Religion Books

CHAPTER I PURPOSES BEHIND TEACHING Outline—Chapter I The worth of souls.—The Father's joy in the soul that is saved.—The teacher's responsibility.—Teaching, a sacred calling.—Our Church a teaching Church. Our three-fold purpose in Teaching: a—To guarantee salvation of the individual members of the Church. b—To pass on the wonderful heritage handed down by our pioneer... more...

"Jesus Himself." Their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. " I THE words, from which I want to present a simple message, will be found in the Gospel according to St. Luke, the 24th chapter and the 31st verse: "And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him." Some time since, I preached a sermon with the words "Jesus Himself" as the text; and as I went home I said to those... more...

Those seeking to lead a spiritual life will naturally ask themselves how to progress in spirituality, and how to live spiritual values. Must one somehow transcend good and bad, right and wrong? When does one’s spiritual development truly begin? By enlightened definition, the foundation of a spiritual life is a faultless worldview; and to achieve such vision, Self realization is required. In the book... more...

Ramayana finds its place within the Itihasa section of the Hindu corpus. Although Itihasa literally implies history, a more appropriate interpretation would be legends. The way we comprehend history today is not the same as how ancient people used to recount past events. They were more inclined towards legends. The tale of Rama was initially composed by Valmiki, though it likely existed within the... more...

We are pleased to present this free digital edition of the Vishnu Purāna, translated into English by the renowned scholar Manmatha Nath Dutt. This classic work forms part of our continuing effort to make the treasures of Hindu sacred literature accessible to readers across the world. The Vishnu Purāna is one of the eighteen Mahāpurānas, the major Purānic texts of Hindu tradition. Among these, it... more...

I.—INTRODUCTION. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of the life of David is its romantic variety of circumstances. What a many-coloured career that was which began amidst the pastoral solitudes of Bethlehem, and ended in the chamber where the dying ears heard the blare of the trumpets that announced the accession of Bathsheba's son! He passes through the most sharply contrasted conditions,... more...

GOD OUR SHEPHERD The twenty-third Psalm seems to break in two at the end of the fourth verse. The first four verses clearly reflect a pastoral scene; the fifth appears to carry us off, without warning, to very different associations. This, however, is only in appearance. The last two verses are as pastoral as the first four. If these show us the shepherd with his sheep upon the pasture, those follow... more...

INTRODUCTION THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE OLD ISLAMIC WORLD The rise of Islam is perhaps the most amazing event in human history. Springing from a land and a people alike previously negligible, Islam spread within a century over half the earth, shattering great empires, overthrowing long-established religions, remoulding the souls of races, and building up a whole new world—the world of Islam. The... more...

Introduction The last thirty years, though as dates go this is only an approximation, have witnessed a marked development of religious cults and movements largely outside the lines of historic Catholicism and Protestantism. One of these cults is strongly organized and has for twenty years grown more rapidly in proportion than most of the Christian communions. The influence of others, more loosely... more...

INTRODUCTION A PLEA FOR THE STUDY OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS If, as Matthew Arnold says, conduct is three-fourths of life, then a careful inquiry into the laws of conduct is indispensable to the proper interpretation of the meaning and purpose of life. Conduct of itself, however, is merely the outward expression of character; and character again has its roots in personality; so that if we are to form a just... more...