Religious and spiritual figures Books

Book SynopsisIf you want to be the best, you have to have the right skillset. From decision making and motivating people to vision and inspiration, THE ULTIMATE LEADERSHIP BOOK is a dynamic collection of tools, techniques, and strategies for success. Discover the main themes and key ideas, and bring it all together with practical exercises.This is your complete course in leadership. ABOUT THE SERIESULTIMATE books are for managers, leaders, and business executives who want to succeed at work. From marketing and sales to management and finance, each title gives comprehensive coverage of the essential business skills you need to get ahead in your career. Written in straightforward English, each book is designed to help you quickly master the subject, with fun quizzes embedded so that you can check how you''re doing.

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Book SynopsisHow does Christ's obedience relate to our salvation? Speaking into current conversations about the nature of salvation, respected New Testament scholar Brandon Crowe argues that we are saved by Christ's perfect obedience, which has implications for understanding the gospel message, Christian hope, and discipleship. Jesus is not only the quintessential model of faithfulness in a fallen world, but his unique work frees us from the burden of perfect obedience.Table of ContentsContentsPart 1: Definitions1. What Is Required?2. The Basis of JustificationPart 2: Exegesis3. The Obedience of the Last Adam4. The Mosaic Law and Perfect Obedience5. Jesus's Obedience and Salvation in the Gospels6. The Obedience of the Perfect Priest7. Obedience, Resurrection, and SalvationPart 3: Implications8. Jesus's Obedience and Our Justification9. Jesus's Obedience and Our Obedience10. What Is Required Is FinishedIndexes

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Book SynopsisRussel Williams is one of the most remarkable enlightened spiritual teachers of our time. After an early life of extreme hardship-leaving school at the age of 11, and becoming an orphan shortly afterwards-he underwent a spiritual awakening at the age of 29. Since the late 1950s, he has been a spiritual teacher, and is still actively teaching now, at the age of 94. Previously, Russel has avoided publicity and never published any writings or transcripts of his talks, preferring to work quietly with small groups. This is the first time any details of his teachings or of his life have appeared in print. This book is partly a record of his teachings, and partly also the story of his extraordinary life. Working with well-known spiritual author Steve Taylor-who has attended Russel's meetings regularly since the 1990s-Russel has created a profound text which will surely become known as a classic of spiritual literature.

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Book SynopsisGodly thriving leaders are precious and valuable, but developing those leaders is not easy. Many leaders feel stuck, tired and frustrated in their growth and calling. This can change. In Mining for Gold, pastor and master-coach, Tom Camacho, offers a fresh perspective on how to draw out the best in ourselves and in those around us. Cutting through the complexity and challenges of leadership development, he gives us practical and effective tools to help leaders grow personally and develop those around them. Coaching, through the power of the Holy Spirit, provides the clarity and momentum we need to grow. When we get clarity, everything changes. Coaching helps us better understand our identity in Christ, our God-given wiring, and how we naturally bear the most fruit. There is gold in God’s people, waiting to be discovered. Let’s learn to draw out that treasure and help others flourish in their life and leadership.Trade ReviewGold is a rare commodity of great value–mined and refined at great cost– and so is a good leader. Tom, in this practical leadership coaching book, reminds us of the importance of refinement in leadership. Fruitful, multiplying leaders are refined by God and shaped through intentional coaching. This book will help you practically uncover six important principles of thriving leaders and is worth its weight in gold. -- Ed Stetzer * Billy Graham Distinguished Chair, Wheaton College *Tom and I have gotten to know each other in a group of churches called the Vineyard. In our tribe, we have a saying, "Everyone gets to play." In Tom’s book, Mining for Gold, that phrase comes to life as he helps us empower every person to come alive and get in the game of kingdom ministry. There is treasure in every person who gathers in our churches every week. This book is a great tool to help us discover that treasure and develop leaders who come alive and thrive. -- Jay Pathak * Lead Pastor, Mike High Vineyard, Denver, CO *I can barely think of a more critical skill for this current mileu of ministry, than coaching. As accessible as it is gracious, Tom gives us a practical path to empowerment, taking us into the deepest possible waters of true servant leadership. I am so grateful for this book. -- Brian Sanders, Founder Underground Network, IVP author * Founder Underground Network, Author of Life After Church (InterVarsity Press 2007) *Once in a while someone comes along with something really life changing. Tom has touched and changed the lives of many hundreds of people with his coaching. Now you can experience that life change with this book too. Learn how powerful coaching can be, how to engage in it, and the transformation it can bring you. Any leader who wants to step into more of who they are and what they are called to be, needs to read this book. * Jason Clark - Senior Pastor *I love this book. It will definitely light some fires and save some lives that might otherwise be broken on the altars of ministry. Tom gets it. Most of God’s investment in those we coach is buried under the dirt of everyday living. The book is full of interesting stories of people not fully understanding the value of what’s in front of them. These stories parallel my own experience both as an young man displaying little potential and later as a coach sometimes overlooking the gold in the life of another. The book is a great coaching manual, and his argument for a "sweet spot" is worth the price. It’s also a good, fun, read. You’ll love it. Coaching the gold can change our world. -- Ralph Moore * Hope Chapel, Hawaii *

