LITMIR.BIZ

An early English Protestant, John Foxe fled from England to Strasbourg, France, when Mary Tudor became queen. There, he occupied himself with a Latin history of the Christian persecutions and he printed, in Latin, the first part of his history of the persecution of Protestant reformers. First published under the title “Actes and Monuments” in 1563, “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” is an account of Christian martyrs throughout Western history, emphasizing the sufferings of English Protestants and proto-Protestants from the fourteenth century through the reign of Mary I. The book helped mold British popular opinion about the Catholic Church for several centuries as it was widely owned and read by English Puritans. During Elizabeth’s reign, this book was highly celebrated and even became required reading. It was placed in churches and reprinted in shorter editions so that many households possessed a copy. Expanded extensively over the course of Foxe’s life, “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” is made readily accessible in this 19th century abridgement.

Подробнее

Written by Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea, “The History of the Church” is the pioneering 4th century work which details the chronological history of early Christianity from the time of Christ to Constantine. This monumental work of Christian history stands apart from other contemporary histories as the first full-length record of early Christianity from a Christian point of view. A fierce advocate for the Christian religion, Eusebius lived in Caesarea Maritima, a coastal city in modern day Israel, prior to and during the rule of Constantine. At the time of Eusebius’ life his hometown had became a center of Christian learning, through the work of Christian theologian Origen, and his follower Pamphilus, Eusebius’ own teacher. This made Eusebius an ideal candidate to make a record of Christianity’s crucial first three hundred years. While sometimes criticized as biased and inaccurate “The History of the Church” nevertheless provides an indispensable perspective upon the foundations of the Christian church and religion. This edition follows the translation of Arthur Cushman McGiffert.

Подробнее

A classic of Christian apologetics, the branch of Christian theology which seeks to offer reasoned defenses for Christianity against its objectors, G. K. Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy” is one of the author’s most enduring works. A self-described pagan and agnostic in his youth, Chesterton describes in this work how he came to believe in the importance of his own personal belief in Christianity. As he describes in his preface to the book, “It is the purpose of the writer to attempt an explanation, not of whether the Christian Faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it. The book is therefore arranged upon the positive principle of a riddle and its answer. It deals first with all the writer’s own solitary and sincere speculations and then with all the startling style in which they were all suddenly satisfied by the Christian Theology.” Meant as a companion to Chesterton’s “Heretics” upon its first publication in 1908, this book makes the compelling argument that one needs faith to live happily in society. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

Подробнее

Originally published anonymously in 1914, “The Impersonal Life” is Joseph Benner’s classic work of Christian spiritualism which was influenced by the New Thought movement, a religious movement of the later part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century. Central to the New Thought movement is the idea that God resides in all things and that through the power of positive thinking one can attract the success and contentment that one desires. It is Benner’s intent to bring to the reader’s attention “the true spirit that resides in every human being”, that the individual is essentially inseparable from God’s divinity. Benner argues that only by leading an impersonal life, a life which recognizes that God is represented in each and every one of us, one can truly experience the glory of God. The impersonal life is a life aware of the idea that one’s identity is inseparable from the light of God and that through this acknowledgment one can experience the peace that emanates from all that is God’s creation.

Подробнее

A part of the “Vedas”, a collection of ancient manuscripts which form the basis for the Hindu religion, the “Upanishads” are ancient Sanskrit texts which contain arguably the most important spiritual aspects of the Hindu faith. Of the more than two hundred «Upanishads», the ones of principal importance, Chandogya, Kena, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Isa, Katha, Mundaka, Taittiriyaka, Brhadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Prasna, and Maitriyana, are presented here in the translation of famed Indologist and Sanskritologist F. Max Muller, which first appeared in the “Sacred Books of the East” volumes I and XV. The central theme of the “Upanishads” is not that of a ritualistic systematic philosophy but as Muller describes to “know thy true self, that which underlines thine Ego, and find it and know it in the highest, the eternal Self, the One without a second, which underlies the whole world.” Noted for its thorough annotations and scholarly detail this edition of the “Upanishads” will bring great insight to students of the Hindu faith. Muller’s complete two volume translation is presented here in a single volume.

