Protestantism and Protestant Churches Books

Book SynopsisWalther''s Hymnal: Church Hymnbook is the first of its kind: an English translation of the first official hymnal of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. This was the hymnal that C.F.W. Walther edited and used. The hymnal provided Christians throughout the LCMS a common experience during the synod''s early years in America, in the same way that Lutheran Service Book provides a common experience today.  Now presented for the first time in English, this is an invaluable resource for history enthusiasts, church musicians, and anyone who wants insight into how our forefathers sang and prayed. This is a chance to share in that song and prayer of the saints gone before us. Matthew Carver, MFA, is a translator of German and classical literature. He resides in Nashville, TN, with his wife Amanda and their

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Augsburg Confession: The Concordia Reader''s Edition offers you the chance to read and study the Augsburg Confession in an edition designed with the lay reader in mind. You will find a comprehensive introduction and explanation of why and how the Augsburg Confession was written. Before each of the articles in the Confession, you will find a summary and explanation of technical terms and phrases that may appear in the article. This edition also features pictures of the key Lutheran laymen who were responsible for the Augsburg Confession, from Philip Melanchthon, the author, to John the Steadfast and George of Brandenburg, two brave Lutheran leaders who refused to compromise their trust in Christ, and insisted on boldly confessing it before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.The goal of this edition is to aid understanding and give you a fuller picture of the Augsburg Confession and why it remains, to this day, the most basic and fundamental of the L

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrow out all those notions you might have about what it means to be Lutheran.When it comes down to it, being Lutheran is really very simple. It''s about following Jesus. We go where Jesus goes, we listen when Jesus speaks, we trust when Jesus promises. And we live because Jesus lives.?From the ForewordPastor Sutton treats not only Lutheran beliefs, but he also treats the attitudes and mindsets that those beliefs inform. Thus, he divides his book into two parts: what Lutherans challenge (being closed, lukewarm, confused, lazy, and ''pastel''), followed by what Lutherans cherish (the new, the ordinary, the unresolved, purpose, and the local). This helps explain the quirks of Lutherans-why they are so doctrinally rigorous, yet so fond of paradoxes and

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis commentary expounds upon the later chapters of Ezekiel according to the book''s classic prophetic outline. After judgment falls on Israel, oracles against the Gentile nations bring them under God''s judgment too. But God''s purpose is to lead all people to repentance and salvation through faith. God promises forgiveness, restoration, and resurrection through a new David, the Shepherd who will unite all believers. The book ends with an extended vision of the new temple and rejuvenated land in the new earth, where God''s redeemed people shall dwell under their Prince forever.?About the SeriesThe Concordia Commentary Series: A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture is written to enable pastors and teachers of the Word to proclaim the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the divine intent of the biblical text.This landmark work will cover all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, interpreting Scripture as a harmonious unity centered in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Every passage bears witness to the Good News that God has reconciled the world to Himself through our Lord''s life, death, and resurrection.The commentary fully affirms the divine inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture as it emphasizes that which promotes Christ in each pericope.Authors are sensitive to the rich treasury of language, imagery, and themes found throughout Scripture, including such dialectics as Law and Gospel, sin and grace, death and new life, folly and wisdom, demon possession and the arrival of the kingdom of God in Christ. Careful attention is given to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek. Further light is shed on the text from archaeology, history, and extra-biblical literature. Finally, Scripture''s message is applied to the ongoing life of the church in terms of ministry, worship, proclamation of the Word, Baptism, the Lord''s Supper, confession of the faith--all in joyful anticipation of the life of the world to come.