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Book SynopsisWillie Doyle SJ was born in Dalkey on 3 March 1873 to an affluent Catholic family. Willie entered the Society of Jesus in 1891. taking vows, Fr. Doyle embarked on a period of Jesuit formation known as Regency. Fr. Doyle worked in two Jesuit schools Clongowes Wood College and Belvedere College. He was ordained in 1908. His prayerful nature took him into Retreat Ministry after ordination. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola are a popular way of praying in our time. At the turn of the Twentieth Century, they were almost the exclusive preserve of priests brothers and religious sisters. The Exercises made such a profound impact on Fr. Doyle that he felt they should be available to the largest audience possible. Fr. Doyle also had a great interest in vocations to religious life, and produced two bestselling pamphlets on the priesthood which were published by the Sacred Heart Messenger. In 1915 he volunteered as a Chaplain in the First World War. His time in the war saw him demonstrate great acts of heroism. His death in August 1917 came as a great blow to those who had known him. He died attempting to save injured soldiers from the battlefield at Ypres. His body was initially recovered, but subsequently obliterated by a German shell. Interest in his life was sparked by a book written by Professor Alfred O’Rahilly, which became a bestseller. The book went on to inspire future saints, like Mother Teresa. The desire to have Fr. Doyle declared a saint received much traction in the 1930s, but it lapsed as the Irish Jesuits preferred to give their energies to the cause of Fr. John Sullivan. In recent years the cause has begun to get traction and a lay Association of the Faithful is working to have it promoted. Trade Review‘[the author] recognises the spiritual qualities that made him so respected in his life’ * The Methodist Recorder *‘an informative and reflective narrative...an inspiring book. * The Furrow *‘packed with biographical detail, points of reflection and an explanation of Doyle’s significance for Christians today – an exceptional and thought-provoking work.’ * Intercom *‘this booklet will inform and inspire many particularly younger readers’ * Spirituality *

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the life of Pedro Arrupe SJ, 1907-1991, whose cause for beatification was introduced in 2019. Arrupe played a central role in the Church of the twentieth century and his influence endures in the many who are fired by his idealism, vision and way of life. A tiny man with a heart truly larger than the world, he lived like a church mouse, prayed for four hours daily, and had a vibrant relationship with the three divine Persons through his sixteen years as General of the Jesuits. Born in Bilbao, he experienced the poverty of the Madrid slums while pursuing medical studies, and witnessed miracles at Lourdes which led him to join the Jesuit Order in 1927. He was expelled from Spain with his fellow-Jesuits in 1931 and began working in Japan in 1938 only to endure thirty-three days of solitary confinement on charges of espionage, and was a first responder in the oven of Hiroshima when the atom bomb fell there in 1945. He was elected in 1965 as superior general of the Jesuits, then numbering 36,000, and led them fearlessly for sixteen challenging years as the Church grappled with the decrees of the Vatican Council, 1962-1965. He made a refreshed Ignatian spirituality available not only to the Society but to Christians everywhere who try to find God in their daily lives. His renewal of Jesuit life and mission crystallised around the faith that does justice, and he challenged Jesuit alumni worldwide to become ‘men and women for and with others’. In 1980 he founded the Jesuit Refugee Service which has now spread globally. Trade Review‘This book will enrich whoever picks it up, open the eyes of your heart, giving a true flavour of this remarkable man.’ * Catholic South West *‘More than a memoir, this is a meditation on the life and death of Pedro Arrupe...this book belongs with the best in recent spiritual biography’. * The Furrow *‘this really is an account of a saintly life’ * The Pastoral Review *‘...a multidimensional portrayal of one of the greatest Church figures of our times...the author’s clear, measured exposition of the guiding principles of Arrupe’s life make this an accessible, provocative read.’ * Intercom *

