MSI Press Blog

  Religious conversion often evokes images of long personal journeys, doctrinal shifts, or community transitions. But what happens when transformation isn’t gradual, but immediate—ignited by a direct encounter with the sacred? In the language of Mircea Eliade, this breakthrough is called hierophany : the eruption of the sacred into the profane world, reshaping not just belief, but perception, identity, and purpose.🔍 What Is Hierophany? Hierophany (from the Greek hieros meaning sacred and phainein meaning to reveal) describes moments when the sacred reveals itself—whether through visions, natural phenomena, ritual acts, or sacred texts. These events break the normal flow of time and space, marking the moment as “other,” saturated with divine meaning. Think Moses at the burning bush, Paul on the road to Damascus, or even less-scripted, deeply personal revelations sparked by dreams, crises, or encounters with beauty so profound it borders on the eternal. ✨ Conversion Through Con...

  The MSI Press study guide series is a set of documents/posts prepared by authors to help readers take a deeper dive into and personal look at various MSI books.  Today's study guide is meant to accompany Blest Atheist by Elizabeth Mahlou.. Book Description: Blest Atheist is the powerful true story of a woman who turned her back on God—only to find Him walking beside her all along. As a young child, Beth is horrified by the silence of a church that does nothing to stop the physical and sexual abuse she endures. In a moment of righteous fury, she delivers a searing youth sermon that gets her family expelled from the congregation—and she slams the door on God for good. Or so she thinks. Over the years, Beth carves out a remarkable life: raising seven children, mastering 17 languages, and building a career that spans NASA, Washington, and 24 countries. Yet even as she denies Him, God continues to protect, guide, and bless her in ways she only comes to recognize decades later. ...

  Today's Publisher's Pride is  Since Sinai  by Shannon Gonyou, which reached #52 in biographies of Judaism and #258 in Jewish life. Since Sinai has appeared in Amazon best-selling categories nearly every week since its release. Book Description: Raised in a heavily Catholic suburb of Detroit, Michigan, Shannon grew up focusing on two things: how to do enough good deeds to get into heaven and how to stay pure enough to escape hell. In college, she followed many of her peers into an Evangelical church known for guitars, drum, religious-based shame, and the idea that without Jesus she was nothing. But when she encountered Judaism on that same campus, a spark ignited within her and refused to be put out. Judaism felt obvious, familiar. After a falling out with her biological mother and two miscarriages, she found the courage to send the most important email of her life: she asked the local Jews by Choice program to accept her as a student. Honest and unflinching, Shannon's s...