Protestantism and Protestant Churches Books

Book SynopsisSchism is the first ethnographic and historical study of Seventh-day Adventism in China.Scholars have been slow to consider Chinese Protestantism from a denominational standpoint. In Schism, the first monograph that documents the life of the Chinese Adventist denomination from the mid-1970s to the 2010s, Christie Chui-Shan Chow explores how Chinese Seventh-day Adventists have used schism as a tool to retain, revive, and recast their unique ecclesial identity in a religious habitat that resists diversity.Based on unpublished archival materials, fieldwork, oral history, and social media research, Chow demonstrates how Chinese Adventists adhere to their denominational character both by recasting the theologies and faith practices that they inherited from American missionaries in the early twentieth century and by engaging with local politics and culture. This book locates the Adventist movement in broader Chinese sociopolitical and religious contexts Trade Review“Christie Chui-Shan Chow’s research unlocks evidence of identity patterns that I have not encountered in any other author writing on comparable topics in contemporary China. Her book thus opens up new academic terrain, both within the study of Chinese Christianity and of contemporary China in general.” —Lars Laamann, author of Christian Heretics in Late Imperial China"Christie Chui-Shan Chow’s superb study of the Seventh-day Adventist church in China recasts our understanding of the post-denominational context of Chinese Christianity. Fine-grained case studies detail four major factions, two local church splits, and one example of collaboration beyond schism, as Chow explores how churches of this Protestant minority have negotiated state control and enforced unity through retrenchment and adaptation of their rites, organization, and theology." —Chloë Starr, author of Chinese Theology"This book has obvious appeal to anyone interested in global Adventism, but its real gift is the way it makes Christianity in China come alive. . . . For Adventists, like for so many other Christians, the pathway forward was never clear, and thus produced both intense conflict and enormous creativity. Chow suggests this may be one reason for Chinese Christianity’s vitality today." —Mission Studies"As the first monograph-length study of Seventh-day Adventism in China covering the (roughly) forty-year period from the mid-1970s to the 2010s, this book is a significant contribution to the field of Chinese Christianities." —International Bulletin of Mission Research"Schism: Seventh-day Adventism in Post-Denominational China is a riveting work on Chinese Protestantism that intentionally focuses on the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.... Schism is not only the first volume in the Liu Institute Series in Chinese Christianities by the University of Notre Dame Press, but it is also the first work that details the history of the Chinese Adventist denomination from the mid-1970s to the 2010s." —Social Sciences and MissionsTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. China’s Adventist Century and Wenzhou 2. To Pray or Not to Pray? The First Schism 3. Come Out of “Babylon”: The Wilderness Schism 4. Hybrid Identity: The Wheatfield Schism 5. “Sisters, You Should Also Help!” The Case of Horizontal Dyke Village 6. Divide and Divide: The Case of Stone Ground Village 7. A Brief Coalition: The Case of South Pond Conclusion

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Book SynopsisPerry explores the relationship of the traditional devotional paradigm of imitatio Christi to the theory and practice of literary imitation in early modern England.Trade Review"This is a most welcome and lucid account of the imitatio Christi tradition in early modern English writing. Perry elegantly examines models of imitation in humanism and in post-Reformation incarnations. In the process, she explores with originality and verve the tensions between creativity and authority, between model and exemplar, and between literary theory and theology, especially in the Sidney circle of influence." —Sarah Beckwith, Katherine Everitt Gilbert Professor of English, Theater Studies and Religion, Duke University"Imitatio Christi: The Poetics of Piety in Early Modern England is a superb book, which should be read by those interested in devotion, gender, literature, and theology during the early modern period. In this highly original piece of scholarship and insight, ranging from Sidney to Milton, Perry makes a complex, fascinating argument about the ways the humanist idea of imitation intersected with theological questions about the role of human signs. This genuinely cross-disciplinary book should have a major impact on early modern studies, not the least because it speaks to multiple audiences and subdisciplines." —Achsah Guibbory, Ann Whitney Olin Professor of English, Barnard College"In Imitatio Christi: The Politics of Piety in Early Modern England, Nandra Perry explores the significance of imitatio Christi in the early modern English humanist tradition. In so doing, she reveals the tradition to be nothing less than a way to think, an organization for one's way in the world. She exposes the seriousness of religious thought in this period and the ways in which previous scholarship has limited our understanding by trying to graft authentic religious gestures onto anachronistic, secular divides." —Ken Jackson, Wayne State University“In Imitatio Christi, Nandra Perry explores what it means to imitate the Word made flesh—or rather, what it meant for post-Reformation English authors to do so.” —Religion and Literature“Renaissance poetics, for Nandra Perry, is essentially an art of imitation first put forth in Sir Philip Sidney’s Defense of Poesy, but for him an act that combines his Calvinist view of man with his understanding that the poet creates a second world of many exemplary Cyruses enabling the poet to realize acts of transcendence and transformation. Read this way, the Defense responds to the concerns of religion and of politics by renewing a fusion of both in ways that inform, elevate, and ultimately inspire.” —Renaissance Quarterly“Nandra Perry’s holistic approach to literary and religious imitation from Sidney to Milton persuasively explores questions and categories of embodiment, kingship, private/public spheres, and the instability of language while also, in a most worthwhile step, seeking ‘to move more freely across the period, gender, generic, and confessional boundaries that often delimit treatments of early modern English piety. . . . Perry’s study of imitation across conventional boundaries is strengthened by its multivalence and is a welcome addition to scholarship that works through and beyond categories of sacred/secular and literary/religious.” —Comitatus“. . . an elegantly structured and sensitively researched examination of imitation as a site of cultural conflict in post-Reformation literature. . . . One of the strengths of Perry’s research is the attention she devotes to her contextual sources. Placing equal interpretive weight on martyrologies, polemical treatises, and devotional handbooks, her study offers fascinating revelations about the interplay between public and private, elite and popular, Catholic, Anglican, and Puritan—eliding traditional critical binaries.” —Renaissance and Reformation“Imitatio or imitation was, as Nandra Perry shows in this ambitious and provocative book, a persistent theme in Renaissance humanism as well as in Catholic and Protestant religious thought . . . . Perry’s Corpus Christi is likely to stimulate in its readers a deep appreciation of the importance as well as the complexity of a concept that shaped much of early modern English life and culture.” —Anglican and Episcopal History“Nandra Perry does a great deal in this study of what she terms Protestant imitation. Hers is a complex and intriguing exploration that hopes to draw renewed attention ‘to the imitation of Christ as a productive category of literary analysis’ from writers such as Philip Sidney and John Milton.” —Sixteenth Century Journal