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Book SynopsisIn Catholicism, sainthood is the highest state of holiness for any soul in Heaven. There are more than 10,000 saints that have been canonized by the Catholic Church – some were exemplary models, others extraordinary teachers, while some worked miracles or changed the lives of millions through their guidance and good works. Arranged in chronological order, the book covers all the major saints, from St Paul, the Apostle who did most to spread Christianity following the death of Christ, and established Christian communities in Asia Minor – to Pope John Paul II, famous for being a peacemaker and providing spiritual inspiration during the fall of communism. In between, this compact volume covers well-known historical figures such as Joan of Arc, who defended the honour of France in the Medieval era, the philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, and lesser-known saints such as Zita, the 13th century patron saint of maids and domestic servants. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding and with 150 illustrations and artworks of saints from every part of the world, this book will fascinate anyone interested in inspiring – and often very human – religious figures from Biblical times to the present.Table of ContentsContents:BC St. Raphael the archangel (2/3rd century BC) St Mary the Blessed Virgin (18 BC) St Joseph (1st century BC) St. Joachim (75 BC) St. Anne (49 BC) St. Gabriel, the Archangel Anna the Prophetess (1st century) St. Elizabeth (biblical – 1st century BC)1st Century AD The Holy Innocents (contemporaries of Christ) St. Mary Magdalene St Philip (1st century AD) St Bartholomew (1st century) St Matthew (1st century) St Thomas (1st century) St James the Less (1st century) St Jude (1st century) St Simon (1st century) St Matthias (1st century) St James the Great (1st century) Luke the Evangelist (1 AD-16 AD) St. John the Baptist (1st century) St. Paul (5 AD) St. Peter (30/64 AD) St. Stephen (5 AD) St. Andrew the Apostle (5 AD) St John the Apostle (6 AD) St. Mark (12 AD) St Veronica (1st Century)AD 100-400 St. Felicitas of Rome (101 AD) St. Apollonia (2nd Century) St. Michael the Archangel (2nd/3rd century) St. Valentine (3rd Century) St. Christopher (3rd Century) St. Catherine of Alexandria (4th century) St. Julian the Hospitaller (4th Century) St. Lawrence (3rd century) St. Denis of Paris (3rd Century) St. Augustine of Hippo (354 AD) St. Agatha (231 AD) St Cyprian (210) St. Blaise (276) St. Lucy (3rd/4th century) St. Monica (332 AD) St. Sebastian (255 AD) St. Philomena (291 AD) St. Agnes (291 AD) St. Victor and Corona (170 AD) Sts Andronicus, Probus, and Tarachus (239AD) St Helena (246/248 AD) St. Basil the Great (330) St. Nicholas (270 AD) St. Anastasia (281 AD) St Devota (d. 303) St Martin of Tours (316) St. Ambrose (339AD) St. George (303 AD) St. Fortunatus of Spoleto (400 AD) St. Patrick (5th century)AD 400-1000 St. Leo the Great (400) St. Alexis of Rome (c.400 AD) St. Brigid of Ireland (451) St. Genevieve (419 AD) St. Benedict (480) St. Columba (521 AD) St. Gobnait (6th century) St. Emma (975 AD) St. Chrodegang (712 AD) St. Alena (640 AD) St. Scholastica (480) St. Florentina of Cartagena (612 AD) St. Wilibald (700 AD) St. Adelaide (931) St Gertrude of Nivelles (628 AD) St. Virgil of Salzburg (700) St. Paulinus II of Aquileia (726) St. Hunna St Theophanes the Confessor (c. 758/760) Sts. Cyril and Methodius (826 and 815) St Ansgar (801) St. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor St. Edward Pope Saint Gregory the Great (540) St. Wenceslaus (907 AD)**AD 1000-1500 ** St. Edward St. Lidwina (1380) St Joan of Arc (1412) St Catherine of Siena (1347) St. Hedwig (1174) St. Francis of Assisi (1181) St. Anthony of Padua (1195) St. Rita (1381) St. Veronica of Milan (1445) St. Casimir (1458) St. Clare of Assisi (1194) St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207) St. Thomas Aquinas (1225) St. Gertrude the Great (1256) St. Roch (1295) St. Bridget of Sweden (1303) St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090) St. John of God (1495) St. Zita (1212) St. Peregrine Laziosi (1260) St. Colette (1381) St. Margaret of Scotland (1045) St. Juan Diego (1474) St. Angela Merici (1474) St. Ignatius Loyola (1491)AD 1500-2000 St. Teresa of Avila (1515) St. Vincent de Paul (1581) St. Lorenzo Ruiz (1594) St. Philip Neri (1515) St. Charles Borromeo (1538) St. John of the Cross (1542) St. Martin de Porres (1579) St Rose of Lima (1586) St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656) St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696) St. Junípero Serra (1713) St. Felix of Nicosia (1715) St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds (1715) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774) St. Gerard Majella (1726) St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603) St. Damien of Molokai (1840) St. Catherine Laboure (1806) St. Dominic Savio (1842) St Thérèse of Lisieux (1873) St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850) St. Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala (1878) St. Maria Goretti (1890) St. Bernadette (1844) St. Padre Pio (1887) St. Teresia Benedicta a Cruce (1891) St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894) St. Theresa of Los Andes (1900) Laura Montoya (1874) Toribio de Mogrovejo (1538) Mariana of Jesus Paredes (1618) St. Faustina Kowalska (1905) Benedict Daswa (1946) St. Ambrose of Optina (1812) Clelia Barbieri (1847) Andrew Kim Taegon (1821) Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910) Oscar Romero (1917) St John Paul II (1920)

