths as they discover the spiritual guidance that this volume has to offer.

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Philo, known also as Philo of Alexandria, Philo Judaeus, and Philo the Jew, among other names, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria from 20 BC to 50 CE. Philo's works are most known for being allegorical interpretations of the Scriptures, fusing Jewish thought to Stoic philosophy. Although not widely accepted in his time, his vast collection of works had a powerful influence on early Christian theology and especially on later Christian writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Saint Jerome and Athenagorus. Despite being a devout Jew, some saw in Philo a cryptic Christian. This is the first of four volumes of «The Works of Philo,» and contains many of his cosmogenic and historical works addressing various topics in Genesis like «On the Creation of the World,» «On the Allegories of the Sacred Laws,» «Of Cain and His Birth,» and «On the Unchangeableness of God.»

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Written in the early 5th century by Augustine of Hippo, who later became a Doctor of the Church, this large theological work provided an articulate defense of Christianity when it was being held culpable for the shocking sack of Rome that had occurred just a few years before. It outlines a citizenship that goes beyond the worldly, the political, and the self-centered, instead focusing on a place where the inhabitants are devout, God-focused, and seeking grace. In examining history with a clear perception of good and evil, Augustine was in effect interpreting human actions in relation to eternity. He contrasts earthly and heavenly cities to great effect, in addition to inspecting pagan religions, Greek philosophers like Plato, and the Bible. Just as it influenced the people of the author's own time, «The City of God» is still a powerful Christian text to this day and considered a foundational work of Christianity.

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"To you who read, I speak. To you, who, through long years and much running to and fro, have been eagerly seeking, in books and teachings, in philosophy and religion, for you know not what—Truth, Happiness, Freedom, God. To you whose Soul is weary and discouraged and almost destitute of hope."—So begins this short inspirational work. «Impersonal Life» is a classic of Christian literature, which aims to bring the reader closer to God.

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