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Book SynopsisExplores how conversion and religious experiences developed within German Pietism, arguing that the Pietist relationship with conversion was much more complex and problematic than it is often presented to be.Trade Review“Church historians and historians of theology will appreciate Strom’s careful discussion of Bußkampf and the stages of conversion; historians of religion will revel in the complexities of Pietist belonging. . . . This brief review cannot do justice to this thought-provoking book.”—Benjamin Marschke German Studies Review“Jonathan Strom’s argument provides a level of nuance in understanding the nature of Pietist conversion and conversion narratives that has not previously been achieved. This book offers a sophisticated contribution to the field of Pietism studies, and it will appeal to scholars in the field, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates.”—Douglas Shantz,author of An Introduction to German Pietism: Protestant Renewal at the Dawn of Modern Europe“Jonathan Strom’s manuscript is a landmark study that redirects our understanding of one of the key concepts of Pietist religion in a fundamental way.”—Hartmut Lehmann,coeditor of In Search of Peace and Prosperity: New German Settlements in Eighteenth-Century Europe and AmericaTable of ContentsContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceAbbreviationsIntroduction I August Hermann Francke's ConversionII Early Pietism and the Diverse Cultures of ConversionIII Conversion in Light of Death: von Schönberg and Henckel's Last Hours IV The Busskampf and Conflicting Views of Conversion after Francke V Pietist Periodicals and the Conversion NarrativeVI Conversion at Dargun VII Execution Narratives and the Collapse of the Conversion Narrative VIII Conclusion NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn this pioneering study, Elizabeth Brusco explores the intra-household motivations for evangelical conversion in Colombia.Trade Review"This book is nuanced in many ways. For example, all Latin American countries share a history of Roman Catholic domination and ties between the Church and government; many have experienced civil war or other forms of violence, and most have also undergone a significant rural-urban shift. Brusco describes in detail how these historic commonalities play out uniquely in Colombia. The section on persecution of Protestants during La violencia is particularly poignant. " - PneumaTable of Contents Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Contradictions in a Feminist View of Evangelical Women More Contradictions: Colombian Evangelicalism and the Anthropology of Religion Research Questions: The Domestication of Men? Data Collection The Different Levels of Meaning in the Conversion Experience Gender Analysis in Conversion Studies Plan of the Study 2. The Evangelical Movement in Colombia Early Missions The Contemporary Picture: The Size of the Movement The Meaning of “Evangelical” in Colombia Conclusion 3. Religion and Politics Introduction The Power of the Roman Catholic Church in Colombia: The Concordat Constitutional Reform and the Concordat Liberals and Conservatives and the Separation of Church and State La Violencia The Effect of La Violencia on Evangelicals in El Cocuy Conclusion 4. El Cocuy: Colombian Evangelicalism on the Community Level Rural Life in Urban Colombia Choice of El Cocuy as the Rural Field Site Description of the Town Early History of El Cocuy Religion in El Cocuy The Impact of Foreign Missionaries in El Cocuy: The Lutheran Church of Our Savior 5. Domestic Abdication, Individualism, and Machismo Introduction Defining Machismo: Contradictions and Consistencies Domestic Abdication Psychological Approaches: Machismo and Male Dominance Change over Time Machismo, Proletarianization, and Individualism 6. Colombian Sex and Gender Roles and the Family Introduction Sex Roles and Familial Roles The Consequences of Machismo for Women’s Household Roles Conjugal Roles and Status Consciousness Case History: Rosalinda 7. Colombian Evangelicalism from the Household Out Gender Roles and Marital Roles in the Conversion Process The Economic Effects of Gender Role Transformation The Feminine Ethos of Evangelical Religion 8. Conclusion Colombian Evangelicalism as a “Strategic” Form of Female Collective Action Progress, Modernization, and Culture Change Women, the Prosperity Ethic, and the Household Writ Large Appendix: Fieldwork with Colombian Evangelicals Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFollowing its introduction to Korea in the late nineteenth century, Protestantism grew rapidly both in numbers of followers and in influence, and remained a dominating social and political force throughout the twentieth century. This book charts this stunning growth and examines the shifting political associations of Korean Protestantism.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part 1. Protestantism in Korea: A Social History 1. The Growth of Protestantism: History and Meaning 2. The Theological Orientation of the Protestant Church: Its Formation and Transformation 3. The Korean Protestant Church as a Social Institution Part 2. Protestant Christians and Politics 4. The Protestant Church and Early Nationalist Politics, 1880-1919 5. Protestant Christians and the Late Nationalist Movement, 1919-1945 6. The Protestant Church under Foreign Occupation, 1945-1948 7. Protestant Christians and South Korean Politics, 1948-1980s Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] very informative, exciting, and stimulating book about the resistance of the Church of Norway to Nazism during the German occupation 1940-1945….It is an important contribution." -- Torleiv Austad * Lutheran Quarterly *"Hassing’s book is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the Norwegian Church during the Nazi occupation. One of the few books on this topic available in English, this book speaks to larger issues concerning the relationship between church and state, religious ethics, and resistance and should be of interest to a wide range of scholars of religious history, political history, the history of World War II and Norwegian history." -- Anna M. Peterson * Journal of Church and State *"Hassing’s volume is an important contribution to the literature. . . . This book is a “must” for the library of anyone interested in the Lutheran Church, national politics during the Nazi era, twentieth-century Norwegian history, and church resistance in the face of adversity." -- Brenda L. Gaydosh * Historian, The *"Hassing weaves a compelling story. His account of the struggle that was waged to prevent the establishment of a youth organization modeled after the Hitler Youth is particularly striking." -- Patrick Bernhard * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Map of the Church of Norway’s dioceses in 1940 Part One | Preludes 1. German Prelude 5 2. Norwegian Preludes Part Two | Invasion, Accommodation, Collaboration 3. Weserubung 4. Forging a Front Part Three | Resistance 5. In Defense of a Just State 6. The NS Church System 7. Against Nazification 8. In Defense of the Church 9. The Resignation of the Bishops 10. In Defense of the Young 11. Easter 1942 Part Four | Contesting NS Legitimacy 12. Negotiations? 13. The Autonomous Church 14. The NS Church Part Five | Final Protests 15. In Defense of Jews 16. Against Compulsory Labor Service Part Six | Holding Out 17. Between the Times Part Seven | Liberation 18. The Reckoning Epilogue: Legacies Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In her fine-grained analysis of local realities and the globalization of religion, Tâm Ngô has delivered an important contribution to Hmong and Vietnamese studies, the study of religion, Southeast Asian ethnography, and globalized evangelical Protestantism." -- Pascal Bourdeaux * Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review *"Not only is the book remarkable for its collection and use of hard-to-get data from a wide array of sources in Vietnam and abroad, including extended periods of fieldwork in a Hmong village, but also for the story it recounts of conversion not by mission on the ground but via broadcast from the air." -- Nick Cheesman * New Books in Southeast Asian Studies (NBN) *"This book on the conversion of the Vietnamese Hmong is important because, to an extent, the history of modern Vietnam is a history of contending with Christianity. . . . Ngô argues that beginning in the 1980s the Vietnamese Hmong, disillusioned by broken promises and oppressive developmental policies, have seized Protestantism as a route to empowerment and modernity." -- Mai Na M. Lee * Pacific Affairs *"Represents a great achievement as the summation of extensive independent fieldwork on a topic that is essentially the convergence of three 'politically sensitive' topics in Vietnam: religious change, ethnic politics, and transnational groups. Ngô has become the first academic to publish English-language research about this topic based on ethnographic methods, which is no mean feat given the government restrictions placed on academic research in upland Vietnam." -- Seb Rumsby * Southeast Asian Studies *

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Book SynopsisTells the story of Mary Alice Hostetter’s journey to define an authentic self amid a rigid religious upbringing in a Mennonite farm family. This quietly powerful memoir of longing and acceptance casts a humanizing eye on a little-understood American religious tradition and a woman’s striving to grow within and beyond it.Table of Contents Prologue The Girl at the Market Part One Hot Lard Class Pictures Once Upon a Time Making Soup Yearnings Wrestling with Peace Part Two Simple Pleasure Billy Graham’s Necktie Cleansed at Crystal Flow On Foot-Washing Sunday One of the Plain Girls Considering Lilies of the Field It’s Only Fair Leaving Home Part Three Making It to the Main Line Among the Right People Where Do I Fit?Zeit und Raum The Coming-Out Letters Epilogue Elegy to the Farm Where I Grew Up Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisFrom a rare insider’s point of view, Unveiling Grace is the gripping story of how former Brigham Young University professor Lynn Wilder’s entire family, deeply enmeshed in the Mormon Church for thirty years, found their way out into the loving arms of Jesus' grace.

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Book SynopsisOne of the very few books to present a strong proposal on the issue of religious pluralism while maintaining a rock-solid evangelical stance, Wideness in God's Mercy will no doubt launch a decade of discussion on a higher level among many Christians.

