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 dis ...
Anselm of Canterbury, later canonized in the 1100's, was a Benedictine monk and philosopher who is known as the father of scholasticism. He is also the founder of the ontological argument, saying that God exists because of his infinite power and authority over mankind. His written works are known for their rationalization of faith based on spiritual truths found within the Christian belief, which is detailed in «Proslogium.» He believed in ...
Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) was a renowned Anglo-Catholic poet and novelist whose works on mysticism were some of the most widely read in the early twentieth century. She and her husband, Hubert Stuart Moore, had no children, but travelled extensively throughout Europe where Underhill pursued her interests in art and Catholicism. As a product of the Edwardian era, Underhill was concerned with exploring the physic, the occult, the mystical, the ...
"The History of the Church" or «The Church History of Eusebius» is a comprehensive ecclesiastical history of the Christian church from the time of Christ to Constantine. Christians and theology scholars will find much of interest in this volume translated by the Rev. Arthur Cushman McGiffert. «The History of the Church» can be read as an excellent companion to the Bible and other religious texts or as a complete religious historical text in ...
"The Varieties of Religious Experience" is William James's philosophical and psychological examination of the nature of religion in human civilization. Based on James's own Gifford Lectures given at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland between 1901 and 1902, James argues that «Scientific theories are organically conditioned just as much as religious emotions are; and if we only knew the facts intimately enough, we should doubtl ...
Thomas a Kempis was a German medieval Christian monk who was born in the late 14th century. His work «The Imitation of Christ» is one of the most widely read Christian spiritual books ever written. The book presents the idea that the study of Christ's life and the emulation of his example is the highest pursuit that man can achieve. Kempis's «The Imitation of Christ» is a spiritual classic and a must read for any ardent follower of Chr ...
"As the 'Book of Enoch' is, in some respects, the most notable extant apocalyptic work outside the canonical Scriptures, it will not be inappropriate to offer a few remarks here on the Apocalyptic Literature generally… Hope is, indeed, the main underlying motive-power which prompted the writers of the Apocalypses. And this hope is the more intensive and ardent in that it shines forth from a background which is dark with despair; f ...
Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1972), the immensely influential German philosopher of the 19th century, wrote his most important work «The Essence of Christianity» in 1841. Combined with his numerous other writings, «The Essence of Christianity» contributed to the development of dialectical materialism. Feuerbach is often considered the philosopher who bridged Hegel and Marx. Here is his sharp criticism of Christianity. A staunch atheist, Feuerbach argu ...
A classic Chinese text dating from the 6th century B.C., the «Book of the Way» consists of 81 short poems that unfold the spiritual nature of Taoism, one of the ancient Chinese religions. In describing the universal life force implicit in all things, this work shows readers a path that teaches contentment and balance. The simple language of Lao Tzu's manual on the art of living essentially encourages being humble, temperate, and considerate ...
