From the Foreword by Riane Eisler: "Griffith's narrative moves like a searchlight over each phase of church history, illuminating the visions, options, and choices behind events. He traces the rise of a dominator version of Christianity, in which the primary concern was a chain of command to be followed, with rewards or punishments according to the degree of obedience. And beside this he illuminates another face of Christianity, concerned with healing all divisions between 'loved and unloved' people. The story Griffith presents is often deeply disturbing, as in his unstinting accounts concerning 'the gospel for women', or the age of holy wars and witch hunts. But ultimately his story offers solid grounds for optimism. He shows that all contention between different religious visions can be a process of building partnership. As Griffith points out, Jesus himself wished to debate his opponents openly, not to silence or eliminate them. He was not afraid of real encounter, or the potential of creative conflict. I want to congratulate Brian Griffith on this masterful, controversial, and highly readable account. His book offers hope in a divided world, where reaction against globalized 'godless corporate secularism' meets with a 'war on fundamentalism'. I hope to see other writers do comparable work in highlighting the partnership and dominator visions within their religious traditions around the world." - Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice & the Blade, Sacred Pleasure, Tomorrow's Children,  The Power of Partnership, The Real Wealth of Nations

Different Visions of Love: Partnership and Dominator Values in Christian History

History

Griffith, Brian

World

Outskirts Press

Parenthood is the most important responsibility of our lives. Our children are our legacy, and they carry to future generations the great momentum we have created in them. This momentum can be good or bad, depending on how successful we are as parents. Children are truly like arrows shot from the bow of an archer. We must point them in the right direction if we want them to hit the mark and turn out to be the children of our intentions. Your child is going to be a blessing or a curse. They are going to be a Cain or an Abel. They are going to succeed or fail in a very difficult world. Raising Cain and Abel highlights the various opportunities you have as a parent to influence your children. It explores my perspective on God's intentions for parents. At the end of the day, you can't make life decisions for your child as they carry the torch on to future generations. I implore you to be a responsible parent. Give your child a chance. Teach them right from wrong. Clarify the moral compass God put in them. Love them without question. If you follow the parenting principles laid out in this book, you will have a much better chance of raising an Abel than a Cain. Your child will hit the mark and, in turn, point their children in the same direction. Understand that your influence on your children has eternal implications. You have an opportunity to share wisdom with them here on earth, but also an opportunity to open their eyes to God and His great plan for eternal salvation. May God bless you and your children for generations to come and throughout eternity.

Raising Cain and Abel

Parenting & Relationships

Parenting

Xulon Press

Our wars with the animals go way back. Beyond the light cast by our prehistoric campfires, the eyes glowing in the night seemed to represent a great hostile force. As we began to cultivate crops and husband a few favoured animals, we generally regarded other creatures as threats to our chosen few. Using the logic of war, we sought to maximize the populations of certain creatures, and the destruction of others. In the past, that war effort was our great crusade for the advancement of civilization as we knew it. The war had a frontier, a front line, and an ongoing battle on the home front. Expanding outward from our various cradles of civilization, we progressively "tamed" the forests and grasslands, converting them to monocrop plantations or pastures. Then we had to defend our monocrops from encroaching weeds, insects, and wild animals. In this immediately engaging, story- and fact-filled page-turner of a book, Brian Griffith looks at the range of ways we relate to animals and the stories we tell about them. He asks how we choose whether buddyhood, fearful respect, businesslike predation, or genocidal war is the most appropriate response to each species we meet. He watches how our treatment of "inferior beings" affects our treatment of "inferior people," and traces some of the chain reactions we unleash when we try to weed out species we don't like. "Without much hope of making animals fit my personal preferences," he writes, "I wonder how good our relations can get."

War and Peace with the Beasts: A History of Our Relationship with Animals

Politics & Social Sciences

Anthropology

Woodlake Publishing

This magnificent history of the desert relates the human consequences of its relentless expansion. As a result of the past several thousand years, the Great Desert now stretches in almost unbroken continuity from Mauritania's Atlantic seaboard through the Middle East and Central Asia to the Great Wall of China. The author seeks to understand how the great civilizations in the original "green lands" of North Africa, Ancient Egypt, the Middle East, South Asia, and China responded and changed under the pressure of invaders fleeing growing environmental degradation in the surrounding deserts. In fascinating detail, Brian Griffith's cultural history of the deserts of Africa and Asia shows how the expanding wasteland fundamentally reshaped people's images of nature, women, politics, and religion.

