Worlds collide in an epic adventure across time and space. Droste's eyes met mine as he said quietly, "As near as we can tell, from the time of your last genuine memory until now is about five hundred years." "Prince Casmir is fighting firedrakes in order to rescue Princess Delora when he loses consciousness and wakes up in a hospital bed. Things get really interesting when he finds out the real reason for his abilities. Demons, dragons, damsels in distress and other fantasy items in a science fiction novel would be a little hard to pull off unless you are that unusual writer. This is only one pair of shoes that Richard Purtill can wear and wear well." -Baryon-online.com This omnibus volume collects Richard Purtill's full-length SF novel, The Parallel Man, along with three previously unpublished SF stories set in the same universe of the Universal Commonwealth. Part two includes six fantasy stories originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, and Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, along with the previously unpublished fourth story in the Rus Quartet, based on Russian faerie tales.
Is religious belief reasonable? New Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, energetically say, No! Many others, including some believers, insist that faith is utterly beyond reasoned argument.
Drawing on the whole body of C.S. Lewis' published fiction and non-fiction, as well as previously unpublished letters, Richard Purtill offers a clear, comprehensive assessment of Lewis’ defense of Christianity. He examines Lewis’ thinking on religion in light of contemporary thought, giving attention to such central issues as: the nature of God, the divinity of Christ, the manifestation of miracles in history, the challenge of faith, the meaning of death and the afterlife. C.S. Lewis’ Case for the Christian Faith is an excellent introduction to Lewis's best thinking on the major themes of the Christian tradition. Those who know his writing will find a new appreciation of his “Christian imagination” and a deep respect for his distinctive contribution to an understanding of Christianity.
A fascinating look at the fantasy and philosophy of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. The two men were friends and fellow professors at Oxford, renowned Christian thinkers who both "found it necessary to create for the purposes of their fiction other worlds not utopias or dystopias, but different worlds." "The great importance of [Lewis and Tolkien] is that they have succeeded in restating certain traditional values in a way that they make an imaginative appeal to a very wide audience, young and old, traditionalist and non-traditionalist." — Richard Purtill, Author, J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion
Here is an in-depth look at the role myth, morality, and religion play in J.R.R. Tolkien's works such as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion-including Tolkien's private letters and revealing opinions of his own work. Richard L. Purtill brilliantly argues that Tolkien's extraordinary ability to touch his readers' lives through his storytelling-so unlike much modern literature-accounts for his enormous literary success. This book demonstrates the moral depth in Tolkien's work and cuts through current subjectivism and cynicism about morality. A careful reader will find a subtle religious dimension to Tolkien's work-all the more potent because it is below the surface. Purtill reveals that Tolkien's fantasy stories creatively incorporate profound religious and ethical ideas. For example, Purtill shows us how hobbits reflect both the pettiness of parochial humanity and unexpected heroism. Purtill, author of 19 books, effectively addresses larger issues of the place of myth, the relation of religion and morality to literature, the relation of Tolkien's work to traditional mythology, and the lessons Tolkien's work teaches for our own lives.
Vicki Marsden, an orphan in Edwardian England, little dreams she will encounter the eminent figures of the day: King Edward the Seventh, archeologist Arthur Evans, suffragette Christobel Pankhurst, and journalist G.K. Chesterton. But her adventures are just beginning, as she must travel through time to discover the secret of The Gryphon Seal. DON’T MISS THE KAPHTU TRILOGY: “It has magic; there are gods and mortals, and the kind of golden haze about it all which belongs to that age.” –C.J. Cherryh, author, The Morgaine Saga. “Purtill’s tales of ancient Crete bring myth to life with exciting action, colorful detail, and magic. Don’t miss the bull leapers!” –Sara Stamey, author, Islands. “Good writing, good story, good mythology. And there are three volumes of it!” -Rebecca Scott, The Green Man Review, greenmanreview.com.
The author’s premise is that “most of us are capable of managing our own lives and making appropriate decisions” if we have proper information and encouragement. Doctor McAllister ably meets the task of providing both. His work clarifies how feelings originate and the role they play in daily life. Emotional responses are presented not as observed by others but as experienced within the individual. These moving forces of behavior are examined in separate chapters dealing with the child, the adolescent, the adult, and the elder. Case studies bring life to the text and are presented with sensitivity, honesty, and compassion. The book includes an insightful critique of the current state of therapy with thought-provoking comments clarifying issues relating to therapy and spirituality. Doctor McAllister writes in a welcoming and simple manner about complex issues which are of interest to everyone. This is not a self-help book; he presents no slogans, no lists, no promises. But it is a book which will give readers an understanding of “the driving forces of human nature.” It is a treasure chest of information about emotional responses “for all seasons” from birth to death. The “mystery” of emotional life is dispelled by knowledge, and the “madness” of emotions is dispelled by timely treatment. The author has provided a book which moves both remedies forward.