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Book SynopsisApophatic theology, or negative theology, attempts to describe God, the Divine Good, by negation, to speak only in terms of what may not be said about the perfect goodness that is God. It is a way of coming to an understanding of who God is which has played a significant role across centuries of Christian tradition but is very often treated with suspicion by those engaging in theological study today. Seeking the God Beyond explores the difference a negative theological approach might make to our faith and practice and offers an introduction to this oft-misunderstood form of spirituality. Beginning by placing apophatic spirituality within its biblical roots, the book later considers the key pioneers of apophatic faith and a diverse range of thinkers including CS Lewis and Keats - to inform us in our negative theological journey.Trade ReviewThis is a timely and very accessible book for an age desperately needing depth as well as direction. The Apophatic way of faith is simply life changing. At the place where words and imagination must rightly fail, the Apophatic way guides us into the inexpressible mystery and presence of the living God. -- David Runcorn'This is an important, timely and delightful book. Janet Williams carries deep learning with grace and style. Her book is packed with a deeply human wisdom and yet points to something far greater and much more glorious. Here is the God who can truly save us from ourselves.' -- David Hoyle, Dean of BristolThe sub-title is ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Christian Apophatic Spirituality,’ and it is exactly that, an overview of the via negativa, a way to reach God by discovering what he is not rather than what he is. I found it a theological page-turner, leading on from the biblical roots starting with Moses, the Song of Songs and John the Baptist to Jesus; these texts are revisited in succeeding chapters: an explanation of the ‘negative way’; exponents such as St John of the Cross and Meister Eckhart; a fascinating description of related topics, Paul in Athens, Keats’ Negative Capability, the books of Narnia and Zen Buddhism; finally apophatic content in practices such as pilgrimage, liturgy and prayer. There are useful addenda such as the need for spiritual emptying and humility in the Afterword, and also further reading. You will gather that it is very wide-ranging, indeed breath-taking in its compass, but it is in direct language and easy to read. I would say it is essential for those engaged in spiritual direction and otherwise highly recommended for all. -- JOHN FOXLEE * The Reader, Winter edition *'...the thrust and tenor will be seen as a welcome ally to those of us who despair at the way in which churches so often seem to want to deliver a God packaged in doctrinal terms where explanation has superseded the experience of the divine. Echoes persist throughout the book of Tillich’s ‘Ground of all being’ and Julian of Norwich’s emphasis on love capturing the meaning of God. Those readers less convinced of the existential reality of God might nevertheless warm to this approach of inward contemplation and a hatching of the heart.' -- Adrian Alker, Progressive Voices, Dec 2019, PC31Table of ContentsContents: Preface Introduction: Speak of Me as I Am Part 1 Biblical Roots - Moses: The Fire and the Cloud - The Song of Songs - John the Baptist, Apophatic Prophet - Jesus: Word and Silence Part 2 The ‘Negative Way’ - Stripping - Ascent - Unsaying - Union Part 3 Pioneers of Apophatic Faith - Gregory of Nyssa - The Dionysian Corpus - Meister Eckhart - Nicholas of Cusa Part 4 Allies on the Journey - Athens - Keats’ Negative Capability - Narnia - Zen’s ‘Don’t-Know Mind’ Part 5 Apophatic Practices - Exuberance: Saying and Unsaying in Parable and Poetry - Pilgrimage - Liturgy - Prayer ‘in the Cave of the Heart’ Afterword: Running Towards a Stone Tomb

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Book SynopsisThe study is an intellectual and comparative history of French, Spanish, and English missions to the native peoples of America in the seventeenth century, c. 1610â1690. It shows that missions are ideal case studies to properly understand the relationship between religion and politics in early modern Catholic and Calvinist thought. The book aims to analyse the intellectual roots of fundamental ideas in Catholic and Calvinist missionary writingsâamong others idolatry, conversion, civility, and policeâby examining the classical, Augustinian, neo-thomist, reformed Protestant, and contemporary European influences on their writings. Missionariesâ insistence on the necessity of reform, emphasising an experiential, practical vision of Christianity, led them to elaborate conversion strategies that encompassed not only religious, but also political and social changes. It was at the margins of empire that the essentials of Calvinist and Catholic soteriologies and political thought could be enacted and crystallised. By a careful analysis of these missiologies, the study thus argues that missionariesâ common strategiesâhabituation, segregation, social and political regulationsâstem from a shared intellectual heritage, classical, humanist, and above all concerned with the Erasmian ideal of a reformation of manners. Table of ContentsIntroduction: 1. Custom as Ethos and Habituation: Native Paganism and Idolatry 2. Conversion: Will, Grace and Good Works 3. Nomadic Lifestyles: Civility, Law, and Godly Government 4. Assimilation versus Segregation: Two Competing Missiologies 5. Community Building: Commonwealth and Christian Missions 6. Conflict: Rejection of European Political and Religious Authority. Conclusion. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe development of Martin Luther's thought was both a symptom and moving force in the transformation of the Middle Ages into the modern world. Geographical discovery, an emerging scientific tradition, and a climate of social change had splintered the unity of medieval Christian culture, and these changes provided the background for Luther's theological challenge. His new apprehension of Scripture and fresh understanding of man's relation to God demanded a break with the Church as then constituted and released the powerful impulses that carried the Reformation. Luther's vigorous, colorful language still retains the excitement it had for thousands of his contemporaries. In this volume, Dr. Dillenberger has made a representative selection from Luther's extensive writings, and has also provided the reader with a lucid introduction to his thought.

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Book SynopsisChristian Theology: The Basics is a concise introduction to the nature, tasks and central concerns of theology â the study of God within the Christian tradition. Providing a broad overview of the story that Christianity tells us about our human situation before God, this book will also seek to provide encouragement and a solid foundation for the readerâs further explorations within the subject. With debates surrounding the relation between faith and reason in theology, the book opens with a consideration of the basis of theology and goes on to explore key topics including: The identity of Jesus and debates in Christology The role of the Bible in shaping theological inquiry The centrality of the Trinity for all forms of Christian thinking The promise of salvation and how it is achieved. With suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter along with a glossary Christian Theology: The Basics, is the ideal starting point for those new to study of theology.Trade Review"Rae (Univ. of Otago, New Zealand) provides a concise, fair, and accurate overview of the basics of Christian theology. (...) The glossary will be helpful for those looking at Christian theology for the first time and those who want succinct definitions of key terms. Readers looking for an interesting, accessible, and balanced introduction to main features of Christian theology will find this a most helpful guide. Summing Up: Recommended."- D. K. McKim, Memphis Theological Seminary in CHOICE"Murray Rae has offered teachers and interested readers a robust (occasionally even literary), yet concise, introduction to the most difficult and debated issues in Christian theology. His efforts will richly reward those who are willing to “pick up and read!” - Christopher McMahon, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PennsylvaniaTable of Contents1. Speaking of God 2. Creation and Covenant 3. Jesus and the Spirit 4. The Triune God 5. Salvation 6. A New Community 7. Christian Life 8. The Christian Hope

