Picking Fights with the Gods PDF Download

Author: Paul Gilk
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498299830
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 479

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Book Description
The common understanding of "apocalypse" suggests End Times, Armageddon, and the end of the world. But the Greek word apokalypsis means none of these things. What it does mean is uncovering, disclosing, and revelatory. That "apocalypse" is so widely misunderstood as predestined disaster isn't due to natural evolution in meaning. To penetrate the misuse of apokalypsis is to discover mythic misrepresentation. That is, "apocalypse" doesn't generate End Times but--just the opposite--End Times compels apokalypsis. The actual threat of End Times--explicitly so with weapons of mass destruction and Anthropocene climate change--forces thoughtful people into a search for fundamental causes: Where do these destructive energies originate? Why are we so reluctant to recognize the obvious consequences and resistant to embrace available remedies? Why do we persist in denial and indifference? In these essays, Paul Gilk explores the underlying cultural and religious conventions (both "conservative" and "liberal") that constitute our resistance and refusal. To disclose and uncover those conventions, to dissolve our oblivion, is to awaken to apokalypsis and to realize the depth of our captivity within prevailing mythology, both religious and civilizational. If End Times is the disease, apokalypsis is the cure.

Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062891588
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Gladiator in the first book in this epic fantasy duology in which two warriors must decide where their loyalties lie as an ancient war between immortals threatens humanity—from Sara Raasch, the New York Times bestselling author of the Snow Like Ashes series, and Kristen Simmons, acclaimed author of Pacifica and The Deceivers. Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes, And I Darken, and The Winner’s Curse. Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources. Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family’s taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn’t have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn’t been seen in centuries. When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games, throwing Madoc in Ash’s path. She realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior. But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.

Author: Dominic Kirkham
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1666714801
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Christianity is a global phenomenon that has affected the lives of millions of people and expressed itself in many ways over the centuries. Often these expressions have been at odds with the core values of the gospel and teachings of Jesus. Imperialism, colonization, anti-Semitism, racism, misogyny--to name but some issues--have all been associated with this religion almost from the outset. They are part of a legacy that we can no longer evade in the face of the many questioning voices of the modern world. But how has this curious and conflicted situation come about? And did Jesus even intend to found a new religion? Drawing on modern scriptural studies, current academic thinking, and several decades of personal religious and monastic life the writer seeks to find answers, examining the historical record of the past two millennia. In a world that is increasingly secular and skeptical of religious claims the answer to how the Christian legacy is to be presented in a post-Christian world is crucial for the future and the challenge this book seeks to address.

Author: Joshua Ryan Butler
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 052910055X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 382

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Book Description
How can a loving God send people to hell? Isn’t it arrogant to believe Jesus is the only way to God? What is up with holy war in the Old Testament? Many of us fear God has some skeletons in the closet. Hell, judgment, and holy war are hot topics for the Christian faith that have a way of igniting fierce debate far and wide. These hard questions leave many wondering whether God is really good and can truly be trusted. The Skeletons in God's Closet confronts our popular caricatures of these difficult topics with the beauty and power of the real thing. Josh Butler reveals that these subjects are consistent with, rather than contradictory to, the goodness of God. He explores Scripture to reveal the plotlines that make sense of these tough topics in light of God’s goodness. From fresh angles, Josh deals powerfully with such difficult passages as: The Lake of Fire Lazarus and the Rich Man The Slaughter of Canaanites in the Old Testament Ultimately, The Skeletons in God's Close uses our toughest questions to provoke paradigm shifts in how we understand our faith as a whole. It pulls the “skeletons out of God’s closet” to reveal they were never really skeletons at all.

Author: Katie MacAlister
Publisher: Rebel Base Books
ISBN: 1635730775
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
IN THE REALM OF THE LIVING Liberated from exile, the brutal god Nezu is leveling his vengeful wrath against the blessed lands of Alba, and only three heroes stand a chance of stopping him. Fireborn Allegria, with her ability to harness the power of light; her Starborn lover Hallow, who leads the society of mages; and Deo, a warrior born of both worlds. . . IN THE REALM OF THE DEAD But the circle of friendship is broken when Allegria is imprisoned in the spirit world of the Thane. Surrounded by long dead warriors bent on revenge, Allegria is losing her grasp on the mortal realm. Now she must fight to hold on to the memories she has left–and the hope that help is coming from a world away. IN ALL THE SHADOWS BETWEEN The ultimate battle between good and evil is breaking, and Hallow and Deo need Allegria to win it. But even then, how can they can achieve the impossible? For it’s not just one destructive god they must face, but also his creator. Only an arcane prophecy and the untried power of their joined magics can save the Fourth Age.

