Religious institutions and organizations Books

Book SynopsisThe documents of the bishops of Coventry and Lichfield in the thirteenth-century reveal snapshots of everyday life in medieval Lancashire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire, from the monks who lost their books in a fire to the men who struggled to carry bodies for burial through floods and snow.Trade Reviewthis is an impressive addition to the series and will be enormously helpful to anyone working on thirteenth-century ecclesiastical administration or on Midland history. * Julia Barrow, English Historical Review *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; THE ACTA

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Book SynopsisIn an extended interview with Vatican expert Andrea Tornielli, Julián Carrón examines our current place in time to revive the essential core of Christian faith. Where Is God? discovers and rediscovers the contents of Christianity, asking how they can be witnessed again in a society that is not yet post-Christian, but potentially headed there.

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Book SynopsisIn an analysis that deftly unites feminist criticism, psychoanalysis, and Catholic theology, Kelley Raab explores the symbolic implications of women at the altar, providing rich insight into issues of gender, symbolism, and power.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Gender Reversal 3. Maternal Envy 4. Sacrifice 5. Christ as a Woman 6. Gender, Sex, and God 7. When Women Become Priests Appendix

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Book SynopsisDiscusses how orthodox religions advance their religious and social agendasTrade ReviewWhile previous research has found that social movements are more likely to succeed when they espouse flexible ideologies, single-issue agendas, and willingness to compromise, Davis and Robinson find that the religiously orthodox movements they study have been successful without having any of these characteristics. By challenging conventional wisdom about these groups as well as their prospects for success, this book . . . wins a place among the best books in recent social movement scholarship. * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *[A] succinct and persuasive continuation of Nancy Davis and Robert Robinson's well known work about religious movements and concern for the poor. The reader will find a carefully developed and clearly explained theory applied to four case studies of religious movements in the Abrahamic traditions. The book will be of interest and use to scholars of religion, civic life, activism, and the welfare state. . . . . Here, we find the strongest statement that cultural matters as much, if not more, than institutions, while not ignoring the complexity of these questions. This book is a welcome addition to the literature not only for its careful development and serious testing of theory, but also for the wealth of historical detail found in the case study chapters. * Contemporary Sociology *[A]dvances our understanding of the ideological complexity of these movements, the role of multifaceted organizational structure for bringing new activists into a movement, and the ways in which movements might overcome liabilities of ideological rigidity, multi-issue agendas, and distaste for compromise. . . It stands out as a model of comparative historical research in the breadth of its research on such disparate cases, as well as the tight integration of its data and analysis. -- Ziad Munson * Social Forces *[A] well-written and very engaging book that will help scholars and other[s] . . . understand a different side of these movements than is usually covered . . . It is easily accessible for a nonacademic audience, while being scholarly rigorous and offering important new theoretical insights into conservative religious movements. . . . should be read by social movement, religion, and political scholars alike. I would recommend it for use in a variety of classroom settings, including undergraduate and graduate courses in sociology of religion, the non-profit sector, and social movements. * Sociology of Religion *[C]ontributes to both political sociology and the sociology of religion in multiple ways. It challenges some of the main tenets of the social movement scholarship. It is a must-read for any scholar in any of these three subfields. Sociology as whole would benefit from further discussion of religion's potential to build alternative sources of power, domination, and struggle; and of the ambiguities, slipperiness, and multilayered nature of orthodoxy's caring, sharing, 'communitarian' face. -- Cohan Tugal * Social Forces *[T]he book's structure is simple, elegant, and cogent . . . It is essential reading for all scholars with interests in the interplay between religion, politics, and social welfare. * Journal of Contemporary Religion *Clearly, Davis and Robinson have written a thought-provoking book, one that is well researched and which should inspire debates among scholars of religion, social movements, politics, and social change. Given that the book is highly assessible and relevant to current events, the book deserves wide readership outside the academy as well. * Mobilization *I can think of no other recent book on orthodox movements that is as broad in its scope, rich and detailed in its narrative, well-grounded in its theory, and insightful in its analysis as Claiming Society for God. Sociologists should read this book as an antidote to the stereotyped, one-dimensional view of religiously orthodox movements so often found in today's popular media. * Review of Religious Research *[Claiming Society for God] contains a . . . sophisticated argument with relevance to those interested in religion, politics, social movements, and civil society.2015 * Politics and Religion *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments Introduction1. Contesting the State by Bypassing It 2. The Muslim Brotherhood: Building a State within a State in Egypt3. The Sephardi Torah Guardians: Penetrating the Israeli State to Circumvent It4. Comunione e Liberazione: Laying the Building Blocks of a Parallel Christian Society in Italy 5. The Salvation Army USA: Doing Good to Hasten the Second ComingConclusionNotesBibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA celebration of all the work of the New Wine family, in conjunction with their 30th anniversary

