Christianity Books

Book SynopsisWhat is prayer? How does it work? And does it even help at all? Where do we start and where will it lead? These are questions that Johannes Hartl has spent his life exploring. Questions that have found their answers through encounter, experience and often through travel - a journey of discovery that has taken Hartl into the very heart of true prayer. Weaving together stories of individuals, movements and moments he has encountered across the world, Hartl invites you to join him on an incredible adventure. Exploring different approaches to prayer, such as contemplative, intercessory, creative, powerful and revelatory prayer, Hartl encourages us to rediscover the true heart of prayer - a God who hears us and wants to speak to us. For those who want to experience the power of prayer or who are struggling to pray, this book is full of thoughtful insights and wisdom, combined with reflective applications which will inspire and challenge readers to catch the fire for a life of prayer themselves.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the gospel of Luke, the disciples of Jesus ask Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They saw the great importance Jesus placed on having a daily rhythm of prayer and they wanted to learn how to have this same rhythm in their own lives. And so can we. In this refreshingly different look at prayer, Johannes Hartl explores twelve simple ways to build a thriving prayer life—twelve steps that have transformed his life. Hartl encourages readers to explore different forms of prayer, from embracing silence, to creating your own `inner garden’ in which to meet with Jesus wherever you are, to overcoming the scripts and traffic in our heads that prevent us from encountering God. With inspiring stories, spiritual exercises, and practical ideas, Simply Pray will help you develop daily rhythms of prayer, even in the hectic pace of day-to-day life. For those who long to meet with God in prayer, experience more depth, and discover God’s presence in the everyday, Simply Pray is an invitation to the biggest challenge and the loveliest secret—the adventure that will change your life.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis unique new book records and celebrates the extraordinary wisdom and genius of Frederick William Dwelly, the first Dean of Liverpool. His creativity in the use of poetry, of music, of the commissioning of art, and in the use of the Great Space of Liverpool Cathedral set him apart from his peers and won huge admiration from all quarters. Above all, his liturgy was always centred around the value of the human being and he fostered worship that was dignified, imaginative and relevant for the thousands of people who attended services. Peter Kennerley's lively account of the work of a true master of liturgy is set in the context of the story of the cathedral itself, to create this highly readable, beautifully illustrated and fascinating volume.Trade Review"I strongly commend the book as material for reflection" Justin Welby, Archbishop of CanterburyTable of ContentsForeword by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury vii Apologia ix 1 The establishment of a new cathedral in Liverpool 1 2 The development of a priest 35 3 Consecration 61 4 Canon Dwelly 89 5 The establishment of the deanery 121 6 Controversy 151 7 The liturgical artist 167 8 "The first human milestone" 203 9 Dwelly tradition: death mask or spirit 231 10 Cathedrals are the success story of the Church of England 257 Postscript by Simon Macaulay 283 Notes 289 Bibliography 301

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA captivating journey through the lives of Christian mystics--from the early Church to the twentieth century.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe two contradicting genealogies of Jesus in the Gospels have long puzzled biblical scholars. Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research led him to the controversial theological conclusion that historically there existed two Jesus boys, born of two holy families. These two boys, he said, were necessary as part of the spiritual preparation of forming a suitable human body for the incarnation of Christ into the earthly realm. Both apocryphal texts and the writings of the Essenes - as discovered at Qumran by the Dead Sea - now appear to support this conception, with references to Messianic figures from both royal and priestly lines. Various authors have developed Rudolf Steiner's observations - first presented in the early twentieth century - although much of this literature has lacked the rigour of accurate and broad scholarship. The Two Jesus Boys is not simply a derivative rehash of these previous publications. Rather, it offers a fresh investigation of primary sources, coupled with an objective determination to allow the facts to speak for themselves. Christoph Rau thus comes to the unavoidable conclusion that Steiner's presentation of the chronology of the two births needs revision; furthermore, the most recent discoveries and interpretations of Essene scrolls reveal that the Jewish sect