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn July 2002 chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court had a two-ton monument of the Ten Commandments placed into the rotunda of the Montgomery state judicial building. But this action is only a recent case in the long history of religiously inspired public movements in the American South. From the Civil War to the Scopes Trial to the Moral Majority, white Southern evangelicals have taken ideas they see as drawn from the Christian Scriptures and tried to make them into public law. But blacks, women, subregions, and other religious groups too vie for power within and outside this Southern Religious Establishment. Religion and Public Life in the South gives voice to both the establishment and its dissenters and shows why more than any other region of the country, religion drives public debate in the South.Trade ReviewInteresting…Summing up: Recommended. Academic programs, particularly in Protestant studies; upper-level undergraduates and above. * CHOICE *Table of Contents1 Demography 3 Overview: Religion and Southern Public Life 4 The Evangelical Belt 5 African American Religion and Southern Public Life 6 Religious Minorities Living in the Evangelical Belt 7 Southern Civil Religions 8 From Church Women's Clubs to Office Holding 9 Religion and Regions within the South: Appalachia and Peninsular Florida)

Read more less

Book Synopsis"The Passion of the Christ" topped box office charts and changed the American religious conversation. The controversies it raised remain unsettled. This work features scholars who ask what Gibson's film and the resulting controversy reveal about Christians, Jews, and the possibilities of inter-religious dialogue in the United States.Trade ReviewMel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ unleashed a tsunami of commentary that revealed a great deal about our passions, our fears, and our stereotypes. Commendably, the thought-provoking essays in this volume both analyze and expand that conversation. A most worthwhile book. -- Randall Balmer, Barnard College, Columbia UniversityThe Passion has raised passions, some that share the peace of our prayers and faiths, some that do not. The challenge is, with the guidance of prayer and of prayerful and disciplined reasoning, to learn to separate the one from the other. After The Passion is Gone is a worthy effort to pursue this learning. Addressed broadly to a North American readership, this book is of particular use to Jews and Christians who reflect soberly and piously about both the inner light and the public consequences of their devotions. -- Peter Ochs, Edgar Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, University of VirginiaAmid the astonishing abundance of public commentary on Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, this collection of essays is noteworthy for presenting a rich and varied selection of religious, historical, cultural, and artistic perspectives, thus expanding the possibilities for fruitful reflection and dialogue. * Journal Of Religion & Society *After The Passion is Gone . . . will appeal and prove useful to various audiences. The overall lack of disciplinary jargon, the lucid explanations given to the issues addressed in the individual essays, and the diverse perspectives from which the subject matter is engaged make this book accessible to scholars from various fields and to a more general readership. Students of religion and culture will find this book particularly helpful as an example of how religion and popular culture can engage each other from a variety of perspectives and for showing the complexity of the relationship between the two. -- Hollis D. Phelps IV, Claremont Graduate University * Journal of Religion and Popular Culture *Table of Contents1 Introduction Part 2 Part One: The Context of The Passion 3 Introduction to Part One 4 Almost a Culture War: The Making of the Passion Controversy 5 Passionate Blogging: Interfaith Controversy and the Internet 6 Living In the World, but Not Of the World: Understanding Evangelical Support for The Passion of the Christ 7 The Passion Paradox: Signposts on the Road toward Mormon Protestantization 8 Is it Finished? The Passion of the Christ and the Fault Lines in American Christianity Part 9 Part Two: The Passion in Context 10 Introduction to Part Two 11 The Journey of the Passion Play from Medieval Piety to Contemporary Spirituality 12 The Gibson Code? 13 "But is it Art?": A Prelude to Criticism of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ 14 Antisemitism without Erasure: Sacred Texts and Their Contemporary Interpretations 15 Theologizing the Death of Jesus, Gibson's The Passion, and Christian Identity 16 Manly Pain and Motherly Love: Mel Gibson's Big Picture 17 Imago Christi: Aesthetic and Theological Issues in Jesus Films by Pasolini, Scorsese, and Gibson Part 18 Part Three: Jews and Christians: Reframing the Dialogue 19 Introduction to Part Three 20 Theological Bulimia: Christianity and Its Dejudaization 21 A March of Passion, Or, How I Came to Terms with a Film I Wasn't Supposed to Like 22 The Exposed Fault Line 23 Crucifying Jesus: Antisemitism and the Passion Story 24 Five Introspective Challenges 25 No Crucifixion = No Holocaust: Post-Holocaust Reflections on The Passion of the Christ 26 The Passionate Encounter: The Ethics of Affirming Your Faith in a Multi-Religious World 27 Reframing Difference: Evangelicals, Scripture, and the Jews 28 Afterword: The Passion of War

Read more less

Book SynopsisMel Gibson''s The Passion of the Christ topped box office charts and changed the American religious conversation. The controversies it raised remain unsettled. In After The Passion Is Gone: American Religious Consequences, leading scholars of religion and theology ask what Gibson''s film and the resulting controversy reveal about Christians, Jews, and the possibilities of interreligious dialogue in the United States. Landres and Berenbaum''s collection moves beyond questions of whether or not the film was faithful to the gospels, too violent, or antisemitic and explores why the debate focused on these issues but not others. The public discussion of The Passion shed light on a wide range of American attitudesevangelical Protestant, mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewishabout media and faith, politics and history, Jesus and Judaism, fundamentalism and victimhood. After The Passion Is Gone takes a unique view of vital points in Christian-Jewish relations and contemporary AmericanTrade ReviewMel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ unleashed a tsunami of commentary that revealed a great deal about our passions, our fears, and our stereotypes. Commendably, the thought-provoking essays in this volume both analyze and expand that conversation. A most worthwhile book. -- Randall Balmer, Barnard College, Columbia UniversityThe Passion has raised passions, some that share the peace of our prayers and faiths, some that do not. The challenge is, with the guidance of prayer and of prayerful and disciplined reasoning, to learn to separate the one from the other. After The Passion is Gone is a worthy effort to pursue this learning. Addressed broadly to a North American readership, this book is of particular use to Jews and Christians who reflect soberly and piously about both the inner light and the public consequences of their devotions. -- Peter Ochs, Edgar Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, University of VirginiaAmid the astonishing abundance of public commentary on Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, this collection of essays is noteworthy for presenting a rich and varied selection of religious, historical, cultural, and artistic perspectives, thus expanding the possibilities for fruitful reflection and dialogue. * Journal Of Religion & Society *After The Passion is Gone . . . will appeal and prove useful to various audiences. The overall lack of disciplinary jargon, the lucid explanations given to the issues addressed in the individual essays, and the diverse perspectives from which the subject matter is engaged make this book accessible to scholars from various fields and to a more general readership. Students of religion and culture will find this book particularly helpful as an example of how religion and popular culture can engage each other from a variety of perspectives and for showing the complexity of the relationship between the two. -- Hollis D. Phelps IV, Claremont Graduate University * Journal of Religion and Popular Culture *Table of Contents1 Introduction Part 2 Part One: The Context of The Passion 3 Introduction to Part One 4 Almost a Culture War: The Making of the Passion Controversy 5 Passionate Blogging: Interfaith Controversy and the Internet 6 Living In the World, but Not Of the World: Understanding Evangelical Support for The Passion of the Christ 7 The Passion Paradox: Signposts on the Road toward Mormon Protestantization 8 Is it Finished? The Passion of the Christ and the Fault Lines in American Christianity Part 9 Part Two: The Passion in Context 10 Introduction to Part Two 11 The Journey of the Passion Play from Medieval Piety to Contemporary