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Book SynopsisThis first biography of Philo of Alexandria, one of antiquity's most prolific yet enigmatic authors, traces his intellectual development from Bible interpreter to diplomat in RomeTrade Review“It does not happen often that a book is published which has the potential to fundamentally change the paradigm of scholarship on its subject matter, but Niehoff’s intellectual biography...is certainly one of them.”—Eelco Glas, NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion“A lucid and, indeed, original encompassing reconstruction of Philo’s thinking...Provides a great service to further scholarship”—Angela Standhartinger, Journal for the Study of JudaismWon the Polonsky Prize for Originality and Creativity sponsored by Hebrew UniversityFinalist for the 2019 Jordan Schnitzer Book Award, in the category of Jewish Philosophy “Maren Niehoff’s lucid and original account of Philo’s philosophical biography will speak to students of Judaism, Stoicism, Platonism, and Christianity more widely as a compelling case-study of intellectual exchange in a world united by empire.”—George R. Boys-Stones, Durham University "Niehoff offers a coherent interpretation of the development of Philo of Alexandria's thought that will be valuable for those interested not only in Diaspora Judaism but also in early Christianity and Greek and Roman philosophy."—Thomas Tobin, Loyola University Chicago “This is a bold and pioneering attempt to arrange the numerous works of Philo in a chronological sequence and on that basis to write an intellectual biography. All future attempts will be based on this book. In her outstanding accomplishment, Maren Niehoff also restores Philo to his Roman context, which is usually ignored.”—Shaye J. D. Cohen, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisAt the close of the twentieth century the United States was, by all accounts, among the most religious of modern Western nations. Pillars of Faith describes the diversity of tradition and the commonality of organizational strategy that characterize the more than 300,000 congregations in the United States, arguing that they provide the social bonds, spiritual traditions, and community connections that are vital to an increasingly diverse society. Nancy Tatom Ammerman follows several traditions--Mainline Protestant, Conservative Protestant, African American Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox, Jewish, Sectarian, and other religions--as they establish discernible patterns of congregational life that fit their own history, tradition, and relationship to American society. Her methodologically sophisticated study balances survey research with interviews conducted with people from ninety-one different religious traditions and ethnographic observations that yield new information on many dimensioTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. Common Patterns and Diverse Streams: America's Communities of Faith 2. Building Traditions: Worshiping and Learning Together 3. Building Communities: Food, Fun, and Fellowship 4. Building Networks of Faith: Partners and Producers 5. Extending the Community: Serving the Needy, Saving Souls 6. Doing Good Together: Networks of Work in the World 7. Nurturing Traditions: Stories and Practices for Religious Pilgrims 8. Voluntary and Diverse Communities of Faith: American Congregations and American Society Appendices 1. Sampling and Measurement 2. Denominations Classified by Religious Tradition, Polity, and Denominational Structure Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisShenoute of Atripe: stern abbot, loquacious preacher, patron of the poor and scourge of pagans in fifth-century Egypt. This book studies his numerous Coptic writings and finds them to be the important literary source for the study of society, economy and religion in late antique Egypt.Trade Review"Lopez's volume is an essential counterpart to the current dialogue on wealth and poverty in late ancient Christianity." Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: "Rustic Audacity" 1. Loyal Opposition 2. A Miraculous Economy 3. Rural Patronage: Holy and Unholy 4. The Limits of Intolerance Conclusion Appendix A: The Chronology of Shenoute's Life and Activities Appendix B: The Sources List of Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhat is the work that miracles do in American Charismatic Evangelicalism? How can miracles be unanticipated and yet worked for? And finally, what do miracles tell us about other kinds of Christianity and even the category of religion? This book deaks with these questions.Trade Review"A Diagram of Fire succeeds both as general theory and as finely drawn ethnography." * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS PROLOGUE INTRODUCTION: CLEARLY WRITTEN ON HIS FACE 1. VINEYARD TIME 2. INSTITUTIONS AND GOD'S AGENTS 3. A DIAGRAM FOR FIRE 4. TOLLE, LEGE: TALKING, READING, AND HEARING 5. THE LIVING ROOM SEMINARS: PEDAGOGIES OF THE SPIRIT, TYPIFICATION, AND ELABORATION 6. THE BODY, TONGUES, HEALING, AND DELIVERANCE 7. COLLAPSES, TRAVERSALS, AND INTENSIFICATIONS OF THE PART-CULTURE CONCLUSION: ON THE PROBLEM OF RELIGION AND ON RELIGION AS A PROBLEM NOTES WORKS CITED INDEX COMPLETE SERIES LIST