expected not one but three Messiahs. Rau quotes from and analyses numerous documents from the landscape of early Christianity and Judaism. His findings provide a secure foundation for the historical existence of two Jesus boys in the prelude to Christ's incarnation on earth, as well as a revelation of the Essenes' long expectation of three Messiahs.Table of ContentsIntroduction - 1. The Riddle of the two Genealogical Trees - 2. Two Childhoods - 3. Astonishing Discoveries - 4. The New Insight is Cosmically Anchored and Confirmed in Writing - 5. Contradictions, Reasons and Objections - 6. Preparation for the Unique Union - 7. The Mystery of the Twelve-year-old Jesus - 8.The Actual Chronology as the Solution to the Contradiction - 9. The Death of Zechariah-a Milestone for the True Dating of Events - 10. Zarathustra and the Star of the Wise Men - 11. Zarathustra's Becoming and Progress - 12. Krishna and the Heavenly Adam-soul - 13. John and the Earthly Adam-soul - 14. Buddha and the Nathan-Jesus-boy - 15. Two Prophecies of the Messiah and their Fulfilment - 16. The Three Messianic Figures in the Essene Writings - 17. The Letter to the Hebrews-an Early Answer to Essene Expectations - 18. The Further Effects of the Messianic Prophecy - Epilogue1909-1959-2009 - Appendix - (1) The Childhood of Jesus, According to Matthew - Commentary - (2) The Childhood of Jesus According to Luke - Commentary - (3) The Protevangelium of James - Commentary - (4) From the Quran - Commentary - Notes - Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThat there is a living stream of Johannine Christianity can no longer be doubted. There is now an abundant literature from Rosicrucian and esoteric traditions - from the deepest prayer and meditation - that addresses the exalted nature of John the Evangelist as expressed through his Gospel, Letters and the Book of Revelation. Yet it fell to Hermann Beckh to elucidate clearly how the individual known as 'John' became the source of such undying love and wisdom in Christ. According to Rudolf Steiner, John was the ailing Lazarus, called from death to a new life as 'the disciple Jesus loved'. Beckh demonstrates how John's invaluable writings were based on personal spiritual knowledge and experience, expressing the divine work of the Cosmic Christ on human nature and on the Earth, leading far into the future. Whilst Beckh's authorship originated within the context of the emerging Christian Community founded in 1922, his profoundly original books could not be confined to its framework. Not only could Beckh tackle original texts in Tibetan, Sanskrit and Avestan, but - through his independent vision - he was able to establish new links with philosophical Alchemy, Jakob Boehme, Goethe, Nietzsche and Novalis. He thereby stands with these figures as a co-worker in a greater community. Having prepared the way with his Mark's Gospel of 1928, John's Gospel could be described as the capstone of Beckh's writings - as a triumphant announcement that theology and the study of John's Gospel have finally come of age. Appearing here in a freshly revised translation by Alan Stott, the current volume is enhanced by a series of valuable addenda that shed further light on Beckh's significant achievements.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘These Letters … aim to make John’s Gospel accessible to people today as their own gospel, both as a whole and in the details; to illuminate it with the spiritual knowledge of the age and to make it fruitful for life, not only for meditation but also for practical ordering of destiny.’ – Friedrich Rittelmeyer. --- A revitalized Johannine Christianity stands at the heart of the work of Christian renewal that was led by Rudolf Steiner in the early twentieth century. Friedrich Rittelmeyer, a Lutheran minister and theologian who helped found The Christian Community in 1922, was a leading figure within this new Johannine movement. Rittelmeyer described John’s Gospel as encapsulating ‘…an indescribable glory of revelation of love. This glory has such purity, delicacy and spiritual power that in it one has the material with which a marvellous new world may be built.’ --- Without doubt his most powerful work, Rittelmeyer’s Letters on John’s Gospel first appeared in a series of publications by the Stuttgart seminary of The Christian Community between 1930 and 1932. Whilst these Letters were originally written with students and local congregations in mind, they provide manifold insights for anyone seeking to glimpse the majesty of John’s Gospel. Margaret Mitchell’s translation from 1937 has never before been published in book form. Revised here and expanded by editors Alan Stott and Neil Franklin, this volume features additional contributions by Rudolf Frieling and Emil Bock.Table of ContentsEditor’s Preface by Alan Stott – Introduction: Friedrich Rittelmeyer and John’s Gospel by Rudolf Frieling – The ‘I-AM’ as the Midpoint of Human History – Christianity as a Mystery Religion – The Nascent World – John’s Gospel, Chapter One (Revised Standard Version) – LETTERS ON JOHN’S GOSPEL – Letter No. 1, The Mystery of the ‘I’ – Letter No. 