Author: Vaddey Ratner
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451657722
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
A beautiful celebration of the power of hope, this New York Times bestselling novel tells the story of a girl who comes of age during the Cambodian genocide. You are about to read an extraordinary story, a PEN Hemingway Award finalist “rich with history, mythology, folklore, language and emotion.” It will take you to the very depths of despair and show you unspeakable horrors. It will reveal a gorgeously rich culture struggling to survive through a furtive bow, a hidden ankle bracelet, fragments of remembered poetry. It will ensure that the world never forgets the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime in the Cambodian killing fields between 1975 and 1979, when an estimated two million people lost their lives. It will give you hope, and it will confirm the power of storytelling to lift us up and help us not only survive but transcend suffering, cruelty, and loss. For seven-year-old Raami, the shattering end of childhood begins with the footsteps of her father returning home in the early dawn hours, bringing details of the civil war that has overwhelmed the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. Soon the family’s world of carefully guarded royal privilege is swept up in the chaos of revolution and forced exodus. Over the next four years, as the Khmer Rouge attempts to strip the population of every shred of individual identity, Raami clings to the only remaining vestige of her childhood—the mythical legends and poems told to her by her father. In a climate of systematic violence where memory is sickness and justification for execution, Raami fights for her improbable survival. Displaying the author’s extraordinary gift for language, In the Shadow of the Banyan is a brilliantly wrought tale of human resilience.

Author: Kevin Hearne
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 0345548515
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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"The next book in this urban fantasy series, set in a modern world in which all the gods of every pantheon are alive and well, and starring a smart-mouthed, butt-kicking magician, Atticus O'Sullivan: a handsome, tattooed Irishman who looks like a young rock star, but is in actuality a 2,000-year-old Druid with extraordinary magic powers. In Staked, Atticus has his final confrontation with the clan of vampires who have been bent on destroying him--including Leif, his former best friend and now enemy"--

Author: Shauna Lawless
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1803282606
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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The first in a gripping new historical fantasy series that intertwines Irish mythology with real-life history, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is the thrilling debut novel in the Gael Song series by Shauna Lawless. They think they've killed the last of us... 981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son – and herself – but Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long. Gormflaith also has a secret. She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world – like the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians. Fódla is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. Fódla agrees to help her kin by going to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High King of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war – a war she is desperate to stop. However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and the Fomorians now on the rise... Reviewers on The Children of Gods and Fighting Men 'Lawless blends fantasy with historical fiction to great effect.' SFX 'A novel that celebrates the extraordinary history and cultural traditions of Ireland while giving voice to the women who helped shape it. Highly recommended.' Lucy Holland 'An excellent read.' Mark Lawrence 'Highlander meets The Last Kingdom... I was hooked from page one.' Anthony Ryan 'Gripping and beautiful. A Celtic Last Kingdom with wild magic and fierce heroines.' Anna Smith Spark 'A beguiling blend of fantasy, history, and politics.' D.K. Fields 'A vividly written story that makes the ancient past feel contemporary.' Joseph O'Connor 'Rife with atmosphere and armies, magic and compelling characters, it swept me along and refused to be put down.' H.M. Long 'An epic historical fantasy that weaves myth and history into a sprawling tale of magic, intrigue, and war. Absorbing and richly detailed.' Ian Green 'With all the complex political machinations of A Song of Ice and Fire and the bloody battles of The Warlord Chronicles, it's ideal for fans of both.' Stephen Aryan 'An atmospheric journey into a thrilling historical fantasy world.' R.J. Barker

Author: Zoe Hana Mikuta
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
ISBN: 1250269539
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Godslayers—Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane sequel to Gearbreakers—is perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series. The only way to kill a god is from the inside... The Gearbreakers struck a devastating blow against Godolia on Heavensday, but the cost of victory has been steep. Months later, the few rebels who've managed to escape the tyrannical empire's bloody retribution have fled to the mountains, hunted by the last Zenith—Godolia's only surviving leader. Eris has been held prisoner since the attack on the capital city, which almost killed her. And she begins to wish it had when she discovers Sona—the girl she loves, the girl she would tear down cities for—also survived, only to be captured and corrupted by the Zenith. The cybernetic brainwashing that Sona has forcibly undergone now has her believing herself a loyal soldier for Godolia, and Eris' mortal enemy. With the rebellion shattered and Godolia moving forward with an insidious plan to begin inducting Badlands children into a new Windup Pilot program, the odds have never been more stacked against the Gearbreakers. Their last hope for victory will depend on whether Eris and Sona can somehow find their way back to each other from opposite sides of a war... Praise for Gearbreakers: A Junior Library Guild Selection "An absolute joyride ... Zoe Hana Mikuta is a talent to be in awe of." —Chloe Gong, New York Times-bestselling author of These Violent Delights "Dark, fierce, thrilling, and tender, Gearbreakers will make your blood sing. ... An electric heart beats on every page of this breathlessly paced cyberpunk adventure." —Nina Varela, author of Crier's War

Author: Paul Gilk
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1621899918
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
In the early 1970s, living in inner-city St. Louis, Paul Gilk asked his friends to explain why small farms were dying. The answers did not satisfy. Years of study followed. Through the reading of history, Gilk began to grasp the origins of both horticulture and agriculture, their blossoming into Neolithic agrarian village culture, and the impoundment of the agrarian village by bandit "aristocrats" at the formation of what we now call civilization. Getting a grip on the relationship between agriculture and civilization was one thing; but, as a person strongly influenced by Gospel stories, Gilk also wanted to know what the connection might be between the "kingdom of God" proclamation in the canonical Gospels and the peasant world from which Jesus arose. Aided in his thinking by the works of biblical scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, Gilk began to realize that the "kingdom of God" was both a harkening back to the peace and freedom of precivilized agrarian village and a revolutionary anticipation of a postcivilized village-mindedness organized organically on the basis of radical servanthood and radical stewardship. We are, Gilk says, entering the dawn of this Green culture simultaneously with the deepening of civilized world disaster.