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Book Synopsis100 years ago, secular liberals thought religion would gradually recede from the public sphere and become an exclusively private concern. Today, organised religion is still a powerful political force in most parts of the world. In many its political significance has grown.Table of Contents1. Foreward: David Marquand and Ronald L. Nettler (Mansfield College, Oxford). 2. Secularism?: John Keane. 3. Living with Difference in India: Susanne Hoeber Rudolph and Lloyd Rudolph. 4. Religion and Democracy in Israel: Emanuele Ottolenghi. 5. Islam, Politics and Democracy: Mohamed Talbi and Islamic Modernism: Ronald L. Nettler. 6. Trajectories of Political Islam: Egypt, Iran and Turkey: Sami Zabaida. 7. American Fundamentalism and the Selling of God: Harold Perkin. 8. The Quiet Continent: Religion and Politics in Europe: Colin Crouch. 9. J.N.Figgis, Churches and the State: Paul Hirst. 10. Making the Christian World Safe for Liberalism: from Grotius to Rawls: Timothy Samuel Shah.

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Book SynopsisMore than a conventional biography, Grant Wacker’s interpretive study deepens our understanding of why Billy Graham has mattered so much to so many, and how his uncanny ability to appropriate trends in the wider culture allowed him to transform his born-again theology into a moral vocabulary capturing the aspirations and fears of average Americans.Trade ReviewWacker’s style is clear and engaging, and Graham’s story has plenty to recommend it… What makes Wacker’s book not just readable but engrossing, however, is what it reveals about American evangelicalism. Many of evangelicalism’s most salient characteristics seem to inhere in the person and career of Billy Graham. -- Barton Swaim * Wall Street Journal *Excellent… It is not a biography, but rather a disciplined, admirably fair-minded effort to understand and explain how 20th-century American culture produced a figure like Billy Graham, and how Graham in turn helped to shape that same culture. -- Robert P. George * New York Times Book Review *Wacker has spent the better part of his career observing the battle over Graham’s legacy. His biography America’s Pastor is an exhaustive and judicious effort to settle this cultural obsession with Graham and assess his influence. Other scholars have written doorstop-size narrative accounts of Graham’s life, tracing events from his childhood on a North Carolina dairy farm through his massive revival campaigns and frequent visits to the White House. Wacker has produced a different kind of book. He has, it appears, read every work of scholarship about Graham, from the mightiest bestseller to the lowliest unpublished doctoral thesis. He has combed through a mountain of archival sources. The result is not a conventional biography, but a series of interpretive essays that evaluate Graham’s various roles in twentieth-century America, from ‘Preacher’ and ‘Entrepreneur’ to ‘Southerner’ and evangelical ‘Patriarch.’ The result is the most comprehensive and balanced analysis of Billy Graham ever published. -- Molly Worthen * The Nation *This is a major book by a major historian of American religion about a major religious figure in American history… [A] magnificently written and meticulously researched study of what Billy Graham meant at different times to Americans and what America meant to an evolving Billy Graham. -- Kenneth L. Woodward * America *It is required reading for anyone seriously interested in evangelicalism, 20th century American history, or the sociology of religion… For a thematic view of how Graham affected (and was affected by) American culture, Wacker’s book is unparalleled. And if you’re one of the many evangelicals under 40 who are only vaguely aware of how Graham shaped your world, you need this book. -- Ted Olsen * Christianity Today *[Wacker’s] writing is accessible and vivid. And he takes a great deal of care in fleshing out the nuances of Graham’s life and sketching the ways Graham emerged out of the fundamentalist movement and came to reshape the contours of American evangelicalism to the degree that he became a spokesperson for an American Protestantism committed to Jesus but tolerant and peaceful toward others. Neither do Wacker’s insights overlook criticism of Graham, especially in the area of race… Wacker doesn’t sugarcoat Graham’s shortcomings, but this is, for the most part, a sympathetic portrayal of a preacher who helped a subgroup of devout Christians move from the sidelines to the center. -- Yonat Shimron * News & Observer *A fascinating read for all who recognize Billy Graham’s unique and powerful ministry and wonder if we will see his like again. -- Martin Poole * Baptist Times *Beautifully written…[and] the best general study of the Billy Graham Phenomenon… America’s Pastor charts a parallel evolution in Graham’s social and political career, and with a parallel ideological structure. -- Mark Knoll * Books & Culture *Lively and learned… Highly readable. -- Stephen J. Whitfield * Chronicle of Higher Education *It is a major work that gives insight not only into the achievement of Billy Graham but into American history in the second half of the 20th Century. Graham’s flaws and his successes are fairly recorded. -- Paul Richardson * Church of England Newspaper *Unlike many accounts of Billy Graham’s life and ministry, Grant Wacker’s America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation does not construct a heroic fable, nor does he deconstruct the evangelist as a lumbering proselytizer… Wacker’s analysis of Graham’s strengths and weaknesses is thorough and fair… An iconic life that America’s Pastor captures so well. -- Robert L. Kehoe III * First Things *Wacker’s engaging, comprehensive, and sympathetic (although not uncritical) study of Graham’s multifaceted career is an admirable introduction both to Graham and to the evangelical movement he worked so hard to build. -- Walter Russel Mead * Foreign Affairs *[Wacker] adds to the voluminous Graham literature with a scholarly yet captivating narrative that situates Graham alongside King and John Paul II as the men most responsible under God for shaping our current spiritual climate, especially in the United States. -- Collin Hansen * The Gospel Coalition *Wacker’s examination of Graham’s place in U.S. politics and culture forms one of the most interesting, and at times surprising, aspects of his book… There is much in the book that even a reader with only a passing interest in modern religion will find interesting. -- David Woolner * Irish Times *Wacker, who admires Graham, though not