The Shock of the Fall

C. S. Lewis

Mere Christianity

In 1941 England, when all hope was threatened by the inhumanity of war, C. S. Lewis was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. More than half a century later, these talks continue to retain their poignancy. First heard as informal radio broadcasts on the BBC, the lectures were published as three books and subsequently combined as Mere Christianity . C. S. Lewis proves that "at the center of each there is something, or a Someone, who against all divergences of belief, all differences of temperament, all memories of mutual persecution, speaks with the same voice," rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many denominations. This twentieth century masterpiece provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith. With a new foreword by Lewis's stepson, Douglas Gresham, this illustrated gift edition evokes the historic time and place of the book's creation.

Karen Armstrong

The History of God: The 4,000 Year Quest

"Strange as it may seem, the idea of 'God' developed in a market economy in a spirit of aggressive capitalism," Karen Armstrong asserts in her fascinating work A History of God. Armstrong considers herself a "historian of ideas," and with this broad view she gives a compelling account of the correspondences among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the historical, philosophical, intellectual, and social developments through the ages that both shaped them and were shaped by them. Religion is "highly pragmatic," Armstrong finds. Any particular idea of God must work for the people who develop it. Consequently, as the times have changed, so have our ideas about God. "Understanding the ever-changing ideas of God in the past and their relevance and usefulness in their time," she says, "will help us to develop a new concept for the future." Today an increasing number of people have difficulty with the idea of a God that behaves as a larger version of themselves. Armstrong sees this as inevitable, and welcomes believers to a notion of God that "works for us in the empirical age."

Old English Poems, Prose and Lessons: Anglo-Saxon Language

This set of two CD-Roms is comprised of readings in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) by Stephen Pollington of texts and lessons found in the audiotape First Steps in Old English . CD 1 Tracks include: 1. Deor. 2. Beowulf - The Funeral of Scyld Scefing. 3. The Arrival of the English - Bede. 4. Two Extracts from the Laws of King Ine. 5. The Danes' Harrying - Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Entry AD997. 6. Durham 7. The Ordeal 8. Charm Against a Dwarf 9. Charm Against Wens 10. Charm Against Waterelf Sickness 11. The Nine Herbs Charm 12. Leechdoms 13. Beowulf's Greeting 14. The Battle of Brunanburh 15. The Wanderer. CD 2: Learning Old English - includes Reading Exercises, A Guide to Pronunciation, Conversational Old English.