Spirituality 12 The Gibson Code? 13 "But is it Art?": A Prelude to Criticism of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ 14 Antisemitism without Erasure: Sacred Texts and Their Contemporary Interpretations 15 Theologizing the Death of Jesus, Gibson's The Passion, and Christian Identity 16 Manly Pain and Motherly Love: Mel Gibson's Big Picture 17 Imago Christi: Aesthetic and Theological Issues in Jesus Films by Pasolini, Scorsese, and Gibson Part 18 Part Three: Jews and Christians: Reframing the Dialogue 19 Introduction to Part Three 20 Theological Bulimia: Christianity and Its Dejudaization 21 A March of Passion, Or, How I Came to Terms with a Film I Wasn't Supposed to Like 22 The Exposed Fault Line 23 Crucifying Jesus: Antisemitism and the Passion Story 24 Five Introspective Challenges 25 No Crucifixion = No Holocaust: Post-Holocaust Reflections on The Passion of the Christ 26 The Passionate Encounter: The Ethics of Affirming Your Faith in a Multi-Religious World 27 Reframing Difference: Evangelicals, Scripture, and the Jews 28 Afterword: The Passion of War

Read more less

Book SynopsisReforming the Morality of Usury examines how the leaders of each major stream in the continental Protestant Reformation adopted a different approach to reforming moral teaching on the practice of usury.Trade ReviewA succinctly written primer . . . Jones has written a respectable book about an important subject. -- Lawrence M. Stratton, Princeton Theological Seminary * Journal of Markets & Morality *Jones has done an excellent job of compiling and analyzing sources . . . A concise but superb history of changes in Judeo / Christian thought. -- Jeanne Boeh, Augsburg College * Till and Keep *well-written, succinct, well-organized and well-documented book. -- Olaf Roynesdal * Lutheran Quarterly, East Side Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota *In this concise, clearly organized, and accessible text, filled with copious and thorough footnotes...Written in an easy, readable language, with introductions and concluding paragraphs pinpointing the author's central preoccupations and conclusions in each essay. -- Bernie A. Van de Walle, Alliance University College * Sixteenth Century Journal *... Jones' main contribution lies in his articulation of the connections that he sees between the Protestant reformers' views on usury and their views on Church and culture relationships... Jones provides a useful addition to the modern literature on the ancient topic of the morality of usury. -- Lee E. Erickson, Economics, Taylor University * Christian Scholar's Review *Concise, clearly organized, and accessible…filled with copious and thorough footnotes. -- Bernie A. Van de Walle, Alliance University College * Sixteenth Century Journal *Table of ContentsChapter 1 Foreword Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Acknowledgments Chapter 4 Abbreviations Chapter 5 Introduction: The Pivot for a Key Moral Doctrine Chapter 6 The Doctrine of Usury Prior to the Protestant Reformation Chapter 7 Martin Luther's Approach to Reforming the Morality of Usury Chapter 8 John Calvin's Approach to Reforming the Morality of Usury Chapter 9 The Anabaptists' Approach to Reforming the Morality of Usury Chapter 10 Conclusion: Review, Analysis, and Application Chapter 11 Bibliography Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn Uncommon Christian seeks to show how and why James Brainerd Taylor (1801â1829) became a popular participant during America's Second Great Awakening, and why the Princeton graduate and Yale Seminary student grew to be a frequent example of evangelical Protestant spirituality and evangelistic passion long after his untimely death.Trade ReviewFrancis Kyle has told the story of Taylor's remarkable, short life in an accessible manner. He has also probed very helpfully the way in which Taylor's spiritual experience made a crucial contribution to his ministry. -- Ian M. Randall, Lecturer in Church History and Spirituality, Spurgeon's College, London, EnglandAn encouragement that God gives light to every generation and sometimes in the form of radiant believers like J.B. Taylor, a firebrand whom Francis Kyle presents to us in these pages. -- Kelly Monroe Kulberg, Editor, Finding God at Harvard and Author, Finding God Beyond HarvardA classic example of high quality Christian biography, both accurately based on the past, and illuminating for the present. To quote Taylor, 'We need more uncommon Christians; that is, eminently holy, self-denying, cross-bearing, Bible, everyday Christians.' -- Peter Adam, Principal and Lecturer in Theology and Preaching, Ridley College, and Canon, St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, AustraliaAnyone