uncritically so, examines the evolution that took place from the hell fire and brimstone preacher three-quarters of a century ago to the polished international communicator, renowned throughout the world… This book is an honest appraisal of the man himself and the organization of which he was a part. It’s thoroughly researched and worth reading. -- Paul Hulme * Methodist Recorder *What a book. I think it is hard for those of us who have lived in the Billy Graham era to recognize just how significant this time has been in the history of the church… This volume traces the life of Graham, and fits his ministry in the context of American cultural, political, and religious history. -- Russell Moore * Moore to the Point (blog) *Provides a judicious assessment of Graham’s six decades as a preacher, pastor, public figure, entrepreneur, southerner, and icon. -- Glenn C. Altschuler * The Oregonian *[Graham’s] legacy deserves as fine a book as this one. -- Peter Smith * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *This is a fascinating book which is hard to put down. Beautifully written, with humor and compassion as well as critical rigor… Exploring [Graham’s] steady but dramatic transformation makes absorbing reading and brought me hope for the rest of us. -- Ruth Allen * Reform *America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation is a timely cultural biography. One of the world authorities on the subject of American Evangelicalism, Wacker makes a strong claim for Graham’s historical importance. -- Jon M. Sweeney * The Tablet *Wacker examines not so much what Graham did as how he did it—a matter of manners and management as much as of vision and talent… Wacker’s procedure allows appreciation of how Graham affected the image of the modern southerner (he desegregated his crusades in 1954); helped shape the new evangelicalism out of fundamentalist, Pentecostal, and the older evangelical churches; and much more, primarily through embodying at their best the middle-class American culture and mores in which he was raised. Wacker doesn’t shrink, however, from showing how Graham’s fascination with presidential politics led him astray repeatedly while allowing that he was a genuine spiritual counselor to the presidents—Lyndon Johnson, in particular. If a great subject deserves a great book, Billy Graham has one. -- Ray Olson * Booklist (starred review) *The work of a church historian in his best form, this masterpiece presents a fine-grained study of America’s best-known preacher and his role in the shaping of mainstream Evangelicalism in the mid-20th century… Wacker’s close study gives readers a glimpse of Graham’s complexity, including the paradoxes that made him both beloved and controversial. -- B. W. Hamilton * Choice *A scholarly, analytical and sympathetic biography of the evangelist Billy Graham…We emerge with a more complete, nuanced understanding of Graham’s personality and ministry…Also shows us a profoundly authentic Graham, a true believer, a man who was not mercenary, who practiced what he preached, whose principal weaknesses might have been his name-dropping and hobnobbing with the rich and the powerful. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *Wacker’s analysis situates the salient elements of Graham’s remarkable success and longevity in the chaotic American social and religious consciousness of the 20th century…In the intersection of ego and message, Wacker excels at examining Graham’s complex public/private persona…A valuable look at the pastor of 20th-century American religious consciousness. -- Sandra Collins * Library Journal *In this elegantly written and compulsively readable account, Wacker…probes the ways that Graham touched so many so deeply while aiming to provide the moral voice for a nation. Interweaving biography with social and intellectual history, Wacker suggests that Graham’s brilliance shone brightly from his many facets—preacher, pastor, Southerner, and entrepreneur, among others—and so his hearers had many ways to see themselves reflected in him. In the end, Wacker points out that Graham’s pragmatic vision of an America that’s true to its ideals enabled him to adapt trends in the wider culture for his own evangelistic and moral-reform purposes. * Publishers Weekly *A striking and authoritative account of one of the most influential Americans of recent times. Wacker writes gracefully and offers a fund of astute insights. By exploring Graham’s background, his character, his beliefs, and his work, he reveals how Graham could move so comfortably among the powerful and at the same time always be able to speak effectively to so many ordinary people. Both Graham’s admirers and his critics will come away from America’s Pastor with a fresh appreciation of the man and his world. -- George M. Marsden, author of The Twilight of the American Enlightenment: The 1950s and the Crisis of Liberal BeliefGrant Wacker has given us a superb—and richly detailed—portrait of Billy Graham, presented in the context of a solid cultural and historical analysis of the era in which Graham served as the kind of religious leader we are not likely to see again. And all of this from a marvelous storyteller. Wacker’s deeply moving epilogue can stand alone as a model of inspiring prose! -- Richard J. Mouw, Professor of Faith and Public Life and former President, Fuller Theological SeminaryAmerica’s Pastor is a masterful study of the life and influence of Billy Graham. With power and grace, Grant Wacker explains who Graham was, how his message and organization developed, and why he came to exercise such extraordinary influence in America. It is the most incisive—and accessible—study of Billy Graham that has been written. -- Nathan O. Hatch, President, Wake Forest UniversityBilly Graham has finally gotten the book he deserves. Written by one of the finest American religious historians of our time, this book is as captivating as Graham himself: eloquent, incisive, witty, and empathetic. I couldn’t put it down. -- Catherine A. Brekus, author of Sarah Osborn’s World: The Rise of Evangelical Christianity in Early AmericaGrant Wacker brings his incomparable historical skills to illuminate an icon of American Protestant life. His treatment is at once deeply humane and extraordinarily learned, and he examines Graham’s foundational status with a breathtaking range and savvy. In these pages we come to know Graham, but more importantly, we gain profound insight into the broadest contours of U.S. religious life in the last half of the twentieth century. -- Laurie Maffly-Kipp, author of Setting Down the Sacred Past: African-American Race Histories

