The Trail of Life in the Middle Year

The Trail of Life in the Middle Year PDF

Author: Rufus M. Jones

Publisher:

Published: 2023-02-18

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781684227952

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2023 Reprint of the 1934 U.S. Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Rufus Matthew Jones was an American religious leader, writer, magazine editor, philosopher, and college professor. One of the most influential Quakers of the 20th century, he was a Quaker historian and theologian as well as a philosopher. The essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson introduced Jones to the idea of George Fox as one of a great historical succession of mystics. This revelation changed Jones's conception of his family's religion. From the writings of the early Quakers, Jones crystallized the concept of the 'inner light," an idea central in particular to modern liberal Quakerism. "The Inner Light is the doctrine that there is something Divine, 'Something of God' in the human soul," he wrote. This inner light was something integral to the human condition, irrespective of a person's religious conviction. He upheld that God is a personal being with whom human beings could interact. He wrote in The Trail of Life in the Middle Years, "The essential characteristic of [mysticism] is the attainment of a personal conviction by an individual that the human spirit and the divine Spirit have met, have found each other, and are in mutual and reciprocal correspondence as spirit with Spirit."

The Novels of Theodore Dreiser

The Novels of Theodore Dreiser PDF

Author: Donald Pizer

Publisher: U of Minnesota Press

Published: 1976

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 0816607680

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Investigates the sources and composition of each of Dreiser's eight novels and interprets the themes and literary devices of his completed works

Mechanism and Mysticism

Mechanism and Mysticism PDF

Author: Louis J. Zanine

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 2016-11-11

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1512809128

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In Mechanism and Mysticism, Louis J. Zanine provides the first full-length study of Theodore Dreiser's interest in modern scientific research and of the impact of scientific ideas on the thought and work of a writer who would gain fame as a deterministic naturalist, but who would end his life as a mystic pantheist. Dreiser was raised in a household dominated by the fanatical Catholic faith of his father and the superstitious beliefs of his mother. In 1894, having rejected the orthodox Christianity of his upbringing, he underwent a significant intellectual and spiritual revolution, precipitated by his discover y of the evolutionary writings of Darwin, Huxley, and Spencer. The concept of an evolutionary universe provided Dreiser with the philosophical framework for the pessimistic naturalism of his early novels (Sister Carrie, Jennie Gerhardt, The Financier). In the next decades, his discovery of scientific mechanism would reveal a universe that was a well-ordered machine, and it is in the context of Dreiser's reading of the mechanistic philosophy of Jacques Loeb and others that Zanine examines An American Tragedy and The Hand of the Potter. The philosophy of mechanism, combined with his under standing of evolutionary thought, provided Dreiser with a scientific world view that gave him a coherent system of beliefs about human beings' place in the universe, their origins, and the bases of their behavior. Yet Zanine demonstrates that Dreiser never fully adopted the stark materialism or atheism of the mechanists. He continued to have a deeply superstitious side, and a number of experiences with fortune tellers, séances, Ouija boards, and spirit apparitions convinced him of the existence of some controlling supernatural force in the universe. During the same years that he was espousing the principles of mechanistic philosophy in correspondence and conversation with Jacques Loeb, Zanine shows Dreiser was also drawn into speculations about the supernatural through his friendship with the eccentric investigator and author, Charles Fort. In an effort to further his understanding of mechanistic philosophy and to reconcile his faith in the supernatural with the facts of modern science, Dreiser began an intensive period of scientific study in 1927. For the next ten years, he befriended many of America's most eminent scientists, and read numerous works on biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. In 1937, at the Carnegie Biological Laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor, he experienced a spiritual epiphany in which he was suddenly able to intuit a Divine Being's presence in all of nature. Dreiser's scientific quest had culminated in a mystical conversion that would dominate the remaining eight years of his life. Mechanism and Mysticism offers substantial insight into the character of one of America's leading literary figures. With its unique brand of interdisciplinary research data, it will be of interest to students and scholars of American studies and literature, twentieth-century history, and history of science and religion.