2, The Mystery of the ‘I’ (2) – Letter No. 3, Son of God and Son of Man (1) – Letter No. 4, Son of Man and Son of God (2) – Letter No. 5, Son of God and Son of Man (3) – Letter No. 6, The Book of Joy – Letter No. 7, ‘I am the Light of the World’ – Letter No. 8, ‘I am the Life’ – Letter No. 9, ‘I am Love’ – Letter No. 10, A World-Historical Conversation – Letter No. 11, The Springtime of the Disciples – Letter No. 12, The Great Intercession: the High-Priestly Prayer (I) – Letter No. 13, The Great Intercession, the High-Priestly Prayer (II) – Letter No. 14, The Great Intercession, the High-Priestly Prayer (III) – Consecration of the Disciples [John 21] – John’s Gospel, Chapter 1 (Revised Standard Version) – Appendix: The Word from Inner Listening – Twenty Years after the Death of Friedrich Rittelmeyer by Emil Bock – Further Reading – Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis second volume of Christian heroes continues the testimonies of faith, sacrifice, love, generosity and perseverance found in volume one. Retelling 60 remarkable stories, we're reminded that the road to being a hero is to take heroic actions, one step at a time.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA study of the meditative prayers that celebrate the yearly cycle of the seasons and the Christian festivals which are an integral part of the renewed liturgy of The Christian Community.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMy Theology: The world’s leading Christian thinkers explain some of the principal tenets of their theological beliefs. ‘I never expected to be a Christian theologian, mainly because I never expected to be a Christian,’ writes Alister McGrath. ‘I assumed that scientific atheism would be my permanent intellectual homeland; in fact, it turned out to be a temporary place of exile, from which I would later return, wiser and somewhat chastened.’ In this fascinating book, McGrath describes his journey into faith and his vision of Christian theology, focussing on the distinct role of historical theology; the importance of engaging the relation of science and faith; the need for theologians to engage in major public debates; and the significance of theological education.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMy Theology: The world’s leading Christian thinkers explain some of the principal tenets of their theological beliefs. ‘What do we live for? This is the question many of us ask at the end of a very long day, especially in the conflicted moments of life,’ writes Ilia Delio. ‘My answer is simple: we live to love. If we doubt love, we doubt our own existence.’ In this compelling book Delio explores the metaphysics of love at the centre of her theological thinking. From the cosmological to the theological dimensions of existence, she shows love to be the irresistible force of attraction that leads straight into the heart of God.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMy Theology: The world’s leading Christian thinkers explain some of the principal tenets of their theological beliefs. ‘How can people racialised as black conceive God, Jesus, and the Spirit within contemporary concrete social and political worlds?’ asks pioneering black theologian and broadcaster Robert Beckford. ‘What would facilitate a radical theology committed to confronting racialised injustice, social inequality and environmental degradation?’ In Duppy Conqueror Beckford explains how he has recontextualised African-American black and womanist theologies of liberation to answer these questions for second and third-generation black British. His methodologies have included a correlation of linguistic concepts from black cultural history and urban life with theological concepts, and the inscription of black theology onto documentary filmmaking and contemporary gospel music.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPriest, poet and broadcaster Rachel Mann believes the world is charged with a divine spark. She explains how in our encounters with what she terms ‘the spectres of God’, one can become at peace with limitation, precariousness, lack of certainty, and one’s fragility and fractures - and at the same time find in divine fragility the hope of the world. Drawing on her own experiences, in three short chapters (on the body, on love, and on time) Mann explores how God invites us, repeatedly, to live in a rich three-dimensional mystery that subverts the depressing flat-earth of modern life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow does a scientist find God in the universe? My Theology: Finding God in the Universe is the personal reflection of a Jesuit brother and astronomer, the director of the Vatican Observatory. Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ insists that science is more than observing the universe; it’s learning how to pay attention, how to concentrate on one aspect while setting aside, at least momentarily, all the other interesting aspects that can distract us from a deeper knowledge of the universe…. or of God. In his telling, Joy is our compass, Truth is our goal; and Imagination weaves the story where we situate the joy that leads us to truth. Most importantly, both science and theology are done within a community of fellow seekers, where we share the stories that teach us how to explore, and with whom we can try to make sense of what we think we have found.