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Book SynopsisBecoming a great leader is more about prioritizing self-awareness and people skills than innovative ideas and high levels of productivity. With his transparent and relatable storytelling, Chad Veach addresses three phases of becoming a quality leader, and urges you to lean in to your leadership potential regardless of your level of influence or experience.

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Book SynopsisSet against a backdrop of war and revolution, this book brings sixty years of missionary nursing out of the shadows by examining how Canadian nurses shaped health care in the province of Henan and how China, in turn, influenced the nature of missionary nursing.Trade ReviewGrypma constructs a historical account of Canadian nurses’ work in China while exploring the interplay of professional nursing with issues such as religion, gender, culture, health, and nation. […] Supported with excellent documentation and evidence, Healing Henan is well-written and exciting reading, and it sheds new light on the significance of the efforts by nurses and doctors in a Chinese province. The book also provides the reader with a close view of the ambitions, struggles, and accomplishments of Canadian nurses in Henan, and it will appeal to anyone interested in the history of religious nursing. -- Anne Marie Overgaard * Nursing History Review, 2009 *The author, Associate Professor of Nursing at Trinity Western University, left no research stone unturned […]. Dr. Sonya Grypma brought to life the character and personality of the nurses, the nature and importance of their work, their length of service, and the impact of their work. There has been little written about nursing in China. Most history has been dedicated to individual profiles instead of unified efforts by a group of professionals. The author has changed that in this book. The publication should be of interest to students of Chinese history, nursing history, and especially to medical missionaries that are planning a clinic, hospital, or short-term medical team to an undeveloped field. -- William L. Capps * Missiology, An International Review *This ambitiously titled and carefully worked study by Sonya Grypma, a historian of nursing, documents a period in the history of medical missions in China involving Canadian nurses working in Henan who were members of the so-called North China Mission of the former Presbyterian Church (since 1925, the United Church) of Canada.[…] Grypma is to be thanked for lifting such a veil of forgetting, giving names and (by inserting photographs) faces to the otherwise anonymous nurses, Canadian mainly, but also Chinese. -- Christoffer H. Grundmann * International Bulletin of Missionary Research *Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsForewordAcknowledgmentsList of SpellingsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1 The Gospel of Soap and Water, 1888-19002 Visions Interrupted, 1901-203 Modern Nursing at Last, 1921-274 Golden Years, 1928-375 Scattered Dreams, 1937-406 War Years, 1941-457 The Last Days, 1946-47Conclusion: Creating a Cloistered SpaceEpilogue: Return to Henan, 2003AppendicesAppendix 1: List of Missionary Nurses at North China MissionAppendix 2: List of WMS Nurses Who Resigned to be MarriedAppendix 3: Three Types of Missionary NursesAppendix 4: Missionary Nurse EducationAppendix 5: Summary of 1947 Confidential ReportNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe YWCA arrived in China as a cultural interloper in 1899. How did activist Christian Chinese women maintain their identity and social relevance through the tumultuous first half of the twentieth century? The YWCA in China explores how the Young Women's Christian Association responded to the needs of Chinese women and society both before and after the 1949 revolution ushered in a communist state. Western secretaries originally defined the Chinese YWCA movement, but successive generations of Chinese leadership localized its Western-defined organizational ethos. Over time, the Y became class conscious and progressive as Chinese women transformed it from a vehicle for moral and material uplift to an instrument for social action and an organizational citizen of China. And after 1949, national YWCA leaders supported the Maoist regime because they believed the social goals of the YWCA aligned with Mao's revolutionary aims. The YWCA in China is a fascinating investigatioTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1 Creating a YWCA Movement in China, 1899–19252 Making a Chinese Leadership, 1925–363 Seeking a Place in a Social Revolution, 1926–364 Claiming National Citizenship, 1937–485 Embracing the Maoist State, 1949–506 Cultivating a Socialist Mindset, 1951–57ConclusionGlossary; Notes; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisIt''s no secret that the evangelism methods of yesterday are not yielding the kinds of results they did in the 1970s and 1980s. So how are new Christians hearing the Gospel today? How are they finding churches? And what makes them stay at a church? The answers to these questions have the power to dramatically alter the way we do outreach. And Dr. McIntosh has them.Based on ten years of scientific research, Growing God''s Church shows pastors and church leaders how people are actually coming to faith in the 21st century. It covers factors such as our motive for ministry, the priorities churches set for themselves, the reality of churchless Christians, generational and gender-based differences in evangelism effectiveness, the name of your church, the influence of pastors, and much more. The appendix includes a copy of the survey that provides the basis for McIntosh''s arguments and an overview of the study is provided in the first chapter.