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Book SynopsisIntroduced to the West by Paul Brunton, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) is widely hailed as the greatest Indian saint and sage in modern times, whose teachings continue to influence thousands around the world today. This intimate biography by his disciple Arthur Osborne interweaves the story of Ramana's life with his spiritual journey, from his awakening as a teenager to his later teachings and writings, offering a detailed account of a unique life.Osborne shares many of Ramana's lessons, including his emphasis on the importance of self-enquiry - that self-knowledge cannot be gained externally, but only through becoming aware of our own state of pure being. With his emphasis on the qualities of insight, simplicity and kindness, Ramana has much to offer us today.

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Book SynopsisFilmed over three years with the participation of 30 countries around the world, the documentary examines the world of yoga, modern and ancient, east and west and explores why millions today have turned their attention inwards, bucking the limitations of the material world in pursuit of self-realisation.Archival material from the life of Yogananda (who died in 1952) creates a spine for the narrative, but the film stretches the dimensions of a standard biography. The footage includes stylised interviews, metaphoric imagery and recreations, taking us from holy pilgrimages in India to Harvard''s Divinity School and its cutting-edge physics labs, from the Center for Science and Spirituality at the University of Pennsylvania to the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California. By evoking the journey of the soul as it pushes its way through the oppression of the human ego and delusion of the material world, the film creates an experiential immersion into the unseen realms. AWAKE is ultimately the s

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Book SynopsisThe Nativity, Passion and Resurrection are the three defining episodes in the life of Jesus, forming the foundations of the Christian tradition. But what is the truth behind these epoch-making events?Geza Vermes is one of the world''s most respected bibilical historians. Bringing together his three acclaimed works on the life of Jesus in one volume, this book examines the circumstances surrounding the miraculous birth of Jesus, from the prophetic star to Herod''s murderous decree; looks afresh at the arrest, trial and execution of this Jewish charismatic; and finally analyses Jesus'' crucifixion and the subsequent sightings of him by his disciples. Drawing on the New Testament, Jewish documents and sources from classical literature and history, these works separate myth from fact to penetrate the deeper meanings of the story of Christ.Trade ReviewThe world's leading Gospel scholar * The Times *Not only do I find Geza Vermes's Jesus plausible, but I have come to feel that there is an obvious kinship between kindly, humorous, anti-dogmatic Vermes and the Galilean prophet whom he has so frequently brought to life for us -- A. N. Wilson