Подробнее

First published in the first part of the 5th century A.D., “The City of God” is Saint Augustine’s highly influential work of Christian philosophy. This expansive theological work provided an articulate defense of Christianity against the claims that it lead to the downfall of Rome in the years preceding its publication. 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. A monumental influence upon Augustine’s contemporaries, “The City of God” is considered a foundational work of Christianity philosophy, which would establish Augustine of Hippo as one of the most important fathers of the Catholic Church, and continues to resonate with the Christian faith until this day. This edition is translated with an introduction by Marcus Dods.

Подробнее

Dating to the late ninth century B.C., the “I Ching, or, Book of Changes” is one of the oldest of the Chinese classics. What began as a manual for divination, the “I Ching” has been transformed through thousands of years of commentary and interpretation into one of the principal works of eastern cosmology. The central part of the work is the divination text, an explanation of hexagrams which may be produced through a process of cleromancy, a method of determining divine intent by the production of seemingly random numbers. Historically a casting of a bundle of stalks from the yarrow plant may have been used to produce the numbers which would build up the hexagram. Also part of the “I Ching” canon is a set of commentaries referred to as the “ten wings”, contained in the appendices of this volume. These commentaries are offered as a guide to moral decision making in interpreting the results of divination. The “I Ching”, having informed the philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism, remains to this day as one of the most influential of all ancient Chinese texts. This edition is translated with annotations by James Legge.

Подробнее

This collection of 16th and 17th century English translations of Apocryphal biblical texts by William Wake and Jeremiah Jones was first gathered together by William Hone and published collectively in 1820. Supposedly these texts were excised from the official biblical canon over the first few centuries of Christianity. Included in this collection are various accounts of Jesus, his birth and infant life, and epistles of various disciples and other biblical figures. “The Lost Books of Bible” is an essential work for students of biblical history which provides depth and historical context for many of the events regarding Jesus’ life depicted in the New Testament. For what reason these texts were stricken from the official canon by the fathers of the church is not known, however contemporary source material does reliably date many of these texts to at least the 2nd century A.D., if not earlier, thus giving them a provenance that can at the very least assert these documents as important in the development of the biblical canon.

Подробнее

“The Practice of the Presence of God” is a compilation of letters and records of conversations with 17th-century Carmelite monk Brother Lawrence compiled by his contemporary, Father Joseph de Beaufort. An influential work of Christian spirituality “The Practice” describes Brother Lawrence’s philosophy that a relationship with God is more important than the service and work done in God’s name. Brother Lawrence focuses on seeing the love of God, his presence, in all aspects of daily life. In this short work an attempt is made to explain Lawrence’s method of acquiring this presence of God. According to Brother Lawrence it is only in acquiring this presence that one truly can have a relationship with God. Also included in this work is “The Spiritual Maxims”, a collection of thoughts intended to give daily inspiration and guidance towards living a more spiritual life. Together these classic works of Christian devotion give great insight into the life and spiritual philosophy of Brother Lawrence.

Подробнее

It is estimated that the origins of the “Bhagavad Gita”, a 700 verse Hindu scripture which is part of the larger “Mahabharata” was originally composed as early as the 9th century BC. Ascribed to the Sage Vyasa, the “Bhagavad Gita” is a classic work of Hindu scripture which relates the story of Prince Arjuna who is faced with a decision with serious moral consequence, whether or not to go to war. With the armies arrayed on the battlefield, Arjuna in a moment of hesitation is counseled by Vishnu, the Supreme God, who takes the form of Krishna wearing the disguise of a charioteer. This work along with its larger counterpart the “Mahabharata” has been described as one of the most important works of scripture ever composed. A classic tale of Hindu spirituality, the “Bhagavad Gita” provides great insight into dealing with the morally ambiguous challenges that face us all. This edition has been translated into English prose with an introduction by Kashinath Trimbak Telang.

Подробнее