John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.

In Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, more than four million students attend more than 29,000 Islamic boarding schools. This film offers a rare insight into daily life at one such traditional school. From the students’ sporadic contacts with home, we gather that considerable sacrifices are sometimes made to finance their education. The camera discreetly documents the lives of the young people both inside and outside the classroom. The editing also does little to color our opinion. This open style leaves room for us to get to know the personalities of the young people—and it also matches the approach to teaching at the school. The students aren’t told what to think, but how to think, and are encouraged to show tolerance towards other religions and non-believers. The mixed school also endorses equality between men and women, drawing its justification from the Koran. As the opening titles explain, the type of Islam taught here has been practiced in Indonesia for centuries, but is under threat from rising conservatism.

Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rules their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Only one dares oppose them: he who was once Siddhartha and is now Mahasamatman. Binder of Demons. Lord of Light.

本書是第一部研究太虛大師佛教改革始末的英文專書。作者除了大量引用原始中文資料外，亦引用了許多西方學者與傳教士的評論，包括太虛思想萌芽的歷史背景、一生的行止與全球性的弘法嘗試，以及其大乘佛教思想的願景架構與遺澤等，研究範圍十分完整，兼具東、西方及跨宗教的觀點與分析，為讀者提供了有別於坊間同類書籍的珍貴資料。 太虛大師是二十世紀最重要、最具爭議性的佛教改革家與思想家。他於民初發起以「人生佛教」思想為主軸的佛教復興運動，試圖改革僧伽制度、提倡積極參與社會活動，以菩薩行在這個世界建立淨土，並實現成佛的誓願。他在當時的佛教界與文化界掀起了一番驚濤駭浪，所獲褒貶不一，甚至曾有保守派人士視他為危險分子。 太虛自認在佛教改革上是失敗的，然而在他圓寂半個世紀後的今天，他所撒下的「人生佛教」種子，經歷了風雨飄搖的動盪年代，已然在台灣佛教界生根並且開花、結果。無論歷史如何評論他的成敗，不容置疑的是，他的影響力此刻正塑造著漢傳佛教的現代面貌。