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Book SynopsisMatthew L. Becker is Associate Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University, USA. An ordained Lutheran minister, Dr. Becker has served congregations in Chicago and Oregon, USA. He is author of The Self-Giving God (T&T Clark, 2004).Trade ReviewThe book labours to be user-friendly, offering questions for review and discussion and further reading in each chapter, extensive glossaries of key terms and names, and good indexes ... There is much stimulating orientation here for beginners ... [and it] should find an appreciative student readership in the settings for which it is designed. -- Ivor J. Davidson, University of St. Andrews, UK * Theology *Dr Becker's book is destined to become a standard textbook both in college and seminary courses of theology. I know of no better compendium of Christian theology to introduce beginning students to the study of theology. This book is encyclopaedic in scope, offering wide-ranging and judicious coverage of the foundational teachings and practices within the mainstream of the classical Christian tradition, beginning with their roots in the Scriptures and branching out in many and various ways in Eastern and Western Christianity, ancient, medieval, and modern, to the present-day. Students and teachers of theology will very much appreciate that this book combines two qualities in a commendable way: fair-mindedness both in its presentation of whatever subject matter is being treated and in its critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the positions under review. * Carl E. Braaten, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, USA *This is one of the highest praises I can bestow on a scholarly book that has been written for undergraduate students. Dr Becker has fulfilled a task that is not easy to do. As one of my teachers used to say to us, "It is easy to write complicated texts, but writing one that is comprehensible - that is tricky!" Dr Becker has written a thorough introduction to Christian theology which, nevertheless, is quite comprehensible. * Notger Slenczka, Humboldt University, Germany *In this text introducing students and general readers to the basis of Christian theology, Matthew Becker invites readers to wrestle with the most important questions facing Christians in our time. the best introductory textbooks respect students enough to ask them not only to know a subject's basic vocabulary and grammar but also to think through the material. Becker's is a student-friendly text not only because it provides learning helps, but most importantly because it hooks readers with the inner logic of faith's truth claims. * Mark C. Mattes, Grand View University, USA *This book's clarity and student-friendly approach is only possible because of the depth and range of Dr Becker's understanding of religion in the Western world. The wisdom of a careful mind and the passion for connecting theological themes with ordinary human experience come together in this outstanding demonstration of theological reflection. Highly recommended! * Terry D. Cooper, St. Louis Community College - Meramec and Webster University, USA *[Becker's] work develops as a useful narrative from which the distinctive voices of major theologians can emerge, as if within a dialogue across the centuries, and into which the students can interpolate their emerging theological intuitions. * New Blackfriars *Table of ContentsContents Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations Part I: Theology Chapter One: Ways into Theology Chapter Two: Traditions of Christianity Chapter Three: Traditions of Christian Theology Chapter Four: What is Christian Theology? Part II: The Subject of Christian Theology Chapter Five: The Problem of God Chapter Six: The Natural Knowledge of God Chapter Seven: Natural and Philosophical Theology Chapter Eight: Special Revelation Chapter Nine: Themes in Special Revelation Chapter Ten: Sources and Norms of Christian Theology Chapter Eleven: Interpreting the Bible Part III: Christian Theology within the University Chapter Twelve: The Shape of Christian Theology as a University Discipline Chapter Thirteen: The Sub-disciplines of Christian Theology Chapter Fourteen: Christian Theology within the Humanities Chapter Fifteen: Christian Theology and the Sciences Afterword by Dr. Martin E. Marty Appendix: Martin Luther, "Concerning the Study of Theology" Glossary of Names Glossary of Terms Bibliography Biblical Index Index of Persons Index of Subjects

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Book SynopsisThe French Reformation seemed well-placed to succeed: there was a vigorous pre-reform movement, an apparent welcome for the work of French-speaking reformers in many quarters despite severe persecution, and the beginnings of a powerful and well-organized church structure. Yet, French protestantism remained the faith only of a minority. This book seeks to understand this apparent contradiction and to explain why protestantism failed to take hold in France.Table of ContentsHeterodoxy in the early-French Reformation; repression and the growth of a Protestant Church; the social geography of French Protestantism; the Huguenots and the Civil Wars. Appendix: the social geography of French Protestantism around 1560.

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Book SynopsisOffers an examination of the concept of 'Waldensianism' from the late 12th century to the Reformation. This book draws on primary sources to consider each of the manifestations of the movement in turn. It examines connections in space and time through correspondence and tradition between the different groups of Waldenses.Trade Review"... exemplary in its clarity and comprehensiveness and will easily count as the standard treatment in the subject for years to come." Times Literary Supplement "[Cameron's] command of the difficult and controversial evidence is masterly throughout this study, and his grasp of the ideas which formed the movement, and the different approaches of the new Protestantism, is outstanding. This book will provide a starting-point for future study of the Waldenses." Journal of Theological Studies "A scholarly account ranging from the late twelfth century to the Reformation..." Missiology: An International Review "Waldenses is a lucid, nuanced, and intelligent assesment of the history of this diverse group of medieval dissenters.... Cameron's assesments are penetraing and sound... [the book] should find its way onto the bookshelves of many scholars and students interested in medieval religious cultures." Shannon McSheffrey, Concordia UniversityTable of ContentsList of Plates viii List of Maps ix Preface x Introduction 1 Waldenses and the Catholic Church 2 The Changing Shape of the Sources 3 Some Questions Arising 5 Part I The First Phase 1 Before Heresy: Valdesius and the Poor Brethren at Lyon to 1184 11 2 Disobedient Preachers, 1184-c.1210 23 3 The Lombard ‘Poor in Spirit’, c.1205-1240 36 4 The Reconciliations with Rome, 1208-1212 49 Part II The Age of Inquisition, Thirteenth to fifteenth Centuries Introduction: The impact of Organized Inquisitorial Activity 63 5 Waldenses in Occitan France, c.1220-1320 70 6 Germany and Eastern Europe 96 7 The Southwestern Alps 151 Part III The Alpine Waldenses Confront the Reformation Introduction: The End of Heresy? 209 8 The Alpine Barbes and their Culture, c.1520-1530 211 9 The Encounters of 1530-1532 and their Outcomes 232 10 Calvin’s Geneva takes over in Piedmont, 1555-1565 264 Epilogue: The Waldenses as Persecuted Martyrs and the ‘True Church’ 285 Conclusions and Reflections 297 Bibliography 304 Index 319

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Book SynopsisFor two centuries, Jesus has connected the Latter-day Saints to broader currents of Christianity, even while particular Mormon beliefs have been points of differentiation. From the author of the definitive life of Brigham Young comes a biography of the Mormon Jesus that enriches our understanding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Trade ReviewThe Mormon Jesus is an example of excellent Mormon scholarship that can be found from authors outside the faith…A worthy look at the LDS faith. -- Doug Gibson * Standard-Examiner *Mormon Jesus is an excellent treatise on the Mormon Christology in its development and current form. It provides a breathtaking overview of Christ in Mormon thought from the pre-Book of Mormon era to the present. Regardless of whether one agrees with Turner’s conclusion—that Mormonism is a non-peculiar, albeit new and unique, branch of Christianity—he provides the field of Mormon studies with a valuable resource that should prove useful for years to come. -- Kyle Beshears * H-Net Reviews *The Mormon Jesus is much more than a treatise on Christology. It is a lively cultural history of how Mormons have thought of Christ from the Book of Mormon to the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Scriptural translations, visions and revelations, temple ceremonies, songs, Sunday school lessons, paintings, sculpture, and poetry all figure in the story of Mormonism’s distinctive Jesus. -- Richard Lyman Bushman, author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone RollingThe Mormon understanding of Jesus has never been static. This excellent and perceptive history traces the development of Mormon ideas about the Savior through nearly two centuries of history and theology, with those beliefs sometimes coinciding with and sometimes diverging sharply from broader currents of Christian thinking. -- Jana Riess, senior columnist for Religion News Service and coeditor of Mormonism and American PoliticsRichly researched and beautifully written, The Mormon Jesus moves far beyond biography to survey the entirety of Mormon history through a focus on the ways that believers see, hear, pray to, and depict Jesus. This groundbreaking new book renders Mormonism as both quintessentially Christian and utterly distinctive. -- Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp, author of Setting Down the Sacred Past: African-American Race Histories

