Arts Podcasts
Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2 by CALVIN, JohnJoin Now to Follow
<p>Institutes of the Christian Religion is John Calvin's seminal work on Protestant systematic theology. Highly influential in the Western world and still widely read by theological students today, it was published in Latin in 1536 and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some learning already and covered a broad range of theological topics from the doctrines of church and sacraments to justification by faith alone and Christian liberty, and it vigorously attacked the teachings of those Calvin considered unorthodox, particularly Roman Catholicism to which Calvin says he had been "strongly devoted" before his conversion to Protestantism. The over-arching theme of the book – and Calvin's greatest theological legacy – is the idea of God's total sovereignty, particularly in salvation and election. The Institutes are a primary reference for the system of doctrine adopted by the Reformed churches, usually called Calvinism. Book Two of the Institutes treats of the knowledge of God considered as a Redeemer in Christ, and showing man his falls conducts him to Christ the Mediator. (Summary from Wikipedia & preface)</p> <br>Book 1 may be found here: <a href="http://librivox.org/institutes-of-the-christian-religion-book-1-by-john-calvin/">LINK</a><br>Book 3 may be found here: <a href="http://librivox.org/institutes-of-the-christian-religion-book-3-by-john-calvin/">LINK</a><br>Book 4 may be found here: <a href="http://librivox.org/institutes-of-the-christian-religion-book-4-by-john-calvin/">LINK</a>
By LibriVox
Librivox: Popular History of Ireland, Book 03, A by McGee, Thomas D'ArcyJoin Now to Follow
Thomas D'Arcy McGee was an Irish refugee and a father of the Canadian confederation. His work on Irish history is comprehensive, encompassing twelve books; book 3 begins with the fortune of the family of Brian Boru and continues through the rise of the O'Conors to the political, economic, and religious condition of the island prior to the English invasion. (Summary by Sibella Denton)
By LibriVox
Historical Tales, Vol. II: American II by MORRIS, CharlesJoin Now to Follow
<p>Volume II of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This second volume supplements the first with additional stories of the discovery, colonization, founding, and early years of the United States of America, describing history for children and young adults in an exciting and novel manner. (Summary by Kalynda)</p>
By LibriVox
Soren Kierkegaard, Various Readings by VARIOUSJoin Now to Follow
<p>The writings listed here represent books about Soren Kierkegaard. A fragment of his work, On the Dedication to "That Single Individual", has made it to the public domain. Who was Soren Kierkegaard? He was a Danish philosopher and religious author; b. Copenhagen May 6, 1813; d. there Nov. 11, 1855. His father, Michael, a clothing merchant, once cursed God when he was young. This one incident caused him so much distress that it affected him with a deep melancholy, which he transferred to poor Soren. Michael was an evil man. He tricked Soren into thinking that the whole world existed in his own living room by taking him for imaginary walks about the neighborhood, or anywhere Soren wanted to go, as long as it existed in his imagination only. Later in life, when Soren was on his own, he rarely left Copenhagen, but he did walk about the streets and greet passersby, discussing events of the day. After 6 years of “splendid inactivity” he obtained his degree in Theology from the University of Copenhagen with the submission of his thesis paper in 1841, On the Concept of Irony with Continual Reference to Socrates. Just before graduation he fell in love with Regine Olsen and proposed that they marry. She accepted, but Soren was unable to live up to the requirements of marriage and broke off the engagement after a short period. He lived a life of despair afterward. His father, Regine, and Socrates were the major influences in his life. So say all the authors in the following readings, but I disagree.<br><br> Soren considered a variety of callings, he could be philosopher, a scientist, or a preacher, but he ultimately decided that Christianity was his interest. He wondered if J. P. Mynster, bishop of Zealand and head of the National Church of Denmark, was preaching true Christianity or not. He decided at this point that his “task is a Socratic task, to revise the conception of what it means to be a Christian”. He was interested only in the “How” of Christianity, not the “What” of Christianity. He became an author, an author who was always “in the process of becoming” what he would be. He became many authors, Victor Eremita, Johannes de Silentio, Johannes Climacus, Vigilius Haufniensis, Nicolaus Notabene, Hilarius Bookbinder, Frater Taciturnus, and Soren Kierkegaard. All of them wrote books between the years 1843 and 1855. He used his imagination to create each author as an existing individual Human being, one who exists, “between the esthetic and the ethical” where “the esthetic is existing; the ethicist is struggling against the religious”, as one “aware of the religious-and the leap” of faith, one “who ordinarily despairs of nothing, despairs of repetition”, one who has “used a love affair in relation to what it means to exist”, one who believed “that in relation to God we are always in the wrong,” one who cries to God “I cannot understand you, but I will love you” one who as "the ethicist, in despair, has chosen himself out of terror of having himself" and finally as one who said “that truth is objectively a paradox shows precisely that subjectivity is truth” so “Only truth that builds up is truth for you”.