with an interest in nineteenth-century evangelicals and their legacies to us should read this carefully crafted book. James Brainerd Taylor was a tremendously influential Christian hero in his day, but has been virtually forgotten since the late nineteenth century. As Francis Kyle makes clear, our amnesia regarding Taylor and the world in which he lived has impoverished our understanding of nineteenth-century religious history, as well as the practice of evangelical Christanity today. -- Douglas A. Sweeney, chair,Department of Church History and Christian Thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolAn Uncommon Christian rescues from the ranks of half-scanned footnotes and the rarely-perused pages of academic bibliographies a genuine 'Christian hero' who inspired so many of his nineteenth-century American contemporaries. Any attempt to gain an understanding of the depth of 'lived evangelicalism' in the early-to-mid nineteenth century will be enriched by this recovering of Taylor's role as an inspirational beacon of piety and fervor. -- Larry Eskridge, Associate Director, Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, Wheaton CollegeScholarly writing that speaks to both the mind and the heart. It is a significant addition to the literature on early American revivalism. -- Robert E. Coleman, Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Discipleship, Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminarySome of the brightest lights in the church have been obscured by the forgetfulness of succeeding generations. Those interested in the history of revival will now rejoice over Francis Kyle's recovery of one of the great evangelists of the Second Great Awakening. -- Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological SeminaryMost of us who look at the stars in Christian history occasionally find a new one in the galaxy. With me, this has been the case with J.B. Taylor. With meticulous scholarship, Francis Kyle makes James Brainerd Taylor come alive and hopefully take his well-deserved place among evangelists of the early nineteenth century. -- Roy J. Fish, Distinguished Professor of Evangelism, Southwestern Baptist Theological SeminaryATS first published a memoir on Taylor's life in 1833. ATS is now pleased to endorse the reading of Francis Kyle's 'memoir' to Christians in the 21st century. -- Daniel Southern, President, American Tract SocietyFrancis Kyle carefully sets forth the life and influence of James Brainerd Taylor and along the way provides the reader with interesting and competent descriptions of contemporary institutions, churches, and theological and intellectual movements. -- David B. Calhoun, Professor of Church History, Covenant Theological SeminaryHistory and biography make the best devotional reading! Francis Kyle has written a moving and powerful account of Taylor's short but influential life. I recommend it highly to all who long for the next revival. -- David Epstein, Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, New York CityHaving worked in university ministry for over two decades I have persistently sought to inspire Christian students with examples of how consecration and calling might find expression during the college years. In this, I have often instanced J.B. Taylor but lamented the limited availability of accounts of his life. May the circulation of Kyle's study kindle afresh not only an interest in Taylor but that 'uncommon' faith and fervency which is so honoring to Christ and so needed in our day. -- Jon Hinkson, Co-Founder, Rivendell Institute for Christian Thought and Learning at Yale UniversityAn Uncommon Christian is an important contribution to our knowledge of an important but overlooked early nineteenth-century evangelist. Kyle writes this biography in a way that will edify and encourage anyone who seeks to spread the Gospel. -- Lyle W. Dorsett, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Beeson Divinity School, Samford UniversityThe story of James Brainerd Taylor is a challenging and encouraging example from the past of a young man who sought to live an uncommon life for the cause of Christ. May the Lord raise up many more like him from this generation of university students. -- William C. Boyce Jr., Affiliated Chaplain and Director, Princeton Evangelical FellowshipA life cut short, but still one that burned bright with evangelistic zeal! May this work stimulate us to an uncommon, or excellent, Christianity, which is self-denying and centered on God. -- Josh Moody, Senior Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, New Haven (Conn.) and Author, The God-Centered LifeFrancis