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Book SynopsisIn a felicitous blend of documents and narrative Heimert and Delbanco recapture the sweep and restless change of Puritan thought from its incipient Americanism through its dominance in New England society to its fragmentation in the face of dissent from within and without.Trade ReviewBy presenting Puritan sermons, reminiscences, poetry, and other writings in a chronological fashion, Heimert and Delbanco have captured the spirit of a vibrant New England, experiencing social, religious, and economic change. The editors’ brief introductions to many of the selections make this volume especially attractive to students of Puritan history and literature. * Virginia Quarterly Review *This anthology pays tribute to Puritan trailblazers in political, religious and literary realms and casts them in a new and sparkling light. Lucid editorial notes and passages accompany the individual selections, the tone of which are at once friendly and scholarly. -- Susan Monsky * Boston Sunday Globe *What commends this particular book are its chronological organization, its insistence that any firm generalizations about Puritans may obscure the ‘human uncertainty’ of their lives in America, its treatment of the movement as sensibility rather than ideology, and its focus on emotionality in the context of the past. By defining Puritanism as an affective style and them allowing us to trace that style’s literary effusions over a century, Heimert and Delbanco invite us to investigate how communities organize their emotions and how time transfigures culturally prescribed feeling, a task well worth taking up. If the heart has its reason, it has its history too. -- Charles L. Cohen * Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences *Table of ContentsPREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A NOTE ON EDITORIAL METHOD Introduction PART ONE: LOOMINGS Thomas Hooker, The Soul's Preparation for Christ (c. 1626) John Cotton, Christ the Fountain of Life (c. 1628) Thomas Shepard, The Sound Believer (c. 1633) PART TWO: THE MIGRATION Plymouth Robert Cushman, Reasons and Considerations Touching the Lawfulness of Removing out of England into the Parts of America (1622) "G. Mourt," Mourt's Relation (1622) Thomas Morton, New English Canaan (1634-1635) William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation (1630-1650) Massachusetts Bay William Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof (c. 1630) Thomas Hooker, The Danger of Desertion (1631) John Winthrop, Reasons to Be Considered for...the Intended Plantation in New England (1619) John Cotton, God's Promise to His Plantations (1630) John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity (1630) John Cotton, Letter from New England (1634) John Winthrop, Journal (1642) William Hooke, New England's Tears for Old England's Fears (1640) John Cotton, Foreword to John Norton, The Answer (1648) Edward Johnson, Wonder-Working Providence of Sion's Savior in New England (c. 1650) Peter Bulkeley, The Gospel-Covenant (c. 1639-1640) PART THREE: CITY ON A HILL The First American Poetry Thomas Tillam, "Upon the First Sight of New England" (1638) Anne Bradstreet, Poems and Prose (c. 1635-1670) The Antinomian Crisis John Cotton, A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (c. 1636) Anne Hutchinson, The Examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson (1637) John Winthrop, A Defense of an Order of Court (1637) Henry Vane, A Brief Answer (1637) Thomas Shepard, The Parable of the Ten Virgins (1636-1640) Thomas Hooker, The Application of Redemption (c. 1640) The Specter of Toleration Nathaniel Ward, The Simple Cobbler of Aggawam (c. 1646) Business in the Bible Commonwealth Robert Keayne, Last Will and Testament (1653) PART FOUR: O NEW ENGLAND! The Cotton-Williams Debate Roger Williams, The Bloody Tenent of Persecution (1643) John Cotton, The Bloody Tenent, Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb (1646) Roger Williams, Experiments of Spiritual Life and Health (c. 1650) The Passing of the Fathers John Norton, Abel Being Dead Yet Speaketh (c. 1655) New England Alone John Davenport, The Saint's Anchor-Hold (1661) John Norton, Election Sermon: Sion the Outcast Healed of Her Wounds (1661) The Jeremiad Michael Wigglesworth, "God's Controversy with New England" (1662) Increase Mather, The Mystery of Israel's Salvation (1667) Thomas Shepard, Jr., Eye-Salve (1672) The Revival of Piety Mary Rowlandson, Narrative of Captivity and Restoration (c. 1677) Solomon Stoddard, The Safety of Appearing at the Day of Judgment

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Book SynopsisThe role of liberalized, ecumenical Protestantism in American history has too often been obscured by the more flamboyant and orthodox versions of the faith that oppose evolution, embrace narrow conceptions of family values, and continue to insist that the United States should be understood as a Christian nation. In this book, one of our preeminentTrade Review"The intensely autobiographical essays of this book add luster but also complexity to David Hollinger's reputation as one of the most noteworthy historical essayists of his generation. The luster comes from the coruscating flow of insight he communicates about the larger meaning of liberal or mainline Protestantism in recent American history. The complexity arises from the book's tight interweaving of personal biography and historical analysis."--Mark Noll, Intellectual History Review "In these tightly argued, elegantly written interlocking essays, Hollinger, one of America's premier historians, examines the career of liberal Protestantism in the United States."--Philip Jenkins, Christian Century "The erudition, insight, range, and quality of these essays cannot be captured in brief summary, but the contribution can. Simply put, no scholar of American religion, American intellectual life, or American politics can afford to ignore After Cloven Tongues of Fire. More than a book on liberal Protestantism, the essays here reshape our understanding of the very nature of modernity in America and what makes it unique."--Matthew S. Hedstrom, Journal of the American Academy of Religion "After Cloven Tongues of Fire succeeds in offering a nuanced and compelling interpretation of liberal Protestantism's engagement with the increasingly complex and diverse cultural and intellectual climate of the twentieth century. Hollinger's work offers much to historians and students of this era as well as to the study of Protestantism in the United States."--Jeffrey Williams, Catholic Historical ReviewTable of ContentsPreface ix 1. The Accommodation of Protestant Christianity with the Enlightenment: An Old Drama Still Being Enacted 1 2. After Cloven Tongues of Fire: Ecumenical Protestantism and the Modern American Encounter with Diversity 18 3. The Realist-Pacifist Summit Meeting of March 1942 and the Political Reorientation of Ecumenical Protestantism in the United States 56 4. Justification by Verification: The Scientific Challenge to the Moral Authority of Christianity in Modern America 82 5. James, Clifford, and the Scientific Conscience 103 6. Damned for God's Glory: William James and the Scientific Vindication of Protestant Culture 117 7. Communalist and Dispersionist Approaches to American Jewish History in an Increasingly Post-Jewish Era 138 8. Church People and Others 170 9. Enough Already: Universities Do Not Need More Christianity 190 10. Religious Ideas: Should They Be Critically Engaged or Given a Pass? 199 Epilogue: Reinhold Niebuhr and Protestant Liberalism 211 Index 227