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Swinton argues that theologians' own stories inevitably matter in relation to the study of the divine. It follows that Swinton describes his place of formation walking alongside people living with intellectual disabilities, mental health challenges and dementia, and how it has gifted him with the opportunity to ask different questions of the tradition; questions that emerge from the lives of people who see the world differently. That learning has shaped him as a theologian and raised some crucial questions around the nature of faithfulness, discipleship and the question of exactly what kind of community the church is and should be in both theory and in practice - one, Swinton hopes, that can encourage Christians to begin to appreciate even more deeply the goodness, kindness and love of God for all human beings.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGrace Ji-Sun Kim's book centres on the Spirit as an avenue for better understanding God and reconciling with our faith. The Spirit is present in the Old Testament as ruach and in the New Testament as pneuma. When the field of theology was prominently German led, theologians used the word geist to talk about the Spirit. As an Asian American theologian, it is necessary to retrieve and disseminate Asian words and religious symbols into the mainstream discourse to revolutionize the accessibility and global understanding of God today. One important Asian concept is Chi, translated as wind, breath, spirit, energy, much like ruach, pneuma and geist. Chi is a term adept for coming to know God as the Spirit as it effectively conveys God's presence in the world. As such, we can move towards a nondualistic theology that provides an abundant space for everyone, including the marginalized and the subordinated, paving a path towards liberation and radical demarginalization.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSouth African author, pastor and activist, Mpho Tuti van Furth argues that while we think of reparations in relation to the colonial powers and the colonised as both a remunerative act and a punitive one, reparations rightly engaged should be part of a spiritual process of forgiveness and reconciliation. Reparations would be an element in a process of atonement and restorative justice and that sees the need for acknowledgement of the damage done to the enslaved and colonised; healing and restoration of the lost humanity of the perpetrators; and repair of the violated relationships between the human and ecological victims and the human perpetrators.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘We are all on a journey. None of us knows where ours will take us, and when we do, and it is over, we will not be able to tell anyone what it all meant, or where it took us. This is the goal of our pilgrimage, a journey of unknowing, where what we thought we knew turns out to have been a shadow of a something leading us ever forward, ever deeper. ‘Crossroad is a story that cannot be finished yet; a story of journeys, mostly on foot, through places that in this present resonate with the lives lived in them in their long past: a shingle beach in Norfolk, a river in Cambridgeshire, a hill in what was Westmorland and an island in present Cumbria, a cave on an island in ancient Dalriata, in Iona, and Lindisfarne.’ ~ In this beautifully-written book, Charles Moseley invites you to share with him many journeys, each in their way a kind of pilgrim quest. You can read them as a guide for you to follow, literally, in his footsteps – to Iona, Lindisfarne, Walsingham, Aran. Or you can walk alongside him in the spirit of faltering honesty, wry humour, spiritual questing, and the ever-present appreciation of landscape, ancient resonances, a tasty sandwich, a pair of good boots and a trusty stick.Trade Review'Crossroad is an extended meditation on the meaning of journeying, illuminated by a lifetime of wide and varied reading, and centred round a vividly recorded walk from the Cambridgeshire Fens to the ancient shrine of the Virgin at Walsingham. Charles Moseley’s evocative reflections on significant places and memorable personal encounters invite the reader to their own inner pilgrimage, in the company of a wise, witty and deliciously garrulous guide.' -- Eamon Duffy‘It is a delight. I love the way the worlds ‘bleed’ into each other – the physical world, the worlds of Charles Moseley’s memory and of his knowledge. No one else would see what he sees as he walks, because no one else would have those same connections; and yet he can share them, and help us see them, and then add our own world in as well. I found all of this a deeply helpful reflection.’ -- Jane Williams‘Charley Moseley has written a tale that could have only been lived and walked. To give us access to his sense-making journey towards understanding life and the deeper mysteries, Moseley deftly employs the practice and metaphor of pilgrimage. This book is an erudite exploration of history, landscape and personal meaning. The various strands of chapters of pilgrimages to islands, shrines, rivers and hills each provide their different wisdom.’ -- Guy Hayward, Director and Co-Founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust