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Book SynopsisThese essays offer a historically rigorous dismantling of Western claims about the superiority of celibate priests.Although celibacy is often seen as a distinctive feature of the Catholic priesthood, both Catholic and Orthodox Churches in fact have rich and diverse traditions of married priests. The essays contained in Married Priests in the Catholic Church offer the most comprehensive treatment of these traditions to date. These essays, written by a wide-ranging group that includes historians, pastors, theologians, canon lawyers, and the wives and children of married Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox priests, offer diverse perspectives from many countries and traditions on the subject, including personal, historical, theological, and canonical accounts. As a collection, these essays push especially against two tendencies in thinking about married priesthood today. Against the idea that a married priesthood would solve every problem in CathoTrade Review“Married Priests in the Catholic Church makes an original contribution to the history of married and celibate clergy in North America, its pastoral implications, and, most importantly, the theological relationship between marriage and priesthood. I found it so captivating that I could not put it down.” —Radu Bordeianu, author of Dumitru Staniloae: An Ecumenical Ecclesiology"This book is primarily concerned with the clergy of Eastern rites of the Catholic Church, which has a historic tradition of married as well as celibate clergy. . . . Clearly the issue of married clergy remains a stumbling block to East-West church reunification. Other contributors observe the joys and realities of married priests, their families, and their financial problems." —Choice"Adam A.J. DeVille has done a great service for the Catholic Church by editing the collection of essays that make up Married Priests in the Catholic Church. . . . This book is a welcomed response to certain ideologies that view the Eastern Catholic churches and their married priesthood as a concession to be tolerated, at best, or a denigration of the priesthood of Christ, at worst." —Reading Religion"The importance of this publication is that it will help members of both the Western Rite and the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church realize that the very different disciplines relating to marriage and priesthood in the Eastern churches and their offshoots in our Western world is not some exotic remnant or historical accident, but an ideal that exalts marriage and, in consequence, priesthood, and is certainly more solidly based on tradition than the mainstream Catholic tradition of the West." —Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies"Married Priests in the Catholic Church... provides a summary of the challenges that unsettle some of the simplisticcaricatures of some interpretive understandings amongst priests and Bishops." —Reviews in Religion & TheologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction—Adam A. J. DeVille Part I. History Ancient and Modern 1. Was Priestly Celibacy an Apostolic Tradition? The Theological Stakes of a Historical Argument—David G. Hunter 2. From Antioch to America via Smyrna: Rethinking Married Priesthood and Parish Life with Ignatius, Alexis, and Polycarp—D. O. Herbel 3. Mandatory Celibacy among Eastern Catholics: A Church-Dividing Issue—James S. Dutko Part II. Canon Law East and West 4. Recent Papal Pronouncements on the Admission of Married Eastern Catholic Men to the Priesthood: An Ecumenical Issue—Alexander Laschuk 5. Canonical Reflections on Clergy and Marriage—Patrick Viscuso Part III. Ecumenical Considerations 6. Official Catholic Pronouncements Regarding Presbyteral Celibacy: Their Fate and the Implications for Catholic-Orthodox Relations—Peter Galadza 7. Married Clergy in The Anglican Tradition—John Hunwicke 8. The Gift to the Church of Married Clergy—Edwin Barnes Part IV. Pastoral-Familial Life 9. Reflections on Two Vocations in Two Lungs of the One Church—David Meinzen 10. Growing Up in a Rectory: Using Oikonomia to Answer the Tough Questions Posed by the Children of Priestly Families—Julian Hayda 11. The Joys and Crosses of Clerical Families—Nicholas Denysenko 12. Marriage and Ministry: An Eastern Orthodox Perspective—William C. Mills 13. “What Did You Expect?”: A Reflection on Married Clergy and Pastoral Ministry—Andrew Jarmus 14. The Vocation of the Presbytera: Icon of the Theotokos in the Midst of the Ministerial Priesthood—Irene Galadza Part V. Theology 15. Celibacy and the Married Priesthood: Rediscovering the Spousal Mystery—Thomas J. Loya 16. Married Priesthood: Some Theological “Resonances”—Basilio Petrà 17. Married Priests: At the Heart of Tradition—Lawrence Cross and Basilio Petrà 18. Conclusion: Toward a Theology of Married Priesthood—Adam A. J. DeVille Appendix 1. The Toronto Tempest—Victor Pospishil Appendix 2. Recent Views on the Origins of Clerical Celibacy: A Review of the Literature from 1980 to 1991—J. Kevin Coyle Contributors List Index

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Book SynopsisA series of dynamic interviews by Peter Kerridge, Chief Executive of Premier Christian Radio, with eight leading Christian Entrepreneurs who share their thoughts, feelings, ideas and insight about what changes they feel would benefit the church today.

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Book SynopsisA celebration of the true diversity of the saints, addressing our white-washed church history.Trade ReviewMany will be moved and informed by this little book, which one hopes will be widely read thoughts the Christian communities of the world, reminds us as it does that diversity can be informed also by special kinds of devotion. -- Peter Costello * The Irish Catholic *

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Book SynopsisIn this five-session video Bible study, Max Lucado explores the grace that God showed to Jacob in the Bible, revealing how the Lord sticks with the unworthy and the underachievers until they are safely home.

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Book SynopsisWhile others lament the declining attendance of mainline churches and blame it on an out-of-date tradition, Jackson Carroll offers a more hopeful perspective, arguing that they key to future vitality can be found in the same tradition. According to Carroll, the tension between tradition and change has always been part of the Protestant...

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Book SynopsisA faithful life and humble spirit make you a leader worth following. Boyd Bailey shows how you can mirror Jesus's heart and make a positive difference in those around you. Lean on the Lord and see lives transformedbeginning with your own!

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Book SynopsisHelps readers understand the two primary categories of priestly duties pastoral and sacerdotal and shares guidance on specific topics, including teaching, crisis counselling, communicating with deity, devotion, intervention, healing, life rites, community celebration, etc.

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Book SynopsisGives leaders the tools to recognize and overcome burnout, providing them a new vision for greater levels of both rest and productivity.

