The best books on Christianity

An award-winning historian of religion examines the role a “messiah” plays in Western culture, from its pre-Christian roots to modern interpretations of a savior. Over the centuries, people have longed for a messiah, whether a religious figure such as Jesus, a political leader, or even in popular culture. The messianic quest emerges most acutely during difficult times when people experience a sense of powerlessness and desperation. But the concept of a messiah—a savior—has its root in the writings of ancient Judaism and early Christianity, evolving from an anointed leader to universal savior. Wilson turns to a little understood pre-Christian text, “The Psalms of Solomon,” which set the stage for messianic expectation just prior to the birth of Jesus.

The book covers the amazing artifacts and poetry in wood and stone caused by the meeting of the Christian story and Northern myth. The book describes the meaning of the tree churches of Norway, tree trunk coffins in England and Germany, the oldest English poem, Dream of the Rood, burial crosses with the interred warrior on the front, and many more objects that I find endlessly fascinating. So fascinating that they drew me to Norway and England as well as to the Danish island of Bornholm to see and appreciate their happy depiction of the blending of pagan and Christian.

Constantly having panic attacks for no good reason is no way to live. Yet so many people are living this way. This very common anxiety disorder is most often treated with SSRI drugs. These pharmaceuticals do not address the cause of panic attacks though and are arguably not terribly effective at treating the symptoms either.

In this book, I will show you how I was able to overcome panic disorder in two periods of my life without pharmaceuticals. You will discover the different methods of overcoming the many faces of this mental disturbance, and ultimately you will learn how to eliminate unwarranted panic from your life.

Constantly having panic attacks for no good reason is no way to live. Yet so many people are living this way. This very common anxiety disorder is most often treated with SSRI drugs. These pharmaceuticals do not address the cause of panic attacks though and are arguably not terribly effective at treating the symptoms either.

In this book, I will show you how I was able to overcome panic disorder in two periods of my life without pharmaceuticals. You will discover the different methods of overcoming the many faces of this mental disturbance, and ultimately you will learn how to eliminate unwarranted panic from your life.

I take readers on a journey from North America (where Greenlanders and Icelanders had a lot to say about Native Americans) to Europe (where Jews were racialized, and “Gypsy” became the name of a slave race), to the Middle East (where Muslims were the international enemy in the killing fields of holy war) to Africa (where blackness was seen as the color of sin and the devil, and Ethiopians were deemed a population of sinners) to the Eurasian steppes and China (where Mongols evolved, in the western mind, from subhuman beings to the representatives of the greatest empire on earth). Along the way, I show readers why all this still matters today.

Mastering Creation Using The Law Of Unification brings to you the theory of creation and introduces a new law called “Law of Unification” followed by the ancient Creator Gods such as Quetzalcoatl and Isis. Law of Unification has been used by creators, inventors, and geniuses. With the practical techniques discussed in the book, you’ll be able to practice the Law of Unification and gain access to the source of hidden potential to uncover your life’s purpose and create a fulfilling life. 

In this book, you’ll learn how to: 1. transform your life, 2. create new creations, 3. eliminate suffering, and 4. consciously fulfill your life’s purpose.

Dr. Gwen Adshead is one of Britain's leading forensic psychiatrists. She treats serial killers, arsonists, stalkers, gang members, and other individuals who are usually labelled 'monsters.' Whatever their crime, she listens to their stories and helps them to better understand their terrible acts of violence. Here Adshead invites the reader to step with her into the room to meet twelve patients and discover how minds can change. These men and women are revealed in all their complexity and shared humanity. Their stories make a powerful case for rehabilitation over revenge, compassion over condemnation. The Devil You Know will challenge everything you thought you knew about human nature.

Divorce hurts! And, it’s normal to feel a range of negative emotions such as anger, resentment, guilt, fear, sadness, and loneliness. Left unaddressed, these undercurrents of pain can last a lifetime. Fortunately, you can learn ways to move beyond the heartache.

Peace after Divorce is a practical and spiritual guide filled with a deep understanding of the emotions and battles faced while enduring divorce and its aftermath. Step-by-step strategies zero in on ways to cope with everyday issues while also helping you discover your God-given power to find healing, joy, and peace. Uplifting and encouraging with real-life examples, this book will help you navigate the trials and tribulations of divorce, while equipping you with tools to begin living a fulfilling life of purpose, meaning, faith, and hope. An Illumination Book Award winner, Peace after Divorce will help you leave the pain and sorrow behind and move toward a brighter future.

From the Kingdom of Kongo to Congo Square presents a new interpretation of the Mardi Gras Indians, one of New Orleans’ most enigmatic cultural traditions. By interpreting this performance in an Atlantic context and using historical sources in multiple languages, I traced the “Black Indians” back to the ancient Kingdom of Kongo in Africa and its war dance known as “sangamento.” The book shows that talented warriors in the Kongo kingdom were by definition also good dancers, masters of a technique of dodging, spinning, and leaping that was crucial in local warfare. Furthermore, it demonstrates how this performance tradition accompanied enslaved Kongolese communities to the African island of São Tomé and, subsequently, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Louisiana.

When I was 37, my husband (a pastor, also 37 and father of our two sons) died suddenly in our bed on New Year’s night. He hadn’t been sick – he just went to bed and went to heaven. And I had questions! Sometimes things happen in life that completely shatter us – we can’t make sense of it. Not only death, but other life-changing events and devasting disappointments. We just didn’t see it coming, and now we don’t know how to go on. I wrote this book years later – it’s a testimony of how God brought my sons and me through, and how you can ask Him all your tough questions and move forward. I call it “a manual for getting past the pain.”