Read more less

Book SynopsisLGBTQI people in the church have spent a long time being told what God expects of them and how they should behave. From prohibitions on who they might love or marry, to erasure and denial, the theological record is one in which LGBTQI people are far too often objectified and their lives seen as the property of others. In no other significant religious question are ‘theological’ arguments made that so clearly reject overwhelming scientific and experiential knowledge about the human person. This book seeks to find a better way to do theology – not about, but with and of LGBTQI people – taking insights from the sciences and personal narratives as it seeks to answer the question: ‘What does human flourishing look like?’Trade Review‘This is an enjoyably grown-up book. As such, it is a useful rebuke to the desperate immaturity of the Church of England’s official stances on sexuality, but it is also a gift to the wider Christian Church: a call to enrich its mission and to listen more closely to the implications of the Gospel.’ -- Diarmaid MacCulloch‘Charlie Bell has written a fine, orthodox Christian book. He is faithful to God’s revelation, respectful of Scripture, committed to a good future for the Church. He will not stand for a world where the lives and loves of LGBTQI people are disdained or intellectualised as a subject for “debate". His anger is real and measured and true, placed in a context of divine love and human holiness, like the anger of the biblical Jesus himself. And in the end he points us to a vision of a whole humanity redeemed in Christ; a vision of glory. Very highly recommended!’ -- Rt Revd Paul Bayes‘This insightful book is a comprehensive survey of the role of scripture, tradition and reason in understanding what it means to be human and Christian, focusing consistently Christ, human and divine, and on “being human”. The author describes it as a call to action – for LGBTQI people, their allies, and the whole people of God. I hope it will be very widely read and pondered: It deserves to be.’ -- Rt Revd John Inge

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor over five hundred years, Gypsies, Roma and Travellers have been persecuted, misrepresented, enslaved and even murdered in whatever land they reside, and there is a deep ignorance of the absolute centrality of religious conviction at the heart of GRT communities. Steven Horne’s Gypsies and Jesus lights the touchpaper on the grace-filled, intimate and unheard core of GRT religiosity that is Traveller Theology. This is a field of study that has long been dominated by non-GRT voices. In this book Dr Horne attempts to take back the pen and reclaim a past and a future for Gypsies and Travellers. Gypsies and Jesus: A Traveller Theology identifies and threads cultural strands (beliefs and customs, narratives and histories, and rituals and traditions) from Gypsy and Traveller culture into a coherent message that speaks of collective piety and cultural purity. Testimonies from members of the GRT community develop this message further. All of these factors are supported with a biblical exegesis to produce an exciting, revelatory and at times sobering book that, for perhaps the first time, hands over the reins of Gypsy-Christian identity to Gypsies themselves.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow can working parents live wisely with God at the centre, learn to be still and know him, while juggling demands of family and career at today's hectic pace? Katharine Hill draws on a wealth of experience from advising government, working with families and bringing up her own, to help you flourish in your calling and walk closely with the Lord.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFather Brown, the fictional priest detective created by novelist G. K. Chesterton, is one of English literature’s most compelling characters. In 53 short stories, published between 1910 and 1936, Chesterton’s crime-solving cleric demonstrated a unique combination of humility and humour, razor-sharp sharp intellect, and devout Christian faith. This skilfully-curated devotional volume collects 365 episodes from the adventures of Father Brown, rich with the integrity, wit and deep spiritual wisdom of Chesterton’s cherished creation. Each extract is short enough to be read in a daily sitting, and is accompanied by an appropriate passage from the Bible and a prayer to aid personal reflection. The collection can be started at any point during the year, and will become a much-loved companion through your days, months and seasons.