<br><br> The authors are all in agreement that Soren's father, Regine, and Socrates were influential in his life. None of them were able to state that Jesus Christ had any influence upon him at all. Soren Kierkegaard said, "God is not like a king in a predicament, who says to the highly trusted Minister of the Interior, “You must do everything, you must create the atmosphere for our proposal and win public opinion to our side.” "But in relation to God, there are no secret instruction for a human being any more than there are any backstairs. Even the most eminent genius who comes to give a report had best come in fear and trembling, for God is not hard pressed for geniuses. He can create a few legion of them if needed." God wants each individual to examine to judge and to decide. http://www.archive.org/details/forselfexaminati011847mbp <br><br> Here is a link to to some of his works http://www.religion-online.org/listbycategory.asp?Cat=110 one to a biography http://www.stolaf.edu/collections/kierkegaard/aboutkierk.html - and a link to Kierkegaard reorganized (systemetized?) - http://www.plough.com/ebooks/Provocations.html - (Summary by Soupy)</p>
By LibriVox
Italian Cook Book, The by GENTILE, MariaJoin Now to Follow
<p>One of the beneficial results of the Great War has been the teaching of thrift to the American housewife. For patriotic reasons and for reasons of economy, more attention has been bestowed upon the preparing and cooking of food that is to be at once palatable, nourishing and economical.<br><br>In the Italian cuisine we find in the highest degree these three qualities. That it is palatable, all those who have partaken of food in an Italian trattoria or at the home of an Italian family can testify, that it is healthy the splendid manhood and womanhood of Italy is a proof more than sufficient. And who could deny, knowing the thriftiness of the Italian race, that it is economical?<br><br>It has therefore been thought that a book of practical recipes of the Italian cuisine could be offered to the American public with hope of success. It is not a pretentious book, and the recipes have been made as clear and simple as possible. Some of the dishes described are not peculiar to Italy. All, however, are representative of the Cucina Casalinga of the peninsular Kingdom, which is not the least product of a lovable and simple people, among whom the art of living well and getting the most out of life at a moderate expense has been attained to a very high degree. (Preface of the book)</p>
By LibriVox
Librivox: Critique of Practical Reason, The by Kant, ImmanuelJoin Now to Follow
The Critique of Practical Reason ( Kritik der praktischen Vernunft ) is the second of Immanuel Kant's three critiques, first published in 1788. It follows on from his Critique of Pure Reason and deals with his moral philosophy. The second Critique exercised a decisive influence over the subsequent development of the field of ethics and moral philosophy, becoming the principle reference point for ethical systems that focus on the rightness or wrongness of actions themselves, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions. Subsequently termed “deontological ethics”, Kant’s ethical system also laid the groundwork of moral absolutism, the belief that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, devoid of the context of the act. (Summary by Wikipedia and Ticktockman)
By LibriVox
Dracula (dramatic reading) by STOKER, BramJoin Now to Follow
<p>Bram Stoker did not invent the vampire story, but he popularized it with his classic 1897 novel. In form <i>Dracula</i> is an epistolary novel, told through a series of journal entries, letters, newspaper articles, and telegrams. It begins with lawyer Jonathan Harker's perilous journey to Castle Dracula in Transylvania, and chronicles the vampire's invasion of England, where he preys upon the lovely Lucy Westenra and Harker's fiancee, Mina. Harker and Mina join forces with lunatic asylum proprieter Dr. Seward, Lucy's fiance Arthur Holmwood, Texas man of action Quincey Morris, and Dutch vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing to try and defeat their powerful adversary. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)</p> <strong>Cast:</strong><br><p>Jonathan Harker: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1492">mb</a><br>Mina Murray Harker: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1259">Elizabeth Klett</a><br>Lucy Westenra: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3536">Arielle Lipshaw</a><br>Dr. Seward: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/26">Denny Sayers</a><br>Quincey P. Morris: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5098">Eric Zetterlund</a><br>Arthur Holmwood: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4535">Brett W. Downey</a><br>Cutting from The Dailygraph: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/19">Kara Shallenberg</a><br>Log of the Demeter: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5104">Chuck Burke</a><br>Samuel F. Billington & Son: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4462">Katalina Watt</a><br>Carter, Patterson & Co: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4942">Robert B.</a><br>Sister Agatha: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4174">Availle</a><br>Abraham Van Helsing: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4684">Rismyth</a><br>The Pall Mall Gazette: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3615">Lucy Perry</a><br>Patrick Hennessey: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4848">Dee Wyckoff</a><br>The Westminster Gazette: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/2911">David Lawrence</a><br>Mitchell, Sons, & Candy: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4942">Robert B.</a><br>Rufus Smith Telegrams: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3698">Nadine Eckert-Boulet</a><br><br><strong>Audio edited by:</strong> Elizabeth Klett<br></p>
By LibriVox
History Of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Vol. 3 by MASPERO, GastonJoin Now to Follow
<p>History Of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria is the masterwork of one of the fathers of modern egyptology. This work, in twelve volumes, was translated from the French original, “Histoire ancienne des peuples de l'Orient classique” by E. L. McClure and published in 1903-1904. Maspero was a largely self-taught master of hieroglyphic translation. In November 1880, he was placed at the head of a French archeological mission, which developed later into the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale. Maspero then succeeded Mariette as director-general of excavations and of the antiquities of Egypt.<br><br>“Aware that his reputation was then more as a linguist than an archaeologist, Maspero's first work in the post was to build on Mariette's achievements at Saqqara. He expanded their scope from the early Old Kingdom to the later, with particular interest in tombs with long and complete hieroglyphic inscriptions that could help illustrate the development of the Egyptian language. Selecting five later Old Kingdom tombs, he was successful in that aim, finding over 4000 lines of hieroglyphics which were then sketched and photographed.<br><br>“As an aspect of his attempt to curtail the rampant illegal export of Egyptian antiquities by tourists, collectors and agents for the major European and American museums, Maspero arrested the Abd al-Russul brothers from the notorious treasure-hunting village of Gorna, who confessed under torture to having found the great cache of royal mummies at Deir el-Bahri in July 1881. The cache was moved to Cairo as soon as possible to keep it safe from robbers.<br><br>“In 1886 he resumed work begun by Mariette to uncover the Sphinx, removing more than 65 feet of sand and seeking tombs below it (which he did not find, but have later been found but not opened).”<br><br>Maspero went on to sponsor and expand the system of national museums and presided over the growing collection of the Bulak Museum. Maspero gave a 17 year old Howard Carter his first Egyptological job – and it was he who recommended Carter to Lord Carnarvon. Carter and Carnarvon would go on to doscover the tomb of King Tutankhaman.<br><br>In the third volume of this master work, Maspero tackles ancient Chaldea, her gods and temples, and the civilization of Chaldea. (Summary from Wikipedia)</p>
By LibriVox
Librivox: Moonstone, The by Collins, WilkieJoin Now to Follow
The story concerns a young woman called Rachel Verinder who inherits a large Indian diamond, the Moonstone, on her eighteenth birthday. The book is widely regarded as the precursor of the modern mystery and suspense novels. T. S. Eliot called it 'the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels'. It contains a number of ideas which became common tropes of the genre: a large number of suspects, red herrings, a crime being investigated by talented amateurs who happen to be present when it is committed, and two police officers who exemplify respectively the 'local bungler' and the skilled, professional, Scotland Yard detective. (Summary from Wikipedia)
By LibriVox
Librivox: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Crane, StephenJoin Now to Follow
Stephen Crane's first novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets has been called "the first dark flower of American Naturalism" for its distinctive elements of naturalistic fiction. The chief character, Maggie, descends into prostitution after being led astray by her lover. Rather than focusing on those that make up the very rich or middle class, the novel highlights the deplorable living conditions of the working class during the so-called Gilded Age in New York's Bowery. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Illiterati)
By LibriVox
