SNEDDON PhD, Roy

ISBN 978-1-923443-94-5
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Onya Nun!

 

Theravada Bhikkhunis in Australia

Presenting Onya Nun!, the inaugural academic research endeavor singularly focused on Theravadin Buddhist nuns within the Australian context.

This volume, an abridged iteration of a doctoral dissertation, offers a rigorous poststructural discourse analysis derived from empirical interviews with Australian Buddhist monastics and lay adherents.

The work meticulously examines global gender inequities confronting Buddhist women, viewed through the unique socioreligious landscape of Australian Theravada Buddhism.

Onya Nun! constitutes an indispensable resource for Buddhist monastics, lay practitioners, and scholars, providing an unprecedented historical repository.

In adherence to research ethics and for archival integrity, all interview transcripts are appended, thereby preserving the authentic voices and lived experiences of Australian nuns.

About the Author

Roy Sneddon is a Scottish-born Australian living in Adelaide, South Australia. Following a long involvement with academia, he has achieved a BGenSt (Griffith University), MHlthAdm (Flinders University), and a PhD (University of Adelaide).

His interest in Buddhism was sparked some thirty years ago in Japan when, while desperate for something to read, he found a discarded Buddhist text translated to English. This moment of happenstance eventually culminated in his doctoral research: Exploring Gender Equity Issues facing Theravada Buddhist Nuns in Australia, for which Roy travelled the country yarning with local nuns and monks.

Now with his thesis completed, Roy can happily return to his meditation practices: motorcycle rides, Wing Chun Kung Fu and beekeeping.

NEWBERY, Kent

ISBN 978-1-923386-26-6
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The Why War

 

Why did long-lasting tensions ignite the Great War?

It was more than just the Great War – it was decades of build-up to a conflict which was to change our world forever.

This historical work will take you behind the scenes to discover what forces were at work to create the tinderbox which was to engulf man-kind in over four years of carnage. It will reveal why so many nations eventually joined the fighting, and how they came to decide which side they would take.

The book takes you into the chambers of government where decisions were made, some of which lengthened the war, and others which helped bring about its end. You will then see how some of those decisions brought about changes in the world which still dominate our newspapers today.

Much more than a history of the Great War, this is a commentary on how self-interests and flawed political process can create disastrous outcomes for humanity.

About the Author

 

KENT NEWBERY was born into a middle-class family in 1952 in country South Australia.

He studied pharmacy in Adelaide before returning to the family business in 1974. After a successful career, in the pharmaceutical industry and other ventures, he retired in controversial circumstances in 2021.

His professional life came to an end when he was deregistered by the industry body, for comments he made which were critical of World Health Organisation measures brought in to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The research he had done into the operations of the WHO showed his penchant for investigation and learning and this became evident as he increased his reading after retirement, particularly in his favoured genre of military history.

Kent’s interest in the Great War of 1914 – 1918 led to him investigating the reported causes of the war; reasons which aroused some skepticism. He probed deeper and was so captivated by his findings that, after turning 70, he decided to share his work and publish his first book.

Some look at things as they are – and ask WHY?
Others look at things that could be – and ask WHY NOT?

MURRAY, James a

ISBN 978-1-923523-64-7
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The Decline and Fall of Judeo-Christian Civilisation

 

 

What happens when the values that once held a culture together crumble to dust? In this uncompromising collection, Murray turns a sharp eye to the fractures of modern life.

The Decline and Fall of Judeo- Christian Civilisation is a collection of essays offering an intimate and critical exploration of contemporary society, framed through the author’s personal experiences and        reflections, and his enduring connection to the Australian bush.

Forthright, engaging, intriguing, no-holds-barred, delving into embroilments with family, friends and neighbours, with societal norms and environmental degradation, Murray paints a penetrating portrait of a civilisation in dire decline.

About the Author

 

JAMES A MURRAY WAS born in Melbourne and grew up in Queensland, the great-grandson of Irish, Scottish, and Cornish migrants who settled in Australia in the midnineteenth century.

Over the years, his passions have included music, bushwalking, and raising his two children.

Now living in solitude in a remote corner of the Northern Territory, he spends his days writing and playing online chess.