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Joyful Noise is an enlightening and informative introduction to some of the greatest hymn writers of the Christian tradition including; Charles Wesley, Aquinas, Prudentius, Christopher Wordsworth, Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander and Robert Bridges.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSuperb collection of sermons drawing on classical Christian wisdom - ideal for personal reading and as inspiration for clergy and students* Arranged to follow the principal celebrations of the ancient Christian Year* Robert D. Crouse is recognised by many, including Rowan Williams, as one of the finest contemplative theological minds of our ageThis rich volume is the second of two collecting 96 sermons by the late priest and theologian Robert D. Crouse - one of the finest contemplative theological minds of our age. They are arranged to follow the principal celebrations of the ancient Christian Year, so they can be read in step with the liturgical seasons. A Preface by Victoria Matthews and an Introduction by the collection''s editor Gary Thorne highlight some of the connecting threads of the sermons - in particular the theme of Divine Friendship offered by the Gospel.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWho is the Christ? What is the ‘Sun-spirit’? How should we understand the person of Jesus in relation to the Cosmic Christ, or even to the Holy Trinity? --- In a majestic overview of Rudolf Steiner’s extensive references to Christ and Jesus, originally dispersed throughout his many writings and lectures, Oskar Kürten creates a mutually reconcilable and coherent text. We are invited to accompany the author as he attempts to comprehend the unimaginably vast enigma of Christ’s appearance on Earth. The results of his work can sometimes be overwhelming, but as Kürten points out: ‘humanity is always advancing in its intellectual and spiritual culture, and each step poses higher demands on our capacity to understand’. --- In a volume comprising three previously-untranslated booklets, composed originally as study material for people conversant with the fundamentals of anthroposophy, Mystery of the Christ gives numerous pointers to great mysteries, inviting readers to penetrate ever more deeply into the inexhaustible subject-matter. As Kürten states, this approach enables us ‘again and again to find surprisingly new insights into the mysterious interconnections in which Christ’s entry into earth-existence and the Mystery of Golgotha are placed’.Table of ContentsForeword by Paul King – Part One: CHRIST THE SUN SPIRIT IN THE WORK OF RUDOLF STEINER – Introduction – 1. The Enigma of Christ’s Appearance on Earth – 2. The Logos and Christ – 3. The Christ Archangel – 4. Christ the High Sun-Spirit – Christ as Cosmic-being – Christ and the Spirits of Wisdom – Christ and the Upper Gods – Christ as the Mystical Lamb – Christ among the Twelve Apostles – Christ as the Thirteenth among the Bodhisattvas – Christ as God of the Future – 5. Christ in Jesus – 6. Other Bearers of the Christ-Impulse – 7. Jesus of Nazareth – 8. Conclusion – Part Two: THE SUN GOD, THE LOGOS AND THE TRINITY – Preface – 1. Introduction – 2. The Father-God Creation and the Son-God Creation – 3. The Trinity and its Representatives in the Lower Worlds – 4. The Primal Trinity and the Trinity of our World – 5. Christ and the Holy Spirit – 6. Conclusion – Part Three: JESUS OF NAZARETH—A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MYSTERY OF JESUS – Preface – 1. Introduction – 2. The Jesus-soul as the Representative of the Primordial Soul of Humanity – 3. The Preliminary Stages of the Mystery of Golgotha – 4. The Rescue of the Human I through the Mystery of Golgotha – 5. The Jesus-soul in Krishna – 6. The Jesus-soul in the Mysteries – 7. The Union of Buddha-forces with Jesus of Nazareth – 8. The Earthly Life of Jesus of Nazareth – a. The Life of Jesus after the Union with the Zarathustra-I – b. The Life of Jesus after the Union with the Christ-I – 9. The Resurrection – 10. Christ Jesus – 11. Dates Relating to the Life of Jesus – 12. Conclusion – Addendum to Part Three: THE SON OF MAN AND THE COSMIC CHRIST – 1. The young man who fled at the arrest of Christ Jesus – 2. Jesus of Nazareth as Son of Man – 3. Christ as Son of Man – 4. ‘Son of Man’ as a Mystery Expression – 5. The young man who fled as Cosmic Christ – Notes and References

Read more less

Book SynopsisA spiritual and theological study of the being of Jesus and the being of Christ.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe poetry came so easy to me – it felt like it was already written.  Now a synopsis? I never intended to sit down to write the original book in the first place.  It was birth from a gift, sprinkled in God’s love – which at once was lost, worn and weathered, but then later was found.  It was waiting for me, the one who would recognize it and reclaim it, and make it new again.  It came at a time when God’s Grace was so clear and profound, and the poetry felt so inspired.  It was meant for me to heal, to share the experience, and to help others heal – to share God’s Love through my suffering.  Read this to someone you love, share your own pains, and maybe we can all help each other heal.  