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Book SynopsisRevised edition gives readable case studies, more material on conflict resolution and specific applications on how to transform culture from the mission field.Table of ContentsPreface1. Transferring or Transforming Culture?2. A Model for Analysis of Social Order3. Property: The Silent Enemy of Church Growth4. Labor and Productivity: Divisive Values in Mission5. Generosity and Exchange: The Stone of Stumbling in Interpersonal Relationships6. Authority and Family: The Foundation of Social Order7. Authority and Community: The Context of Local Churches8. Disputes, Conflicts, and Communication: To Command or to Serve?9. Transforming Culture References Scripture Index Subject Index

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Book SynopsisOffers cutting-edge research and biblical analysis of three generations so churches can minister more effectively within and across generational lines.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction1. Boomers at Large2. Boomers in Light of the Bible3. Priorities for Ministry with Boomers4. Generation X: The Lost Middle Child5. Xers in Light of the Bible6. Priorities for Ministry with Xers7. Millennials: Apple of the Eye8. Millennials in Light of the Bible9. Priorities for Ministry with Millennials: Getting in the GameConclusionIndexes

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Book SynopsisNo matter how big an organization, we all do ministry with a team, whether paid or volunteer. Anyone who has been part of a great team knows it''s something special. When there is good chemistry, everyone is operating from their sweet spot, the objectives are clear, and kingdom progress is being made, it is incredibly fulfilling and fun.On the flip side, we''re painfully aware what happens when there is dysfunction in the team--stress, tension, politics, and posturing. It''s not much fun for anyone, and we end up squandering our divine assignment.Lance Witt, founder of Replenish ministries and a former executive and teaching pastor at Saddleback Church, knows what it takes to keep teams functioning at the highest level of impact. He shows leaders how to build next-level teams that are spiritually, emotionally, and relationally healthy and productive and high-performing. Short, to-the-point chapters make the book easy to digest and the perfect resource for you

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Book SynopsisChurches over the past generations have been weakened by a failure to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of their communities. Many have adopted a narrow vision, focusing on only one aspect of ministry. But in today''s environment of faith-based opportunities many Christians are eager to start reaching out to their world with both Good News and good works, and therefore they are searching for appropriate ways to integrate both into their ministry. In Churches That Make a Difference, best-selling author Ron Sider and his coauthors give those involved in community outreach a comprehensive resource for developing holistic ministry--a balance of evangelism and social outreach. Illustrations and helpful organizational tips detail the how-to''s of an effective holistic ministry. Case studies that show how different churches across the United States reach out to their communities provide a variety of ideas and practical applications. User-friendly tools are incl