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Book SynopsisTracing the intersection of religion, race, and power in Texas from Reconstruction through the rise of the Religious Right and the failed presidential bid of Governor Rick Perry, Rough Country illuminates American history since the Civil War in new ways, demonstrating that Texas's story is also America's. In particular, Robert Wuthnow shows how disTrade ReviewWinner of the 2015 Coral Horton Tullis Memorial Prize, Texas State Historical Association "[Wuthnow's] goal is to explain the pitch, moral tone, sharp focus, and sheer loudness of Texas politics as a product of Texas religion... Rough Country is chock-a-block with facts and numbers."--Thomas Powers, New York Review of Books "The great strength of Rough Country is the author's resolute commitment to exploring subtle distinctions... Mr. Wuthnow's thoughtful, careful account is a valuable addition to America's endless church-and-state debates."--Erica Grieder, Wall Street Journal "Anyone seeking to examine the relationship between modern American religious conservatism and politics needs to look no further than Wuthnow's authoritative, encyclopedic survey of Texas's influence on national trends."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "In this brilliantly detailed book, Wuthnow draws on newspapers, eyewitness accounts and archival material as well as sociological theory, showing how notions of self and other emerged through institution-building practices that helped define Texan (and ultimately, national) identity."--Kirkus "In Rough Country, Wuthnow draws on an Everest of data to provide a comprehensive analysis of the connections between religion, race, and politics in the state that has given us Lyndon Johnson, George W. Bush, Ted Cruz, Roe v. Wade, FreedomWorks, a key sponsor of the Tea Party, and secessionist threats."--Glenn Altschuler, Huffington Post "[A] commanding sociological history... Mr. Wuthnow offers a clear-eyed view of the lingering legacies of slavery and segregation, matters that many Texans today prefer to pass over in favour of Alamo heroics... His research, much of it culled from the archives of Texan publications, is exhaustive, and his command of data impressive, from the changing number of clergy in Texas to the growth of livestock handling in the Fort Worth stockyards more than a century ago. There are nuggets on every page, for historians, journalists, clergy and policymakers."--The Economist "Using the stories of the colorful men and women who drove Texas history, Wuthnow injects surprising life into such normally tame subjects as political theory or statistics about household incomes and the racial breakdowns of counties. For anyone looking to dive into the big, knotty history of one of the most iconic states, this book is well worth the time."--William O'Connor, Daily Beast "Wuthnow's elaboration on the point of morality is especially illuminating... Throughout the book, Wuthnow emphasizes that aside from its size and natural resources, Texas should be considered a microcosm of the United States, rather than a national exception."--Robyn Ross, Texas Observer "Combining a wealth of detail with a broad narrative reach, Mr. Wuthnow's book tells the story of how faith, right-wing politics, and big money have shaped the state in complex ways... Rough Country makes for encouraging or disturbing reading, depending upon which side of the Left-Right divide you are on."--Barry Alfonso, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Wuthnow seeks ... to account for the raw power of Texas's red state religion and he has undertaken that massive task with all of the skill expected of such an accomplished scholar."--Journal of Southern Religion "I have no idea of Robert Wuthnow is a Texan, but if only those born in Texas understand the state, he must be... [A]ll readers will, I believe, find amid the details that make this such a rich book an important account of the complex role religion has played and continues to play in American life."--Stanley Hauerwas, First Things "Mixing historical anecdotes gleaned from newspaper accounts, memoirs, and diaries with demographic studies and sociological analysis and using historical narrative as a framework, Wuthnow shows how this rough state with its rough religion and its rough relationship with race became such a powerful force in Bible Belt politics... Wuthnow is a careful sociologist and his research is meticulous: he is a master of telling what happened and how it happened."--Kyle Childress, Christian Century "Rough Country combines a careful treatment of religious history in Texas with sociological insights about the way religion functions in people's lives. Like everything Wuthnow writes, it demands careful attention... A stoutly researched book full of interesting stories and important multi-layered interpretations, Rough Country should be required reading for every evangelical leader concerned with race, religion, or politics."--Miles Mullin, Christianity Today "Wuthnow's comprehensive study of religion in Texas examines how evangelical Christianity has shaped a state with a powerful influence on US politics, especially in recent decades... Though the book is primarily a historical narrative, this study of how faith and politics intertwine in Texas has much to offer to sociologists, political scientists, and scholars of religion in the U.S."--Choice "It is well-written, well-argued, thorough, and engaging."--Sean P. Cunningham, Journal of Church and State "No other study of Texas is quite like this one, certainly no other is as comprehensive, and anyone interested in religion in America and its intertwining with conservative politics, especially scholars, will find the work enlightening."--John W. Storey, The Journal of American History "Whether you are a Lone Star native with a Texocentric worldview or simply an interested observer of American civil religion, Rough Country provides a clear glimpse at religion's past that can reshape how evangelicals engage the future."--Phillip Bethancourt, The Gospel Coalition "Rough Country is a well-written and nuanced narrative of Texas religious history... A timely and important contribution that should be read by those in the academy and those outside it."--Emily Suzanne Clark, Common Reader "One of the most thorough studies of a southern state's religious history to date... Rough Country is an impressive piece of scholarship... Wuthnow writes with characteristic precision and clarity, and the book is filled with fascinating characters and memorable anecdotes that routinely illustrate points and subpoints."--Darren E. Grem, Journal of Southern HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Chapter 1 In Rough Country 14 Bringing Order to the New Frontier Chapter 2 For the Advance of Civilization 51 Institution Building and Moral Character Chapter 3 With Liberty of Conscience 88 Defining the Separation of Church and State Chapter 4 The Fundamentalist Belt 121 Coming to Terms with Science Chapter 5 From Judge Lynch to Jim Crow 154 Celebrating Limited Inclusion Chapter 6 A Load Too Heavy 196 Religion and the Debate over Government Relief Chapter 7 Moving onto the National Stage 225 Everything Is Big Chapter 8 Meanest, Dirtiest, Low-Down Stuff 269 The Politics of Tumult Chapter 9 Power to the People 303 Framing the Issues, Taking Sides Chapter 10 God Can Save Us 325 The Campaign for a Moral America Chapter 11 In a Compassionate Way 369 Connecting Faith and Politics Chapter 12 An Independent Lot 409 Religion and Grassroots Activism Chapter 13 Afterword 448 Religion and the Politics of Identity Acknowledgments 483 Notes 485 Selected Bibliography 593 Index 627

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Book SynopsisTracing the intersection of religion, race, and power in Texas from Reconstruction through the rise of the Religious Right and the failed presidential bid of Governor Rick Perry, Rough Country illuminates American history since the Civil War in new ways, demonstrating that Texas's story is also America's. In particular, Robert Wuthnow shows how disTrade ReviewWinner of the 2015 Coral Horton Tullis Memorial Prize, Texas State Historical Association "[Wuthnow's] goal is to explain the pitch, moral tone, sharp focus, and sheer loudness of Texas politics as a product of Texas religion... Rough Country is chock-a-block with facts and numbers."--Thomas Powers, New York Review of Books "The great strength of Rough Country is the author's resolute commitment to exploring subtle distinctions... Mr. Wuthnow's thoughtful, careful account is a valuable addition to America's endless church-and-state debates."--Erica Grieder, Wall Street Journal "Anyone seeking to examine the relationship between modern American religious conservatism and politics needs to look no further than Wuthnow's authoritative, encyclopedic survey of Texas's influence on national trends."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "In this brilliantly detailed book, Wuthnow draws on newspapers, eyewitness accounts and archival material as well as sociological theory, showing how notions of self and other emerged through institution-building practices that helped define Texan (and ultimately, national) identity."--Kirkus "In Rough Country, Wuthnow draws on an Everest of data to provide a comprehensive analysis of the connections between religion, race, and politics in the state that has given us Lyndon Johnson, George W. Bush, Ted Cruz, Roe v. Wade, FreedomWorks, a key sponsor of the Tea Party, and secessionist threats."--Glenn Altschuler, Huffington Post "[A] commanding sociological history... Mr. Wuthnow offers a clear-eyed view of the lingering legacies of slavery and segregation, matters that many Texans today prefer to pass over in favour of Alamo heroics... His research, much of it culled from the archives of Texan publications, is exhaustive, and his command of data impressive, from the changing number of clergy in Texas to the growth of livestock handling in the Fort Worth stockyards more than a century ago. There are nuggets on every page, for historians, journalists, clergy and policymakers."--The Economist "Using the stories of the colorful men and women who drove Texas history, Wuthnow injects surprising life into such normally tame subjects as political theory or statistics about household incomes and the racial breakdowns of counties. For anyone looking to dive into the big, knotty history of one of the most iconic states, this book is well worth the time."--William O'Connor, Daily Beast "Wuthnow's elaboration on the point of morality is especially illuminating... Throughout the book, Wuthnow emphasizes that aside from its size and natural resources, Texas should be considered a microcosm of the United States, rather than a national exception."--Robyn Ross, Texas Observer "Combining a wealth of detail with a broad narrative reach, Mr. Wuthnow's book tells the story of how faith, right-wing politics, and big money have shaped the state in complex ways... Rough Country makes for encouraging or disturbing reading, depending upon which side of the Left-Right divide you are on."--Barry Alfonso, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Wuthnow seeks ... to account for the raw power of Texas's red state religion and he has undertaken that massive task with all of the skill expected of such an accomplished scholar."--Journal of Southern Religion "I have no idea of Robert Wuthnow is a Texan, but if only those born in Texas understand the state, he must be... [A]ll readers will, I believe, find amid the details that make this such a rich book an important account of the complex role religion has played and continues to play in American life."--Stanley Hauerwas, First Things "Mixing historical anecdotes gleaned from newspaper accounts, memoirs, and diaries with demographic studies and sociological analysis and using historical narrative as a framework, Wuthnow shows how this rough state with its rough religion and its rough relationship with race became such a powerful force in Bible Belt politics... Wuthnow is a careful sociologist and his research is meticulous: he is a master of telling what happened and how it happened."--Kyle Childress, Christian Century "Rough Country combines a careful treatment of religious history in Texas with sociological insights about the way religion functions in people's lives. Like everything Wuthnow writes, it demands careful attention... A stoutly researched book full of interesting stories and important multi-layered interpretations, Rough Country should be required reading for every evangelical leader concerned with race, religion, or politics."--Miles Mullin, Christianity Today "Wuthnow's comprehensive study of religion in Texas examines how evangelical Christianity has shaped a state with a powerful influence on US politics, especially in recent decades... Though the book is primarily a historical narrative, this study of how faith and politics intertwine in Texas has much to offer to sociologists, political scientists, and scholars of religion in the U.S."--Choice "It is well-written, well-argued, thorough, and engaging."--Sean P. Cunningham, Journal of Church and State "No other study of Texas is quite like this one, certainly no other is as comprehensive, and anyone interested in religion in America and its intertwining with conservative politics, especially scholars, will find the work enlightening."--John W. Storey, The Journal of American History "Whether you are a Lone Star native with a Texocentric worldview or simply an interested observer of American civil religion, Rough Country provides a clear glimpse at religion's past that can reshape how evangelicals engage the future."--Phillip Bethancourt, The Gospel Coalition "Rough Country is a well-written and nuanced narrative of Texas religious history... A timely and important contribution that should be read by those in the academy and those outside it."--Emily Suzanne Clark, Common Reader "One of the most thorough studies of a southern state's religious history to date... Rough Country is an impressive piece of scholarship... Wuthnow writes with characteristic precision and clarity, and the book is filled with fascinating characters and memorable anecdotes that routinely illustrate points and subpoints."--Darren E. Grem, Journal of Southern HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Chapter 1 In Rough Country 14 Bringing Order to the New Frontier Chapter 2 For the Advance of Civilization 51 Institution Building and Moral Character Chapter 3 With Liberty of Conscience 88 Defining the Separation of Church and State Chapter 4 The Fundamentalist Belt 121 Coming to Terms with Science Chapter 5 From Judge Lynch to Jim Crow 154 Celebrating Limited Inclusion Chapter 6 A Load Too Heavy 196 Religion and the Debate over Government Relief Chapter 7 Moving onto the National Stage 225 Everything Is Big Chapter 8 Meanest, Dirtiest, Low-Down Stuff 269 The Politics of Tumult Chapter 9 Power to the People 303 Framing the Issues, Taking Sides Chapter 10 God Can Save Us 325 The Campaign for a Moral America Chapter 11 In a Compassionate Way 369 Connecting Faith and Politics Chapter 12 An Independent Lot 409 Religion and Grassroots Activism Chapter 13 Afterword 448 Religion and the Politics of Identity Acknowledgments 483 Notes 485 Selected Bibliography 593 Index 627