THE GARDENS OF THEIR DREAMS: Desertification and Culture in World History

Zed Books

This magnificent history of the desert relates the human consequences of its relentless expansion. As a result of the past several thousand years, the Great Desert now stretches in almost unbroken continuity from Mauritania's Atlantic seaboard through the Middle East and Central Asia to the Great Wall of China. The author seeks to understand how the great civilizations in the original "green lands" of North Africa, Ancient Egypt, the Middle East, South Asia, and China responded and changed under the pressure of invaders fleeing growing environmental degradation in the surrounding deserts. In fascinating detail, Brian Griffith's cultural history of the deserts of Africa and Asia shows how the expanding wasteland fundamentally reshaped people's images of nature, women, politics, and religion.

The Gardens of Their Dreams: Desertification and Culture in World History

[Griffith] is a thorough independent scholar, and his concise writing makes historical facts engaging and relevant. His most important take-home message: it is not verboten for people of faith to ask why beliefs and practices developed in a specific way. In fact, it could even be considered an obligation for healthy, committed believers to do so.” Publishers Weekly
I love Brian Griffith for having the heart to try to scrape away the barnacles of ideology and prejudice that keep attaching themselves to those four, frail little gospel boats. Part of this book will break your heart as he describes how little compromises and strategic emphases grow into huge errors and disasters.” FRANK COTTRELL BOYCE, author of Millions, a Carnegie Medal award-winning book adapted into a feature film directed by Danny Boyle
In Correcting Jesus, Brian Griffith patiently and clearly untangles the many strands of the story of Christianity, and the many changes made over the centuries to the original story of Jesus and his message. If you’ve ever wondered, Where did that rule come from?” and Was it always this way?” this book will provide enlightenment.
Brian Griffith grew up in Texas, studied history at the University of Alberta, and now lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario. He is an independent historian who examines how cultural history influences our lives, and how collective experience offers insights for our future.

Correcting Jesus: 2000 Years of Changing the Story

Exterminating Angel Press

ForeWord Reviews Mother’s Day Staff Pick: Books Mom Will Love”A valuable historical reference guide.” Publishers WeeklyThis is a very ambitious and timely book, a book that many historians, literary theorists and story tellers who care about China and its Other Half of the Sky” want to write, but Brian Griffith did it first, with such scope, ease and fun.” WANG PING, author of The Last Communist Virgin and Aching for Beauty: Footbinding in ChinaThis book is a most engaging and entertaining read, and the depth of its scholarship is astounding. Griffith vividly describes the counterculture of Chinese goddesses, shows that their fascinating stories are alive and active today, and points us toward a more inclusive and caring partnership future.” RIANE EISLER, author of The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics and The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our FutureTouching on the whole story of Chinafrom Neolithic villages to a globalized Shanghaithis book ties mythology, archaeology, history, religion, folklore, literature, and journalism into a millennia-spanning story about how Chinese womenand their goddess traditionsfostered a counterculture that flourishes and grows stronger every day.As Brian Griffith charts the stories of China’s founding mothers, shamanesses, goddesses, and ordinary heroines, he also explores the largely untold story of women’s contributions to cultural life in the world’s biggest society and provides inspiration for all global citizens.Brian Griffith grew up in Texas, studied history at the University of Alberta, and now lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario. He is an independent historian who examines how cultural history influences our lives, and how collective experience offers insights for our future.

A Galaxy of Immortal Women: The Yin Side of Chinese Civilization

Asia

This book tells the story of Iranian women's accomplishments and struggles over the course of history, spanning from ancient Elam to the present day. It explores the evolving conditions of women's lives in each era, and how women's choices and initiatives have shaped Persian civilization. In the process, it presents a cast of unique, often brilliant individuals, and refutes the traditional assumption that men were always the authors of Iranian culture, business, law, religion, art, education, literature, agriculture, science, architecture, philosophy, social mores, and the writing of history. It shows how Iranian women have always been creative, influential players in these fields, and how their contributions have enriched the world. &nbsp;

Mother Persia: Women in Iran's History

Noorian, Zhinia

Middle East

PALGRAVE~MACMILLAN

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