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Book SynopsisA well-respected leader in the worlds of missiology and higher education helps readers become students of culture who can then contextualize what they learn for their own organizational settings.Table of ContentsContentsSeries PrefaceIntroduction1. Thinking Missiologically: Implications for Leadership and Organizations2. Culture and Human Nature: The Complex Unity of Human Organizations3. Caring about Members and Others as People: Notions of Self and Others4. Learning Culture Naturally: Imitation and Rituals5. Authority and Culture: Whom Do You Trust?6. Intercultural Realities: Four Worlds of Christian Organizations7. Leading in Context: Cultural Influence and Intercultural Leadership8. Responding Missionally: Learning into PracticeIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"God's Internationalists is a fascinating new narrative about American evangelicals and politics in the 20th century . . . [T]his is an important book that complicates our understanding of how evangelicals came to see social issues as a key part of their Christian witness." * Christianity Today *"[A] nuanced exploration of evangelical humanitarianism through the work of World Vision . . . Through vivid storytelling and layered contextual analysis, King presents a rich organizational history of World Vision that is nothing short of a page turner . . . God's Internationalists is essential reading for anyone interested in how large religious non-profit organizations that operate within a broader field negotiate religious identity." * Review of Religious Research *"If history is fundamentally about story, King succeeds here. Against all odds, he manages to make the history of this bureaucratic behemoth a rollicking tale of one man's strength and weakness-and an organization's fascinating response to the chastening of decolonization, Vietnam, and famine in Ethiopia . . . [T]his book succeeds because the story of World Vision matters . . . {It] may be one of the most necessary interventions in American evangelical historiography in many years." * Patheos/The Anxious Bench *"While institutional histories can take on a narrow quality, God’s Internationalists situates World Vision amid a wider cultural and religious context. King’s work convincingly depicts a brand of evangelical internationalism…King’s history provides a fruitful contribution to better understanding the internationalist dimension of twentieth century evangelicals within the United States." * Church History *"David P. King constructively upends long-standing narratives of modern evangelicalism's development in the twentieth century that tend to emphasize its politicization on American soil. Offering a refreshingly nuanced reading of World Vision, he uses the organization's history to illustrate how modern evangelicalism's work abroad unfolded independently of domestic political developments dictated by the Religious Right. Along the way, he raises intriguing and important claims about the nature of church-state relations, secularization, and religion and public life in contemporary America." * Darren Dochuk, University of Notre Dame *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. Bob Pierce Becomes Evangelicals' Global Ambassador Chapter 2. Opening Americans' Eyes to a New World Chapter 3. A Growing Organization and the Evolving Identity of American Evangelicalism Chapter 4. Between Missions and Humanitarianism in a Decade of Upheaval Chapter 5. Taking Domestic Debates of God and Country Overseas Chapter 6. World Vision Internationalizes Chapter 7. Evangelical Relief and Development Chapter 8. A Changing World Vision: A Changing Evangelicalism? Chapter 9. World Vision and the New Internationalists Epilogue Notes Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisGathering the major medieval sources for the first time, this work traces Robert of Arbrissel's multifaceted life from humble origins to dramatic death and burial. The book consists of two biographies, Robert's surviving letter, an account of Robert's preaching and two critical letters.

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Book SynopsisStemming from two conferences, held in 1994, and 1996, Prophecy and Diplomacy: The Moral Doctrine of John Paul II explores the general orientations and the specific applications of the moral teaching of Pope John Paul II.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMeredith Ray and Lynn Westwater have done an excellent job reworking Tarabotti’s labyrinthine, often page-long sentences, skillfully breaking them into readable, truly eloquent English equivalents. The notes supporting the translation are very thoroughly researched, extensive and insightful. The introduction is an indispensable guide to Tarabotti’s account of convent life. —Elissa Weaver, Professor Emerita of Italian Literature, University of Chicago"Meredith Ray and Lynn Westwater have done an excellent job reworking Tarabotti’s labyrinthine, often page-long sentences, skillfully breaking them into readable, truly eloquent English equivalents. The notes supporting the translation are very thoroughly researched, extensive and insightful. The introduction is an indispensable guide to Tarabotti’s account of convent life." -- Elissa Weaver, University of ChicagoTable of ContentsIllustrations xviiAbbreviations xixAcknowledgments xxiIntroduction 1The Other Voice 1Convent Paradise and Convent Life in Seventeenth-Century Venice 2The Convent of Sant’Anna 9The Contours of Monastic Life 16Composing from the Convent 31Tarabotti’s Literary Works 31Publishing Convent Paradise: Context and Paratext 34Reading Convent Paradise 44In Dialogue with Saint Augustine 44Style and Rhetoric in Convent Paradise 47Sources for Convent Paradise 50Reception and Afterlife 52Editors’ Note 60Convent Paradise 65Paratext: Dedication, Letters, and Poems 67Soliloquy to God 81Arcangela Tarabotti to the Reader 111Book One 115Book Two 163Book Three 201“The Archangel: Idyll” and Other Poems 245Bibliography 259Index 277

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Book SynopsisDenominations, although often maligned, are important for the continued health and vitality of the church. Contributors from a variety of evangelical traditions share their personal stories for the sake of unity across denominational lines.

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Book SynopsisPart of the 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guide series, this study examines key biblical images of the church to help participants discover what the church should look like and how it should operate.

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Book SynopsisPart of the 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guide series, this study examines key New Testament texts on church discipline and explains how to practice it in love.

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Book SynopsisPastor Rob Bentz helps individuals and small groups grasp the importance of the local church for the Christian life through engaging anecdotes, powerful reflections on Scripture, and instructive lessons from church history.