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shortlisted for the 2018 European Studies Book Award, Council for European Studies""If you associate Mennonites not only with belief in adult baptism but also with pacifism, with refusing to take oaths, and with proper distance from politics, then this richly documented book shatters all of your illusions."---Hartmut Lehmann, American Historical Review"A notable, original contribution to the history of religion in modern Germany, Chosen Nation also succeeds brilliantly as an extended reflection on the very nature of personal identity in the context of complex cultural, social and political environments. On both accounts it merits a wide readership."---Anthony J. Steinhoff, Journal of Ecclesiastical History"Goossen’s book is an impressively researched and engaging study. . . . It skilfully combines transnational, social and cultural approaches to produce a work which unites the revival of historiographical interest in the place of religion in the modern world with the analytical possibilities opened up by global history."---Thomas Brodie, English Historical Review"Where the mastery of this study lies . . . is in Goossen’s detailed retelling of how a community—or at least one part of it—once identified by its pacifism became the poster child for Nazi racial ideology, a development that was not without the active participation of German Mennonites themselves in both the creation of this vision and the crimes it elicited."---Rebecca Bennette, German History"[C]arrying the narrative forward in a manner that is rich in detail but simultaneously a compelling story. . . . Chosen Nation is a wonderful resource in the study of how a religious community can struggle to maintain its principles in the face of political and other social pressures."---George Adams, Nova Religio"A breakthrough book that addresses a vital topic of interest in great detail. . . . It has the potential to rekindle old conversations about the crises and fatigues of identity in religious communities, given that history is a major source of insight and direction for those communities, and for this reason--in addition to its historical research--it is an impressive and illuminating work."---Maxwell Kennel, Reading Religion"Goossen ruptures the familiar historical narrative of Mennonite martyrdom and victimhood, and challenges Mennonites to examine their pasts anew. . . . Goossen’s erudite analysis of Mennonites’ complicity in Hitler’s racism and genocide will, I hope, set new directions in research."---Martina Cucchiara, Conrad Grebel Review"Rejecting traditional definitions of religion and nationality, Goossen depicts Mennonites as a socially constructed and historically situated collectivity. . . . The result is a thought-provoking examination of Mennonite identity centred on Mennonites’ fluid relationship with Germany from the time of nineteenth-century nationalism and political unification to the present."---Kyle Jantzen, Contemporary Church History Quarterly"Goossen is an engaging guide through difficult material. His voice joins the calls by other historians . . . to talk about racism in their churches in open and honest ways. One hopes that churches can continue the same difficult scholarship and reflection."---Troy Osborne, Mennonite World Review"Central to Goossen’s thesis is the inherent instability, or, more positively, pliability of identity and how identity gets shaped by the sociopolitical forces of a given time and place. . . . Inasmuch as Mennonites have offered a glass of water in Christ’s name, Mennonites have also played a part in the worst of human judgments. The integrity of a future Mennonite witness may depend on the church’s ability to account for both."---David Driedger, Anabaptist Witness"Goossen’s strong narrative produces an engaging read. He asks relevant and sophisticated questions that challenge depictions of Mennonite global connections as having been forged under benign circumstances. . . . This book is a significant scholarly contribution that will inspire debates for many years to come."---Aileen Friesen, Mennonite Life"Goossen has provided valuable insight into how select Mennonite progressive 'leaders' in the German lands responded to German unification, and how they worked to transform their confession up to and after World War I."---Leonard G. Friesen, Slavic Review"Chosen Nation . . . deftly unpacks the complex intersections between religion and nation but recognises the fluidity of identity . . . Goossen reminds readers that the ideologies of collectives are constantly in flux and subject to competing interpretations."---Katherine Williams, Nations and Nationalism"Goosen has written a balanced primer of a pious and insular community whose history, customs and values have yet to be discovered by most people."---Sheldon Kirshner, Sheldon Kirshner JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Note on Translation xiii Introduction 1 1 Becoming German The Geography of Collectivism 18 2 Forging History Anabaptism and the Kulturkampf 45 3 Raising the Faith Family, Gender, and Religious Indifference 71 4 World War, World Confession International Violence and Mennonite Globalization 96 5 The Racial Church Nazis, Anti-Semitism, and the Science of Blood 121 6 Fatherland War and Genocide in the Mennonite East 147 7 Mennonite Nationalism Postwar Aid and the Politics of Repatriation 174 Conclusion 200 Archival Sources 213 Notes 215 Index 257

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shagan . . . traces the surprisingly complicated evolving meaning of belief in this engrossing intellectual history. . . . This impressive unpacking of the now-common-sense understanding of knowledge glides smoothly through its arguments and provides useful insights for scholars in religion and beyond." * Publishers Weekly *"If we care about [the] history [of belief] . . . this book is a terrific place to begin."---Alec Ryrie, Church Times"The Birth of Modern Belief is an eminently important book that also happens to be excellently written. It is a highly valuable contribution to religious studies’ ongoing debates over the concept of belief, and it should be read by not only anyone interested in the concept—although they especially should read it—but by just about anyone working in the study of religion."---Jason Blum, Reading Religion"This game-changing book will alter the way you understand the history and nature of belief in the West from the Middle Ages to our own time." * Paradigm Explorer *"A fine and important book."---Dominic Erdozain, Modern Believing

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“An essential, unsettling and often shocking account. . . . [A] remarkable fusion of biblical studies and investigative journalism. . . . Moss and Baden uncover many alarming details about the Greens' acquisitions and the scholars they have paid to study them.”—Sarah Posner, Washington Post“Exhaustively reported and scrupulously fair, Bible Nation doubles as a portrait of conviction: The Greens may well be the most sincere and most-frequently misguided activists in America.”—Sarah Jones, New Republic“Bible Nation is a geek’s delight, seasoned with the historical skulduggery and theological debate found in a Dan Brown novel or an Indiana Jones film.”—Hamilton Cain, Minneapolis Star Tribune“A timely read for those interested in the relationship between money, faith, and American politics.”—Publishers Weekly“A troubling look into how a personal belief system can infiltrate seemingly public institutions through corporate means.”—Library Journal