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Book SynopsisA popular writer and teacher shows how a narrative approach illuminates each of the Gospels, helping readers see the overarching stories.Table of ContentsContents Part 1: Introduction 1. The Turn to Gospels as Stories: Narrative Criticism in Gospel Studies Part 2: Plot and Plotting 2. The Selection, Sequence, and Shape of the Story 3. Narrative Plotting in the Gospel of Luke Part 3: Character and Characterization 4. The People in the Story 5. Matthew's Characterization of the Disciples Part 4: Intertextuality 6. The Stories behind the Story 7. Intertextuality in John: Passover Lamb and Creation's Renewal Part 5: Narrative Theology 8. How a Story Theologizes 9. The God of Mark's Gospel Part 6: Conclusion 10. The Ongoing Power of the Gospels as Stories Recommended Resources Glossary Indexes

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Book SynopsisA senior New Testament scholar and teacher helps students understand the historical, literary, and theological issues of the book of Acts and introduces key concepts in the field of narrative criticism. This volume captures the message of the book of Acts by taking seriously the book''s essential character as a powerful story through which Luke communicates profound theological truth. While giving attention to historical background, its purpose is to lead readers through a close reading that yields fresh insights into passages throughout Acts.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction1. Approaching Acts2. Narrative Criticism and Acts3. Literary Structure of Acts4. The Promise and the Preparation: Acts 1:1-265. The Witness to Jerusalem: Acts 2:1-8:1a6. The Witness to All Judea and Samaria as Far as Antioch: Acts 8:1b-12:257. The Witness to the End of the Earth: Acts 13:1-28:31Indexes

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Book SynopsisThe Upside Down Kingdom examines how living according to Jesus's Beatitudes can cultivate God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, bringing peace and blessing to our broken world.

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Book SynopsisProvides an overview of Luke and Acts, reading them in the context of ancient rhetorical criticism as practiced in the Hellenistic world. The depth and breadth of Mikeal Parson's study root Luke's narrative strategy, interpretive moves, and theological imagination in the pagan, Jewish, and Christian contexts of the period.Table of Contents Preface Foreword 1. The Life of a Legend : The Making of "Luke" Part One: Luke the Storyteller 2. Luke and the Progymnasmata: A Preliminary Investigation into the Preliminary Exercises 3. Luke 1:1-4 and Ancient Rhetoric Part Two: Luke the Interpreter 4. Interpreting Pagan Traditions: Friendship and Physiognomy 5. Interpreting Jewish Traditions: Jerusalem and the Suffering Servant 6. Interpreting Christian Traditions: Parables and Paul Part Three: Luke the Evangelist 7. Reconstituting the People of God: The Examples of Peter, Cornelius, and Others Epilogue