Rufus Jones (1863-1948)

Rufus Jones (1863-1948) PDF

Author: Claus Bernet

Publisher: Peter Lang

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 9783631589304

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Rufus Jones (1863-1948) helped organize the Quäkerspeisung (Quaker feeding effort), saving millions from starvation after the First World War. In Germany he is best known for having travelled to Berlin to seek a personal meeting with Hitler after the Kristallnacht in 1938. And, at the conclusion of a long life devoted to service, it was largely due to Jones that the American Friends Service Committee was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947. But Jones was also the quintessential «American scholar», seeking to harmonize theory and practice. He was a pivotal figure of the 20th century who stayed in close touch with authors and statesmen the world over. He earned a reputation as a modern mystic and an active pacifist, and was regarded as the moral conscience of his era. His scholarship encompassed education and pedagogy, philosophical questions, church and Quaker history, as well as the political issues of the day. Jones dealt with such issues as justice, democracy, and child-rearing. His ideas are still alive today and still arouse controversy. He was particularly anxious to avoid the cultivation of an elite, pleading instead for individual growth and personality development. Over the course of his life, he was awarded twelve academic titles, taught at numerous universities, delivered countless lectures, and was one of the first theologians to recognise the significance of radio and to make full use of it. To this day Rufus Jones is still honored as a «seer», «Protestant mystic», and even as a «Master Quaker» and «Quaker Giant». It is time also to take a critical look at these honors.

On the Trail of Life

On the Trail of Life PDF

Author: L.R. Abbe

Publisher: WestBow Press

Published: 2011-07-01

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 1449720072

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Thomas Hardees life pivoted around his job and his wife, Debbie. Then one day, due to the poor economy; Thomas was laid off from a job that he held for nearly twenty years. Almost one year later to the day, on a Wednesday morning, Thomas found himself facing the reality that his wife had just been killed in a terrible automobile accident. The life that he once knew and that he had become so comfortable with was turned upside down, and it left him in a cloud of confusion. It was impossible for Thomas to feel any enjoyment in his life without Debbie there with him. He finally sought seclusion on the hiking trails that he visited when he was younger before he and Debbie had even met. It was on these trails where Thomas confronted Jesus head on and face to face. It was out here where he asked those questions which hurt him the most. Why Debbie, my Debbie? What did she do to you? Why? What did I ever do to you? Why? The more he asked, the more that Thomas learned. He was shown that it isnt one particular denomination or one religion by name that is going to save us. Its only Jesus that is going to get us into heaven, and it is only in His Words where we can find out what He wants for us to do.

American Literature

American Literature PDF

Author: Jay Broadus Hubbell

Publisher:

Published: 1957

Total Pages: 600

ISBN-13:

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Since its inception, American Literature has been regarded as the preeminent periodical in its field. Written by established scholars as well as the newest and brightest young critics, AL's thought-provoking essays cover a broad spectrum of periods and genres and employ a wide range of methodological and theoretical approaches--the best in American literary criticism. Each issue of American Literature contains articles covering the works of several American authors, from colonial to contemporary, as well as an extensive book review section; a "Brief Mention" section offering citations of new editions and reprints, collections, anthologies, and other professional books; and an "Announcements" section that keeps readers up-to-date on prizes, competitions, conferences, grants, and publishing opportunities.

The Messy Middle

The Messy Middle PDF

Author: Scott Belsky

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2018-10-02

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0735218072

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING BOOKS OF 2018 BY INC. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST STARTUP BOOKS OF ALL TIME BY BOOKAUTHORITY The Messy Middle is the indispensable guide to navigating the volatility of new ventures and leading bold creative projects by Scott Belsky, bestselling author, entrepreneur, Chief Product Officer at Adobe, and product advisor to many of today's top start-ups. Creating something from nothing is an unpredictable journey. The first mile births a new idea into existence, and the final mile is all about letting go. We love talking about starts and finishes, even though the middle stretch is the most important and often the most ignored and misunderstood. Broken into three sections with 100+ lessons, this no-nonsense book will help you: • Endure the roller coaster of successes and failures by strengthening your resolve, embracing the long-game, and short-circuiting your reward system to get to the finish line. • Optimize what’s working so you can improve the way you hire, better manage your team, and meet your customers’ needs. • Finish strong and avoid the pitfalls many entrepreneurs make, so you can overcome resistance, exit gracefully, and continue onto your next creative endeavor with ease. With insightful interviews from today’s leading entrepreneurs, artists, writers, and executives, as well as Belsky’s own experience working with companies like Airbnb, Pinterest, Uber, and sweetgreen, The Messy Middle will outfit you to find your way through the hardest parts of any bold project or new venture.