Schaeffer used to say 'there are no little people' in God's family. Francis Kyle's excellent, indeed impressive, study of James Brainerd Taylor is a timely reminder of this abiding truth. We are indebted to Mr. Kyle for reintroducing us to this almost forgotten saint from America's 'Second Awakening.' -- John Newby, Vice Principal (Retired), George Whitefield College, Cape Town, South AfricaI. Francis Kyle III presents a needed, timely, and scholarly new view of the life and spirituality of James Brainerd Taylor. -- Timothy L. Robnett, Director, Next Generation Alliance, Luis Palau Evangelistic AssociationKyle's detailed descriptions of Taylor's piety and humility as well as the impact this young man had in America created in me a fresh yearning for the presence of God. I highly recommend this work to anyone who wants to be inspired by a godly example or who desires to understand the spiritual history of America. -- Matt Bennett, Founder and President, "The Christian Union: Advancing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in the Ivy League"David Livingstone, noted Scottish missionary to Africa, was inspired by Taylor's life—you will be inspired and challenged by Francis Kyle's well researched and finely written account of Taylor's life and ministry. -- Timothy K. Beougher, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Southern Baptist Theological SeminaryThis is a fascinating portrait of a man who was indeed 'an uncommon Christian.' It will provide engrossing reading for all students of nineteenth-century America, historic Calvinism, missiology, and above all, Christian discipleship. -- Donald Macleod, Principal, Free Church of Scotland College, Edinburgh, ScotlandFrancis Kyle has done us all a great favor by recovering the life of Taylor from relative obscurity. You're going to be challenged, uplifted, and encouraged by this wonderful study of the brief but enduring ministry of a truly uncommon Christian. -- Phil Johnson, Founder and Curator of the online "The Hall of Church History"The name of James Brainerd Taylor deserves to be much better known, especially amongst college and seminary students. Oh, that God would raise up many more James Brainerd Taylors! -- Adrian Lane, Norm Allchin Lecturer in Evangelism, Ridley College, Melbourne, AustraliaTable of ContentsPart 1 Foreword Part 2 Preface Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 Two Memoirs Chapter 5 Historical Context: Cultural, Philosophical, Theological Chapter 6 Connecticut and New York City, 1801–1819 Chapter 7 Academy at Lawrenceville, 1820–1823 Chapter 8 Princeton University, 1823–1826 Chapter 9 Theological Seminary at Yale, 1827–1828 Chapter 10 Activity in Revivals Chapter 11 Trips to the South and Death, March 1828–March 29, 1829 Chapter 12 Spirituality of an Uncommon Christian Part 13 Appendix A: Chronology of the Life of James Brainerd Taylor Part 14 Appendix B: David Brainerd and James Brainerd Taylor: A Comparative Chart Part 15 Bibliography Part 16 Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Highly Favored Nation focuses on the ways late nineteenth-century Canadians employed biblical texts to describe Canadian identity and the meanings of their nation. Recognizing that many ordinary Canadians who went about their day-to-day lives probably did not have much interest in existential questions, this book focuses on the words of Canada''s nationalists, preachers, promoters, and enthusiasts. A Highly Favored Nation challenges the common nineteenth-century Protestant claim that Quebec was a Bible-free zone and it suggests that, by the end of the nineteenth century, Canadians'' public use of Scripture had diminished the Bible''s cultural authority.Trade ReviewJones showsthat Canadian experience illustrates just as much as American experience the beatitude arising from treating God-given 'holy things' as gifts from a merciful Sovereign, but also the enervating peril when these 'holy things' are mishandled as objects of partisan advantage. * Books and Culture, July 2008 *Table of ContentsPart 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 The Bible and Confederation Chapter 4 The Bible and Anglo-Canadian Identity Chapter 5 The Bible and National Expansion Chapter 6 The Bible and Quebec Chapter 7 Conclusion Part 8 Bibliography Part 9 About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe book discusses a subject, which has been only fleetingly examined and for that reason brings new information and clues for future research. The honesty and courage of Barbosa's research . . . may shock many Protestant readers due to the timidity or even silence of their respective denominations in the battle for