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Book SynopsisAn expert in the study of Islam answers thirty important questions about Muhammad, offering a clear and concise guide to his life and religious significance. This companion volume to the author's A Concise Guide to the Quran answers many of the key questions non-Muslims have about Muhammad, reveals the importance of Muhammad for Christian-Muslim and Jewish-Muslim interfaith relations, and examines Muslim and non-Muslim primary sources. This introductory guide is written for anyone with little to no knowledge of Islam who wants to learn about Muslims, their beliefs, and their prophet.Table of ContentsContentsChronological Events in Muhammad's LifeIntroduction: Why Should One Learn about Muhammad's Life?Part 1: Muhammad's History1. Who Was Muhammad?2. What Are the Major Muslim Sources for Muhammad's Life?3. What Do Scholars Say about the Reliability and Accuracy of Early Muslim Sources?4. What Is So Unique about Muhammad's Birth Year?5. What Is Significant about Muhammad's Genealogy?6. What Do Muslims Believe about Muhammad's Attributes?7. Was Muhammad a Real Historical Figure?8. What Do We Know about Mecca, Muhammad's Birthplace?9. What Is the Black Stone in the Ka'ba?10. What Do We Know about Muhammad's Wives and Their Roles in Islam?11. Was Muhammad Always a Monotheist?12. What Is Muhammad's Night Journey to Jerusalem and Heaven?13. Why Did Muhammad Strike a Peace Treaty with the Jews?14. Why Did Muhammad Raid the Pagans of Mecca?15. Was There Ever a Truce between Muslims and Meccans?16. Did Muhammad Really Fight the Jews?17. Did Muhammad Launch Raids against Christians?18. Who Killed Muhammad?19. Did Muhammad Appoint a Successor?20. What Are Some of the Early Non-Muslim Views on Muhammad?Part 2: Muhammad's Message21. What Was Muhammad's Central Message?22. Who Is Muhammad's Deity, Allah?23. What Is Muhammad's Message about Jesus?24. Where Is Muhammad Mentioned in the Bible?25. Where Are Muhammad's Sermons?26. What Did Muhammad Say about Loving One's Neighbors?27. How Does Muhammad's Tradition Treat Apostasy from Islam?28. What Do the Hadiths Say about Jihad?29. Who Are the Hadith-Rejectersamong Muslims?30. Why Are the Hadith-RejectersGrowing in Number?Appendix A: Muslim Primary Sources in EnglishAppendix B: Helpful Websites on Islamic Primary SourcesGlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisIron-Sharpened Leadership is a leadership book the reader will find valuable and inspiring. This leadership book is based on operational experience and is peppered with inspirational stories along with actions one can take to become a more effective leader. Gronski takes a values-based approach to leadership effectiveness and the book is oriented along the lines of his leadership philosophy which includes character, competence, and resilience.Trade Review"The never-ending supply of leadership books has been enriched with the release of Iron-Sharpened Leadership , which offers a clear recipe for organizational effectiveness and personal success." Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management at NATO and former Deputy Defense Minister of Lithuania"I highly recommend Iron Sharpened Leadership . This book is filled with great advice forged by the author's lifetime of experience as a successful business leader and exemplary military officer." Mark Powell, Lackawanna County District Attorney"Missing amongst the hordes of success-obsessed 'rise-and-grind' social media influencers are men of consequenceleaders who have not only succeeded at the highest levels, but done so when lives depended on it. Success for such men is not a status symbol, but a requirement. Major General John Gronski is such a man, and Iron-Sharpened Leadership fills a considerable void in the self-help world because he understands that leadership is less about demanding respect and obedience than it is about displaying ultimate loyalty, camaraderie, and sacrifice. By the end of his Army career, he had led thousands of men through perilous circumstances, and all those men had gladly walked into harm's way because they believed in their leader. This book expertly distills the Major General's extraordinary life experiences into usable lessons for people from all walks of life working in every industry. When you are finished translating the book's lessons into action, you will be giving fewer orders; instead, you will have transformed your own leadership presence into one that inspires people to regularly go above and beyond what is expected." Chef Robert Irvine, host of Restaurant: Impossible"For those who have been in combat we always have a special place in our heart for those we shared that time with....John Gronski is one of those people. His competence, commitment and compassion while leading the PA 28th BCT in Ramadi in 2006 will always remind me of what "right in a leader looks like." In this book he sets down the traits and principles all leaders need to exhibit and execute every day. Read and reflect then do what you can to personify these ideals as a person of character and virtue. You and your organization will be better for it."Robert B. Neller, general USMC retired 37th commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps"'Mentorship is a contact sport!' That's just one of the many leadership observations offered by Major General John Gronski in his new book, Iron-Sharpened Leadership: Transforming Hard Fought Leadership Lessons into Action . Gronski's insights are not only for military leaders; leaders in every walk of life will benefit from his long experience in both military and civilian careers. He uses his personal successes and failures to highlight practical leadership principles that will resonate with leaders at all levels. A great book by a great leader. Keep this on your bookshelf for ready reference."Carter F. Ham, general, U.S. Army Retired, president and chief executive officer, Association of the United States Army"Gronski shines in his gritty and authentic look into leadership. I keep a copy of the book on my desk and you should too. Read it!"Wes Gray Ph.D., CEO of Alpha Architect, and former U.S. Marine Captain

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Book SynopsisPope Francis wants to bring about a quiet revolution within the Catholic Church. He wants a reformed church in which the `sense of the faithful’, the instinct of baptised men and women, is given a role in the formation and reception of church teaching and governance. The model is one of Jesus conversing with his male and female disciples in Palestine – a walking together of the People of God, a `synodal’ church. Irish Jesuit theologian Gerry O’Hanlon examines this ecclesiological project of Francis and the new roles within it of pope and bishops, theologians, and all the baptised. He considers the Pope's strategy of a changed ecclesial structure that would out-live his own pontificate. Francis advocates a critical openness to contemporary culture, a culture of consultation and open debate, and communal discernment practised at every level of `an entirely synodal church'. O’Hanlon argues that this project offers new hope of a better reading of the `signs of the times’ by the Catholic Church, not least in areas of sexuality of gender. The author applies this analysis to our situation in Ireland and suggests that whatever about the desirable spiritual renewal which a papal visit may inspire, it is to be hoped that the more lasting long-term effects might be the realisation of a synodal Irish Catholic Church.

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Book SynopsisThis is an unusual book, gathering wisdom on leadership from around the world, across a century. The material has been curated for its quality, and its reach. It will stretch the minds of younger leaders to help them see what they could do; and help them to think in new categories. The material is profound, but all lucidly expressed. It would be as accessible to an undergraduate student as to a pastor or business leader. The Appendix on good governance comes at a time when sad stories of poor governance have had detrimental effects on the ministries or publishing houses they are meant to have protected. This is unique to our knowledge. We trust it will enable trustees and board members to better understand their roles, and to be able to call out bad practice.Table of ContentsForeword by Joni Eareckson Tada PART 1: LEADERSHIP IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY If I am to Lead - D E Hoste. Introduced by Sinclair Ferguson Five marks of Christian leadership - John Stott The leader as servant - Ajith Fernando Leaders who last - Vaughan Roberts PART 2: LEADERSHIP IN THE SECULAR WORKPLACE Godly leadership in the workplace - Willy Kotiuga Leaders who ask big questions - Fred Catherwood Ideas for reflection and discussion APPENDICES Sources The Art of Good Governance