The Mirror of Helen Book Three of the Kaphtu Trilogy “The story of Helen of Troy is one of the great classics of all time. In this unusual fantasy novel, Richard Purtill dares to look behind the scenes to depict what it was really like to be involved with that half-goddess whose radiant beauty did indeed launch a thousand ships. Here is Helen as a child, kidnapped and held hostage. Here is Helen as a woman, captive in an alien city, while the civilized world sought for her, fought for her. Told as by one who had seen the events, who knew her, who knew the gods who pulled the world’s strings, this is a novel that brings it all back in the vivid reflections of the mirror of divine judgement.” -Donald A. Wolheim, founder, DAW Books. “With a scholar’s grasp of the period and its mythology, and an unerring eye for character, Richard Purtill brings a gripping reality to the seige of Ilium. As real as today’s news--and vastly more enjoyable.” -F. M. Busby, author of The Demu Trilogy. The Kaphtu Trilogy: The Golden Gryphon Feather The Stolen Goddess The Mirror of Helen
After the Trojan War, came the perilous voyage home. This is the true story of Odysseus' return from Troy. Or is it? "I am an old hand at telling tales," he boasts in Letter to Nausicaa, "usually with a purpose: to gain sympathy, to make myself look better, or even just to amuse myself and others. But for once I would like to tell the true story of my life." Letter to Nausicaa takes up where the Kaphtu Trilogy left off, as Odysseus sets out for Ithaca in an adventure fraught with danger. Journey to ancient Kaphtu, where gods, goddesses, and mortals meet in mystery and adventure. "Good writing, good story, good mythology." -Rebecca Scott, The Green Man Review, on The Kaphtu Trilogy. "With a scholar's grasp of the period and its mythology, and an unerring eye for character, Richard Purtill brings a gripping reality. As real as today's news and vastly more enjoyable." -F.M. Busby, author of The Demu Trilogy. "Richard Purtill has an ease about his storytelling. His characters are instantly likeable, and the flow of the action is swift. The Lost tales are a wonderful re-immersion into the soothing waters of Purtill's mythos." -Baryon Reviews, Baryon-online.com.
The basic purpose of the book is to recall and record the historical events that surrounded and strongly influenced a generation of Americans. It was that generation born in the decade of the Great Depression, 1930 1940. To be dubbed later as the "Silent Generation," although not really 'silent,' they should more properly be called the "Depression Babies." They would grow up during World War II, a war fought by their parents whom Tom Brokaw would celebrate as The Greatest Generation. The Depression Babies were educated in the late 1940s and early 1950s, participated in or witnessed two more wars and were major contributors to the Technology Revolution in its early developmental stages. The book deals with the history and progress (or lack thereof) of the Depression Babies up to the present day and explains their politics and actions that unfortunately had them mislabeled as the "Silent Generation.
This book details my two fire service careers that took me to the "bumpy" road to the top. These careers consumed almost 34 years of my life. In this book I also included my colorful and exciting pre-teen and teenage years as well as my Navy experience. I originally wanted to be a Montgomery County Police Officer while in high school but after I finished my time with the Navy Seabees, unexpected events led me to the fire service. The fire service then afforded me an interesting career. In this book you will see where I was honored by being invited to "Ground Zero" by some of the FDNY Firefighters. This by far was the most emotional trip I have ever undertaken.
Fascinated by the temple ruins at Delphi, a young girl manages to slip into the site when it is deserted and finds herself involved in a strange adventure.
Is religious belief reasonable? Of course the so-called New Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, energetically say, "No!," Many others, including some believers, insist that faith is utterly beyond reasoned argument. Faith, they declare, is believing something that reason tells you can't be so. In this way they think they shield belief from rational criticism. But philosopher Richard Purtill will have none of that approach to religion. In this newly updated classic work, Purtill carefully applies the power of the mind to understanding whether there is a rational basis for certain religious beliefs. His focus is on widely held Christian beliefs, although much of what he says applies also to other religious traditions. Purtill assesses the common objections to religious belief the claims that religious tenets are nonsensical, wishful thinking, the result of gullibility, immoral, or refuted by modern discoveries. Then he considers the arguments in favor of Christian belief by studying the nature of faith, of the universe, of morality, of happiness, and the world with God in it. He also scrutinizes certain beliefs involving claims of Christian revelation — the credentials of revelation, the idea of God, Jesus as God's Son, organized religion, and the last things (death, judgment, heaven and hell). The two appendices tackle the Christian doctrine of the Atonement and the influence of certain Christian writers on the revival of Christian belief in the 20th century. An updated For Further Reading section is included. Reason to Believe is not a work of revealed theology or religious devotion; it is a highly readable book on the philosophy of religion, aimed at the reader who wants to think seriously about religion but who doesn't know all the philosophers' and theologians' jargon and who may or may not be a committed believer.
This volume includes a translation of the major prose works, several of the ascribed lyrics and a selection of the commentaries written in English by this fourteenth-century (c. 1300-1349) English mystical writer and hermit.
A fascinating look at the fantasy and philosophy of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. The two men were friends and fellow professors at Oxford, renowned Christian thinkers who both "found it necessary to create for the purposes of their fiction other worlds not utopias or dystopias, but different worlds." "The great importance of [Lewis and Tolkien] is that they have succeeded in restating certain traditional values in a way that they make an imaginative appeal to a very wide audience, young and old, traditionalist and non-traditionalist." — Richard Purtill, Author, J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion
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