abolition [of slavery in Brazil]. -- From the preface by Dr. Duncan A. ReilyThis excellent book by José Carlos Barbosa represents an outstanding contribution to the study of Brazilian Protestantism. It examines an issue that has received little attention but is of great importance to understanding how Protestant denominations came to be implanted in Imperial Brazil. . . . Protestants were not prepared to tackle the most painful question of the day, precisely because they were blinded by the harsh struggle to secure a religious space in Brazilian society. Starting with these facts, Barbosa reveals the true politics of non-involvement erected upon the delicate efforts to maintain a safe distance from a matter as weighty as slavery. -- Elias Boaventura, Professor in the graduate program in Education at the Methodist University of PiracicabaTable of ContentsChapter 1 Translators' Introduction Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 Chapter I: "A closed garden which wild animals cannot enter": The Implantation of Protestantism in Brazil Chapter 5 Chapter II: "Contrary to what many think, Brazil is not an uncivilized and barbarous country": Missionary Strategy Chapter 6 Chapter III: "Slavery is like a thorn that penetrates the flesh and causes excruciating pain but which we do not want to pull out, for fear that the operation will further increase the pain": The Institutional Protestant Message and Slavery Chapter 7 Conclusion Chapter 8 Appendix: "The Christian Religion and its relation to Slavery"

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book solves the greatest mystery of all time: where did the story of Jesus really come from? Secret of the Savior unearths the hidden history buried beneath the surface in the Gospel of Mark.Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: Myth of the Messiah: An Epic of Salvation PART ONE: THE RISE Chapter One: My Son, the Beloved Chapter Two: Glories of a Shepherd King Chapter Three: The Teacher of Righteousness Arises Chapter Four: Mystery of the Kingdom Revealed Chapter Five: Exile to the Land of Damascus Chapter Six: An Appeal to the People Chapter Seven: The Saints Assemble Chapter Eight: Sectarian Strife Chapter Nine: Last Stand of the Essenes PART TWO: THE FALL Chapter Ten: Beginning Again Chapter Eleven: A Split in the Ranks Chapter Twelve: The Year of the Four Emperors Chapter Thirteen: Besieging the City Chapter Fourteen: A Lull in the Fighting Chapter Fifteen: Fall of the Temple Chapter Sixteen: Massacre of Martyrs Chapter Seventeen: The City Surrenders Chapter Eighteen: Judea Capta Conclusion: The Gospel According to Myth Appendix: Ears to Hear: Myth and History in Mark Bibliography Subject Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisHenry VIII and the Anabaptists describes a bloody chapter in the reign of the infamous Tudor king. The book begins with the birth of Anabaptism in the city of Zurich and follows the Anabaptists as they search for religious freedom across the European Continent and encounter Henryâs relentless suppression.Trade ReviewStudents will find [this book] a helpful guide to the more radical strands of the English Reformation and to some of Henry Viii’s religious diplomacy. * Catholic Historical Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Maps The Birth and Growth of Anabaptism Melchior Hoffman Henry VIII’s break from Rome Anabaptism arrives in England The March Proclamation of 1535, An Act of Diplomacy The Anabaptist Kingdom of Münster The March Proclamation of 1535, An Act of Suppression David Joris and the Bocholt Conference Henry’s Continued Response to Anabaptism in England The November Proclamation of 1538 The Six Articles Anabaptism in England during Henry’s Last Years Conclusion Appendix Glossary of Names and Titles Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Bible published in the classic King James Version includes center-column references and large print type allowing for an easy Bible reading experience. This edition is published in large KJV Comfort Print type, which was designed exclusively for Thomas Nelson to be the most readable at any size.With this KJV Large Print Center-Column Reference Bible, you won’t have to sacrifice study features for readability. Center-column references, book introductions, a concordance, and full-color maps make this Bible the go-to edition you’ll look forward to reading.As part of the Verse Art Cover Collection, this edition is branded with an inspiring verse to encourage you as you read the truths and promises within its pages.Features include: Presentation page is a special place to record a memory or note Bible book introductions pro