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Book SynopsisAre there gaps between what we believe and what we do? Does society influence us more than our theology? Why are churches often places of stress and strain rather than peace and renewal? In Bridging the Gaps, Trevor Neill shines a compassionate light on the hidden and often unacknowledged contradictions of the contemporary UK Church. Exploring their subtle spiritual, social and cultural roots, he demonstrates the adverse effects of these gaps on us all, both individually and collectively. But with a passionate confidence in God and His people, Trevor shows how we can respond. Each chapter ends with thought-provoking questions exploring how our congregations and communities can be transformed as we fill in the gaps one person and one church at a time.

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Book SynopsisExamines the image networks of St. George in the eastern Mediterranean, revealing how the different portrayals became central to Crusader, East Christian, and Islamic visual cultures.Trade Review“This panoramic volume follows the images of military saints across Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Crusader, Georgian, Islamic, Syriac, and many other fields of study usually held separate. Badamo ties together the fragmented political map of the later medieval eastern Mediterranean in unexpected ways that cause us to rethink broader questions of global art and history.”—Benjamin Anderson,Cornell University“Saint George Between Empires particularly excels in highlighting the importance of Saint George / al-Khiḍr in both Christian and Islamic contexts, and is by far the most all-encompassing study on this subject.”—Dr. Mat Immerzeel,Fellow International Studies, Leiden University

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Book SynopsisThe moment Jesus kneels with a towel and bowl to wash his disciples' feet. The point where he looks Peter in the eye and predicts betrayal. That intimate, urgent prayer to the Father for the disciples. That resolute strength before the Sanhedrin, before Pilate, before the crowd. The cross. The talk with Mary in the Garden. The walk with Peter at Galilee. The later chapters of the Gospel of John form what is for many the deepest and most moving accounts of all Scripture. They also form a detailed description of Jesus' final days and hours on earth, Jesus final instructions to his team as he prepares to hand on his ministry. Karl Martin mines this incredibly rich vein of Scripture to draw lessons for leadership, leadership in Jesus' way. Leadership in the way of Jesus is about humility, about investing your life in your team, about facing betrayal, about dying to self, about handing on, about succession. Ultimately, true leadership is not about seeing others serve your dream - it is about seeing others released into the dreams, the gifting and calling that the Lord has placed on their lives. It is about something beyond you. This deceptively profound, honest and practical book gives great insight for leaders - challenge for younger leaders, encouragement for mid-life leaders, and refreshment for the mature leaders - and what may be some of the most significant lessons of their leadership life.

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Book SynopsisThe captivating story of the world's favorite saint is now retold for a modern audience by one of the great novelists of our time.Perhaps more than any other figure in Christian history since Jesus Christ, Saint Francis of Assisi has captured our imagination, for his is a story of extreme self-sacrifice, of love to God and man. How could this wealthy, handsome youth cast away all the advantages that were his by birth and choose instead a career of poverty and humility? How could he attract members of all strata of society to his mission? And how, when his order became established throughout Europe, could he renounce great personal power and humbly continue his life's work?Here is Francis, from his twelfth-century boyhood to his life as a missionary roaming the very boundaries of the known world. Here too are the men and women who followed himBernard de Quintavalle, the rich businessman; Peter Cathanii, the lawyer; Brother Giles, the farmer's son; La

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Book SynopsisThis life story of Milarepa--the important Tibetan religious leader who lived over 800 years ago--is part of a remarkable four-volume series on Tibetan Buddhism produced by the late W.Y. Evans-Wentz, all four of which are being published by Oxford in new editions. While there are many parochial differences among the several sects of Tibetan Buddhism, each holds the Great Yogi Milarepa in the highest reverence and esteem. For exemplified in Milarepa''s life, as we discover in these pages, are all of the teachings of the great yogis of India--including those of Gautama the Buddha, the greatest yogi known to history. Amid his detailed introductory and explanatory notes for this text, Evans-Wentz also reveals compelling similarities between the life and thought of Milarepa and those of Jesus, Gandhi, and saints...in ancient China, or India, or Babylonia, or Egypt, or Rome, or in our own epoch. In composing this translation from the original Tibetan, the late Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup, who wasTable of ContentsPART I: THE PATH OF DARKNESS; PART II: THE PATH OF LIGHT

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Book SynopsisIn this companion to the revised trade book, author, speaker and leadership expert Ken Blanchard guides readers through the process of discovering how to lead like Jesus. Effective leadership-in all realms of your life-starts on the inside. Before you can hope to lead anyone else, you have to know who you are.

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