MACRITCHIE, Finlay and MACRITCHIE-HOOK, Sylvia

ISBN 978-1-923443-79-2
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ISBN 978-1-923443-80-8
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ISBN 978-1-923589-25-4
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Are we on the Right Path or the Wrong One ?

 

Why critical thinking matters now more than ever

In any society, self-examination is not a luxury — it is a necessity.

Are we on the Right Path or the Wrong One? argues that a healthy democracy depends on citizens who are well-informed, critically engaged, and able to distinguish evidence-based knowledge from propaganda. This book invites readers to pause and reflect: are we truly moving in the right direction?

Drawing inspiration from the scientific method — which encourages exploration, critical inquiry, and the courage to question assumptions — the book challenges us to examine controversial issues such as the entrenchment of false beliefs, the state of education, the rise of authoritarianism, the misuse of science, and the politicisation of climate change. Like scientists probing multiple hypotheses, we must be willing to test our societal assumptions without dogmatism or defensiveness. Seeking truth demands intellectual humility — and a readiness to acknowledge when we may have taken a wrong turn.

Are we on the Right Path or the Wrong One? is a spirited defence of reason, free thought, and common sense. In an era of intense political polarisation, it calls for a renewed commitment to critical thinking, honest dialogue, and genuine respect for diverse viewpoints — values essential for democracy’s survival and flourishing.

“This is a work of profound learning and reflection.  It is a vigorous and deeply thoughtful defence of freedom of thought and the need for integrity in science.  I cannot recommend it too highly – it is a work desperately needed at times in our history, such as now.”

 

John Roskam – Senior Fellow, Institute of Public Affairs.

About the Authors

 

FINLAY MACRITCHIE is an internationally recognised scientist and Emeritus Professor of Grain Science & Industry at Kansas State University, USA. He previously worked at CSIRO in Australia for 30 years and held visiting professorships in universities across Europe and South America. He has published over 150 scientific papers and five books. He has been a member of the Editorial Boards of Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, Cereal Chemistry and Journal of Cereal Science and was Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Cereal Science (2008 – 2018). Professor MacRitchie’s awards include the F.B. Guthrie Medal of the Cereal Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Thomas Burr Osborne Medal and George W. Scott Blair Memorial Award of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (now AACC International). In 2020, Stanford University listed him among the world’s top 2% of researchers.

SYLVIA MACRITCHIE-HOOK is a qualified marketing and communications specialist with over 25 years of professional experience. Her background includes work across various sectors, including publishing and media in London, Sydney, and San Francisco. She has also held roles at top-tier law firms, in higher education, and within the Catholic sector. Most recently, she served in a senior management role at a prominent Catholic organisation in Australia. Currently, she is a Ramsay Scholar at Australian Catholic University, pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts (Western Civilisation).

HAMLEY, Neil

ISBN 978-1-923523-81-4
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The Way of Truth and Reality

What is truth? What is reality?

Whether we are fully conscious of it or not, truth and reality are at the centre of our lives and extremely important to us. We constantly use the words ‘truth’ and ‘reality’. We constantly assert or imply that we know what is true and real, often in very fundamental ways. We live according to what we believe is true and real. We invest all that we have in what we believe is true and real. In times of crisis and suff ering, the importance of what is true and real becomes acutely manifest. And for those of us on a Spiritual path, we become increasingly conscious that the realisation of truth and the realisation of reality are essential and intrinsic aspects of both our journey and our Destination.

But what do we mean by the words ‘truth’ and ‘reality’? How shall we define them? What fulfills these definitions? By what means do we ascertain what is true and real: reason, logic, intuition, experience, mystical experience? How do we live according to what is true and real? What is it to live with integrity? Is there an absolute foundation for our integrity or virtue? These are profound and difficult questions and matters—and they are crucial for all of us.

The Way of Truth and Reality is an exploration of the nature of truth and reality and their importance and place in our lives, in particular, as part of any Spiritual path. We shall see that reality is nothing less than the Spiritual universe, of which our lives on Earth are a small but essential part, and that truth is the absolutely accurate, certain, unchanging, and objective knowing of the Spiritual universe or aspects of it. We see also, the capacity for truth is inherent to and grounded in the Divine including our own Divine nature as Spiritual Beings or Souls. And we see that the realisation of truth and of reality are necessary to dissolve our suff ering and, more positively, for the increasing realisation of our Spiritual Nature which is our true and real fulfillment.