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis first comparative study sketches the differences as well as the common threads that bind these groups together.Trade ReviewThe authors give the general reader an excellent basic understanding of the beliefs and practices shared by all of these separatists while making the uniqueness of each group clear. One of the best single-volume works on this subject; highly recommended. Library Journal This look at the history, similarities and differences between four groups of Old Order faithful in North America-Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish and Brethren-is fascinating... A book that, in one volume, tackles history, sociology and future trends-and does it well. -- J. Brent Bill Christian Century A complex, sympathetic, and delightfully nuanced argument that perhaps only such a comparative perspective could produce. The groups in question are depicted not as 'cultural fossils' or 'modern day Luddites' but instead as committed Christians who have made rational choices to stem the tides of modernity that they perceive as destructive to their faith. -- Perry Bush American Historical Review The best effort so far in the task of comparing Old Order ethno-religious groups in North America. -- Steven D. Reschly Journal of American Ethnic History On the Backroad to Heaven is above all an intelligent and accessible introduction to contemporary Old Order communities... This would be a valuable text in many courses on contemporary Western Religion. -- Anna L. Peterson Religious Studies Review Kraybill and Bowman have jointly produced a rich volume that clearly lives up to the promise of their earlier work... [Their] discussion displays both wide accessibility and exemplary clarity and rigor... General readers will find this book stimulating and rewarding. -- Peter C. Blum Mennonite Quarterly Review The material on the Amish and Hutterites in Backroad is excellent, ranking with the best of the sizable amount of literature that is available on both groups. Kraybill and Bowman have provided more information on the Old Order Mennonites and Old German Baptist Brethren than one will find almost anywhere else. This book is recommended not only as an introduction to the four groups, but also as a fairly comprehensive guide to their beliefs and practices. -- Stephen Scott Ohio History 2003 As one has come to expect from books written by Don Kraybill and by Carl Desportes Bowman, the organization of On the Backroad to Heaven is logical and coherent. References to recent phenomena-such as the media frenzy surrounding the unfortunate drug case involving Amish youth-as well as the inclusion of the latest scholarship should make this a book that will appeal to academic and general readers alike. Donald F. Durnbaugh, Professor Emeritus, Bethany Theological Seminary, editor of The Brethren Encyclopedia This is a model ethnography of four pacifist, Christian sectarian groups... It is a bold attempt to bring together four significant 'old order' groups and, through comparitive analysis, create a typology of 'old order' society or, as the authors put it, 'to see Old Orderliness across a spectrum'... This is a perceptive and rigorous ethnographic study, well conceptualized and sensibly executed. -- Royden Loewen Great Plains Research 2003 On the Backroad to Heaven presents an accurate and very informative comparative picture of four Old Order groups in North America. -- David Rempel Smucker Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 2003 The book speaks to classic sociological questions in its exploration of how these four groups [Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites, and Brethren] are constantly responding to changes in the surrounding Gesellschaft society... I highly recommend the book for its thorough coverage of Old Order history, values, beliefs, and lifestyles and for its interesting comparative focus. -- Daniel V. A. Olson Contemporary Sociology 2003 This work is insightful, informative, and so easy to read that I had a hard time putting it down! -- Ed Robbins Provident Book Finder A readily accessible and eminently readable introduction to a seemingly anachronistic world that remains vital in the twenty-first century. -- Timothy Miller Kansas History 2001Table of ContentsContents:Preface AcknowledgmentsCHAPTER ONE: The Old Road to Heaven CHAPTER TWO: The Hutterites CHAPTER THREE: The Mennonites CHAPTER FOUR: The Amish CHAPTER FIVE: The Brethren CHAPTER SIX: Common Convictions CHAPTER SEVEN: Four Roads to Heaven CHAPTER EIGHT: Preserving a Pilgrim People CHAPTER NINE: Ironies of a Postmodern JourneyNotes Selected References Index

Read more less