John C. Baldock Knihy

The Sufis have been using carefully constructed stories for teaching purposes for thousands of years. Though on the surface these often appear to be little more than fairy or folk tales, the Sufis hold that they enshrine-in their characters, plots and imagery-patterns and relationships that nurture a part of the mind not reachable in more conventional ways, thus increasing our understanding, flexibility and breadth of vision. Familiarization with this body of material can eventually provide answers to questions about our origins and our destiny. In this book John Baldock explores the rich body of literature the Sufis have produced to guide spiritual travellers. While explaining the significant teachings and emphasizing their significance for us, he sheds a timely light on the Sufis' fascinating perception of life, revealing it to be a process of the heart and not of the head, and offers intriguing pathways to further study and reflection.

"From Abi to Zipporah, 'Women in the Bible' retells the stories of the women, both great and humble, who people the pages of the Old and New Testaments as well as the biblical books know as the Apocrypha. These are stories of true love, devotion and piety, incest, lust, prostitution, adultery, polygamy, necromancy, decapitation, treachery and violence: of women's exploitation and abuse by men and how women gained their revenge. "With illustrations from many of painting's great masters, this book is designed for ease of access and written in a clear, straightforward style."