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat precisely happens at the time of death is a question that theologians have struggled over for centuries but have never answered satisfactorily. The response to this question that Ladislaus Boros gives in his monumental synthesis, The Mystery of Death, is that in death we meet Christ fully for the first time and in doing so attain to full consciousness and freedom. It is therefore only in the moment of death than humans are able to elect for or against their eternal salvation. In other words, death is a kind of judgment day, but it is we ourselves who pass judgment on ourselves. In her introduction and commentary, Cynthia Bourgeault argues passionately that Ladislaus Boros represents a necessary link to understanding the radical theology of Teilhard de Chardin. She presents Boros as a powerful potential bridgebuilder. Standing firmly on the shoulders of his celebrated Jesuit mentor Karl Rahner, and highly skilled in the scholastic discourse that Teilhard himself eschewed, he is able to mediate an illuminating dialogue between Teilhard and the greater Christian theological traditionnot, as is so often the case in so much of contemporary Teilhardian scholarship, by secularizing Teilhard's thought or draping it in current evolutionary jargon, but by piercing to the very marrow of Teilhard's Christic mysticism and carrying it to an even more brilliant degree of spiritual luminosity.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis fresh re-telling of the Easter story from the Last Supper to Calvary brings many new insights. The intrigue and betrayal in the air as the disciples ate; the fierce, costly love shown by Christ in Gethsemane, as his disciples slept; the illegal and unjust kangaroo court in the middle of the night; the drama of the earth becoming dark and quaking as the Son of God died. Read the story anew, as told and interpreted by this pastor-theologian. Questions included for personal reflection or for group discussion.Trade Review"From time to time a publication appears - of modest size and author - its value greater than a whole bookshelf of bestsellers. The Cross falls into that category. The fine quality of James Philip's mind will be immediately obvious. But his writing is also full of pathos. He is at one with his subject, and has clearly been more deeply impacted by it than by anything else." - Revd Prof Sinclair B. Ferguson, Chancellor's Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary

Read more less

Book SynopsisA critical book for anyone in ministry who wants to run the race well, and keep running to the end. Pablo Martinez is a psychiatrist who has helped many people in ministry. For church leaders, church apprentices, student workers, staff of mission agencies. Questions included for personal reflection or for group discussion.Trade Review"This book is a gem. It could be a lifesaver for someone in Christian ministry. I trust it will bring a welcome restoration for any who have lost their joy in the heat of the battle, or simply become worn down." - Lindsay Brown, General Secretary IFES 1991-2007; International Director, Lausanne Movement 2008-2016; Director FEUER

Read more less

Book SynopsisPractical theology has outgrown its traditional pastoral paradigm. The articles in this handbook recognize that faith, spirituality, and lived religion, within and beyond institutional communities, refer to realms of cultures, ritual practices, and symbolic orders, whose boundaries are not clearly defined and whose contents are shifting. The International Handbook of Practical Theology offers insightful transcultural conceptions of religion and religious matters gathered from various cultures and traditions of faith. The first section presents ‘concepts of religion’. Chapters have to do with considerations of the conceptualizing of religion in the fields of ‘anthropology’, ‘community’, ‘family’, ‘institution’, ‘law’, ‘media’, and ‘politics’ among others. The second section is dedicated to case studies of ‘religious practices’ from the perspective of their actors. The third section presents major theoretical discourses that explore the globally significant diversity and multiplicity of religion. Altogether, sixty-one authors from different parts of the world encourage