ISBN 978-1-923386-58-7
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ISBN 978-1-923386-59-4
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Thoughts for a Soulful Life

Who are you? What are you?

The ancient answer to these questions, still the answer, is that you are a Soul—a ray of the Divine.

Thoughts for a Soulful Life is, for the most part, a collection of short passages on the nature of the Soul, oneself, and what it means  to live a Soulful or Spiritual life. As such, it considers questions such as: What is the Soul? What is the relation of the Soul to the ego or personality and the body? What does it mean to be receptive to the Soul and to give expression to oneself as a Soul or, what is the same, to live a Spiritual life? What is the relationship of the Soul to that which may be called God but which is given different names in different traditions? And what is the relationship between the Soul that you are and the Spiritual universe of which you are part?

If you have picked up this book, maybe you have been pondering some of these questions, thinking about the Soul, for like attracts like. If so, then my sincere wish is that this book will shed some light for you upon this path which you are now undertaking—the first, last, most important and, essentially, the only path.

ISBN 978-1-923443-62-4
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Spiritual Integrity

What does it mean to live with integrity, with Spiritual integrity?

Essentially, Spiritual Integrity is an exploration of the truth and reality that each of us is a Spiritual being of infinite value, what has traditionally been called the Soul, and in this light, what it means to live with integrity. We begin by looking at the place of the human Soul within the Spiritual universe. We see that each of us, each Soul, has depths, normally hidden, which reach to the very source of all existence—

That which has been given various names but which we may call the Spirit. We see also, that the true Conscience is a voice emerging from the depths of the Soul (that one is) to guide our self-expression, and that to hear and honour the Conscience is to live with Spiritual integrity.

We experience Spiritual integrity to be an inseparable current of truth, love, power, peace, joy, freedom, goodness and beauty. As such, it is an embodiment and expression of our intrinsic Spiritual Qualities. As we live with Spiritual integrity we naturally deepen into the fullness of our Spiritual nature—in truth, there is no other way.

While this path is intrinsically valuable, for its own sake, in this way we also bring our unique gifts to the world and give the most to others.

The book unfolds to consider the relationship between Spiritual integrity and many key areas of life including self-value, individuality, love, truth, relationships, well-being, growth, vocation, success, daily life, society, freedom, the State, and the Divine.

About the Author

 

Neil Hamley initially trained as an occupational therapist, graduating from University of South Australia in 1994. For many years he worked in the area of mental health, in both hospital and community settings and with both government and private organisations. In conjunction with his work as a therapist and counsellor he pursued his life-long love of Spiritual research.

In 2003 he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Humanities) at the University of Adelaide, and in 2008 he completed a PhD in the area of ancient Greek philosophy at Monash University, Melbourne.

His thesis was on the nature of the human Soul in the Enneads, the work of the mystic-philosopher Plotinus, regarded as the founder of Neoplatonism. Spiritual Integrity, along with a prior work, Thoughts for a Soulful Life, are outcomes of decades of devoted Spiritual investigation, and the attempt to live according to the Spiritual truths found along the way.

RUZGAS, Anthony

ISBN 978-1-923333-25-3
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To The Edge of Eternity

 

Memories full of courage, resilience, love, and joy

A life-story that is captivating, historical and thrilling. A young man torn in wartime Germany during WW2 adapts to a new life with
all its challenges in a strange, far away country, different customs and language.

During this transition he asks poignant questions about life and its meaning not only for himself but for all mankind.

Spurred by the turmoil of his life, excruciating pain and the death of his loved ones, he recalls fears experienced during the Nazis, Gestapo and the SS domination. And the horrific and senseless Allied bombings of his beloved homeland from without.

He examines the psychological aspects of his life and how it has affected his thoughts and responses. Theological avenues surfaced when he endeavoured to search for the higher being and the reason for existence. The good and the bad that haunts all of
us in our To the Edge of Eternity. Philosophical thoughts invaded his mind questioning love, hate and lastly death and what they really mean to us as spirits on a human journey.

Subject to a lifetime of much suffering and doubt, the writer has experienced firsthand the plight of the needy.

The author is now inspired to share his story and deep thoughts on these very contentious issues.