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Roper’s book proves that a rigorously scholarly work can also be a pleasure to read."---Dan Hitchens, The Times"Roper questions Luther’s character and legacy with the same anti-authoritarianismthat animated her subject, combining acuity with wit and levity, just as Luther did— though with fewer obscenities."---Suzannah Lipscomb, A Financial Times Best Book Of The Week"Provocative and thought-provoking, Living I Was Your Plague is an important contribution to our understanding of the life and afterlife of one of history’s most complex figures, and a lively testament to the striking originality of Roper’s scholarship."---Alexandra Walsham, Times Literary Supplement"Through its thematic approach this collection says much that could not be said in the inevitably heroic format of the biography. It provides insights that will shape the reader’s experience of every future encounter with Luther. It integrates visual and material culture brilliantly throughout, arguing that from Cranach’s early portraits to Playmobil’s bestselling Luther figurine, images must be central to our interpretation of the Reformation. And it offers a critical reflection – wonderfully personal in places – on the experience of writing biography and living as a historian through a period of intense public interest. At a moment at which tensions over race and heritage have coalesced around public representations of historical men this collection provides a moral compass for those seeking to write the histories of heroes with dark sides."---Bridget Heal, History Today"After an outpouring of books about Luther at the time of the quicentenary, one could have been forgiven for thinking. . . that there wasn't much of interest left to be said. In her ambition to tackle together the life and the legend, and her avowed determination to appraise Luther in a thorougly Lutheran spirit of anti-authoritarianism, Lyndal Roper has triumphantly demonstrated the contrary."---Peter Marshall, The Tablet"[Living I Was Your Plague] may unsettle in ways that open diligent readers to new vision. The book accomplishes something that few of the books about Luther occasioned by the 2017 anniversary accomplished: it sees Luther with fresh eyes and shows us why we need to wrestle with his legacy."---Vincent Evener, Christian Century"Roper questions Luther’s character and legacy with the same anti-authoritarianism that animated her subject, combining acuity with wit and levity, just as Luther did — though with fewer obscenities. But it is those obscenities that Roper, Regius Professor of History at the University of Oxford, has in mind, as she grapples with how to understand an intellectual in the context of their whole self, conscious and unconscious, warts and all."---Suzannah Lipscomb, Financial Times"Intelligent and absorbing"---Sean Sheehan, The Prisma

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shagan . . . traces the surprisingly complicated evolving meaning of belief in this engrossing intellectual history. . . . This impressive unpacking of the now-common-sense understanding of knowledge glides smoothly through its arguments and provides useful insights for scholars in religion and beyond." * Publishers Weekly *"If we care about [the] history [of belief] . . . this book is a terrific place to begin."---Alec Ryrie, Church Times"The Birth of Modern Belief is an eminently important book that also happens to be excellently written. It is a highly valuable contribution to religious studies’ ongoing debates over the concept of belief, and it should be read by not only anyone interested in the concept—although they especially should read it—but by just about anyone working in the study of religion."---Jason Blum, Reading Religion"This game-changing book will alter the way you understand the history and nature of belief in the West from the Middle Ages to our own time." * Paradigm Explorer *"A fine and important book."---Dominic Erdozain, Modern Believing

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Book SynopsisWe know plenty about the Patriots' cause in the American Revolution. But what about the one-third of the population who opposed independence? Their position is largely missing from our understanding of Revolution-era American political thought. With God against the Revolution, Gregg L. Frazer seeks to close this gap.Trade ReviewGod against the Revolution is a well-researched account of the published writings of Protestant Christian ministers who opposed the American Revolution. Frazer helpfully organizes the arguments of clerical Loyalists into five pertinent categories: arguments from Scripture, from reason, from law, from the contemporary situation, and in response to the actions of colonial patriots who promoted the revolution. The book argues persuasively that Loyalist appeals to these various authorities and in response to contemporary developments proceeded from learned, thoughtful, and morally upright spokesmen whose voices now deserve the hearing they were for the most part denied two centuries ago." - Mark Noll, author of In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life, 1492-1783"Because history is often a tale told by the winners, there have been many studies of Patriot clergymen who preached a blend of Protestantism and Whig republicanism to support the revolutionary cause. There have been far fewer examinations of how they were answered from Loyalist pulpits. Frazer's study offers the fullest and most systematic analysis of the Loyalist clergymen's biblical, theoretical, legal, and rational arguments against the American rebellion. It is an important contribution to the religious and intellectual history of the revolutionary era." - Christopher Grasso, professor of history, College of William and MaryTable of Contents Acknowledgments 1. The Context for the Loyalist Argument 2. Biblical Arguments 3. Theoretical Arguments from the Nature of Government 4. Legal Arguments 5. Rational Arguments Regarding the American Situation 6. Rational Arguments Based on Colonial Actions Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSitting majestically atop the ridge of Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile, St Giles' looks imposingly down upon Scotland's capital. This book tells the story of Scotland's most famous church from its foundation in the 1120s through the 17th-century Prayer Book riot, the writing of the Covenant in 1638, and the executions of Montrose and Argyll.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisExposes and explains the unlikely alliance between Evangelical Christians and anti-transgender feministsTrade Review'Compellingly explains the seemingly quixotic anti-trans alliance of radical feminists and conservative evangelicals. Intellectually rich yet accessible, it demonstrates how that alliance is rooted in a shared ideological inheritance and weaponizing of a range of political tactics and hackneyed conspiracies. In doing so, it also points to ways in which their anti-trans stances can be understood and countered.' -- Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy, University of Westminster; Chair of AIDS Memory UK'We live in a time when anti-trans politics is becoming increasingly dehumanizing and dangerous. Reading this illuminating book will help the open-minded, open-hearted Christian reader hear, encounter, and love their trans neighbors. I learned much from this book. I am grateful for it.' -- David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer UniversityTable of ContentsPreface: A Tower to the Heavens Introduction Part I: An 'Unlikely' Alliance 1. Warzone 2. Of Feminists and Mystics 3. Trans as Heresy in Evangelical Thought 4. The Alliance Goes to War Part II: The Theological Bit (And Why It Matters) 5. Gender Orthodoxy 6. Rebellion Part III: Covering the Cracks 7. 'God is bullshit, and so is gender' 8. Masking Strategies Part IV: The Future 9. A Coming Storm? 10. Getting Christianity Right Acknowledgements Notes

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Book SynopsisMartin Luther's writings and teachings revolutionised his world.Trade Review`An accessible account of Luther, his life, thoughts, writings and all that surrounded him. Tomlin’s writing is readable and informative... For most people, this packed-full, not so little, littlebook will be just enough for them to feel that they now “get” Martin Luther.’ * Church of England Newspaper *Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction 41: The Friar 72: The Theologian 233: The Discovery 394: The Fight 555: The Climax 736: The Leader 907: The Breach 1088: The Patriarch 1249: The Legacy 140Chronology 150Suggestions for Further Reading 152Index 154

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Book SynopsisCatherine Parr and Anne Askew: united in faith and danger, divided in deathTrade Review“Derek Wilson has written a fine history of two little-known and controversial women as thinkers. Though one is a queen of Henry VIII and the other is a martyr, they appear on the pages as lively, complex, realistic women – far from the stereotypes of traditional history. Wilson has traced their connections and carefully judged their intimacy. His understanding of the cliques which attached themselves to Henry VIII and his last wife is detailed and careful – authentic history – while never losing sight of the nightmarish atmosphere of a court governed by a bad-tempered tyrant.” -- Phillipa GregoryTable of ContentsContentsPreface viiPart 1: Before1. A Studious Young Lady 12. Of Daughters and Wives 113. The Great Ruffling 214. Conversion 345. Three Weddings and a Funeral 54Part 2: The Crisis6. Thunder Round the Throne 717. Divorce 828. The Year of Crisis 1039. Condemned by the Law 12110. Instant Desire 144Part 3: After11. Catherine and Anne in Historical Perspective 175Bibliography 193Index 195

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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