a rethinking of religious practice in an expanded, transcultural, globalized, and postcolonial world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume examines the Byzantine manuscripts which transmit unique collections of Greek exegetical extracts on the Gospel of Luke. These codices singuli contain compilations which differ in content and sequence of scholia from all the other known catena types of this Gospel. The Clavis Patrum Graecorum volume on catenae, updated by Jacques Noret in 2018, briefly discusses these individual manuscripts in the codices singuli section (C137). The witnesses are: Vindobonensis theol. gr. 301 (C137.1); Monacensis graecus 208 (C137.2), Codex Zacynthius (C137.3); Vaticanus graecus 349 (C137.4), Palatinus graecus 273 (C137.5), and Laurentianus Conv. Soppr. 159 (C137.6). To these, Parpulov's 2021 catalogue of Greek New Testament Catenae added four further codices singuli: Parisina supplementa graeca 612 and 1248 (C137.7), Prague, Národní Knihovna Ceské republiky, XXV B 7 (C137.8), Venice, BNM, Z.495 (1048) (C137.9) and Drama, ?. ??s???ts??, 3 (C137.10). It also adds a new catena type, C139.1, attested by four manuscripts. These updates have been incorporated in the online Clavis Clavium. Further research, however, has shown that Codex Zacynthius, Palatinus graecus 273 and Prague, Národní Knihovna Ceské republiky, XXV B 7 all transmit the same compilation; Vindobonensis theol. gr. 301 contains a collection of comments similar to C132 and is not a codex singulus; Parisinum supplementum graecum 1225, previously identified as C131, is a separate catenae type which may be assigned the siglum C137.11. This present volume provides the editio princeps of four of the unique catenae on Luke which have not previously been published (C137.2, C137.4, C137.6, C137.11) and the new catena identified as C139.1. It includes a thorough examination of the content and structure of each manuscript and an investigation of the direct and indirect sources used by their compilers.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAltar and Church: Principles of Liturgy from Early Christianity is the first English edition of a book (Altar und Kirche: Prinzipien christlicher Liturgie) first published very successfully in German in 2019. It is a translation of the revised third German edition. The central themes of Stefan Heid’s book are the early Christian altar and the building of churches. It is about the beginnings of the Christian liturgy; but it is also about the principles behind the liturgy. In his Preface, the author states that the book is concerned with “those things that are so fundamental and important for Christian worship that up to the Middle Ages they were found in all churches and to this day continue to exert an influence, especially in the communities of the East. In many cases, however, the praxis has meanwhile diverged a long way from what it once was and is now increasingly subject to ideological decisions.” Whether or not what Christians use during service today is considered to be an altar is a point of contention between the denominations. However, since the liturgical reform of the Vatican Council 2, the altar has been at the centre of many redesigns of Catholic church spaces, with the early Church frequently taken as the model. But how can this be reconciled with the widespread opinion that Christianity initially knew no cult and no sacrifices? It was not until later, from the time of Emperor Constantine, that a real state-supported cult with sacrifices, altars and magnificent sacred spaces developed; the Church suffers from this historical burden to this day. This volume carves a few paths through the liturgucal jungle and arrives at results that are as surprising as they are stimulating.Trade Review“Stefan Heid challenges widely held assumptions about early Christianity and offers a fresh look at the foundations of Christian liturgy.” Fr Uwe Michael Lang, St Mary’s University Twickenham. “This work will occupy an important place in the study of ancient liturgy. With impressive command of archaeological and textual sources, Heid challenges some of the commonly assumed narratives about the early Eucharist.” Daniel Cardó, St John Vianney Seminary, Denver.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less