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Book Synopsis While female religious have grown to possess a sense of personal authority in issues impacting the laity, and have come to engage in social-issue-oriented activities, religious institutions have traditionally viewed men as the decision-makers. One Faith, Two Authorities examines the tensions of policy and authority within the gendered nature of the Catholic Church. Jeanine Kraybilllooks at the influence of Catholic elites—specifically within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious—and their opinions on public policy and relevant gender dynamics with regard to healthcare, homosexuality, immigration, and other issues. She considers the female religious’ inclusive positions as well as their opposition to ACA for bills that would be rooted in institutional positions on procreation, contraception, or abortion. Kraybill also systematically examines the claims of the 2012 Doctrinal Assessment agains

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Book Synopsis While female religious have grown to possess a sense of personal authority in issues impacting the laity, and have come to engage in social-issue-oriented activities, religious institutions have traditionally viewed men as the decision-makers. One Faith, Two Authorities examines the tensions of policy and authority within the gendered nature of the Catholic Church. Jeanine Kraybilllooks at the influence of Catholic elites—specifically within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious—and their opinions on public policy and relevant gender dynamics with regard to healthcare, homosexuality, immigration, and other issues. She considers the female religious’ inclusive positions as well as their opposition to ACA for bills that would be rooted in institutional positions on procreation, contraception, or abortion. Kraybill also systematically examines the claims of the 2012 Doctrinal Assessment agains

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Book SynopsisExplores the power of faith to drive resistance to anti-immigration policies in the United StatesGod's Resistance chronicles the work of faith-based activists who have mobilized to counter the effectsof mass detention and deportation. Focusing on Southern California, home to a large undocumentedpopulation, the authors examine which strategies have been most effective, as well as the obstacles that faith presents to organizing effectively. In-depth interviews with over forty activists, leaders ofcongregations, lay participants, and immigrants allow us to hear at first hand the challenges andoccasional triumphs of this work.The authors show how faith-based organizations have a distinctive set of advantages to leverage insocial movements that are often overlooked and underappreciated by secular activist organizations, but they also face particular challenges that can hinder their effectiveness. The volume offers insights into how these advantagTrade Review"The combination of deep-insider knowledge and involvement with several groups across many years allows for the telling of a different story about religion and immigration than those that focus on religious opposition to immigrant support.… Goes a long way toward developing a deeper understanding of the potential that faith-based social movements possess to create positive social change, and exactly what that change could entail." -- Richard Flory, Executive Director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California"Illustrates the critical roles faith-leaders and laity play in educating and mobilizing a formidable corps of spiritual and moral advocates. This tome will go a long way in unearthing hidden stories of prophetic advocacy and public solidarity. This story and many others need to be heard. A must read!" -- Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, President and Founder, National Latino Evangelical Coalition"A visionary guide for how to fight for an immigration system that sees no stranger. Brilliant, heart-led, indispensable." -- Valarie Kaur, Founder of the Revolutionary Love Project

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Book SynopsisExplores the power of faith to drive resistance to anti-immigration policies in the United StatesGod's Resistance chronicles the work of faith-based activists who have mobilized to counter the effectsof mass detention and deportation. Focusing on Southern California, home to a large undocumentedpopulation, the authors examine which strategies have been most effective, as well as the obstacles that faith presents to organizing effectively. In-depth interviews with over forty activists, leaders ofcongregations, lay participants, and immigrants allow us to hear at first hand the challenges andoccasional triumphs of this work. The authors show how faith-based organizations have a distinctive set of advantages to leverage insocial movements that are often overlooked and underappreciated by secular activist organizations, but they also face particular challenges that can hinder their effectiveness. The volume offers insights into how these advantages can be maximized, and how the obstaclesTrade ReviewThe combination of deep-insider knowledge and involvement with several groups across many years allows for the telling of a different story about religion and immigration than those that focus on religious opposition to immigrant support.… Goes a long way toward developing a deeper understanding of the potential that faith-based social movements possess to create positive social change, and exactly what that change could entail. -- Richard Flory, Executive Director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern CaliforniaIllustrates the critical roles faith-leaders and laity play in educating and mobilizing a formidable corps of spiritual and moral advocates. This tome will go a long way in unearthing hidden stories of prophetic advocacy and public solidarity. This story and many others need to be heard. A must read! -- Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, President and Founder, National Latino Evangelical CoalitionA visionary guide for how to fight for an immigration system that sees no stranger. Brilliant, heart-led, indispensable. -- Valarie Kaur, Founder of the Revolutionary Love Project

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Book SynopsisExplores how Muslim Americans test the boundaries of American pluralismIn 2004, the al-Islah Islamic Center in Hamtramck, Michigan, set off a contentious controversy when it requested permission to use loudspeakers to broadcast the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer. The issue gained international notoriety when media outlets from around the world flocked to the city to report on what had become a civil battle between religious tolerance and Islamophobic sentiment. The Hamtramck council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan, making it one of the few US cities to officially permit it through specific legislation. Muslim American City explores how debates over Muslim Americans' use of both public and political space have challenged and ultimately reshaped the boundaries of urban belonging. Drawing on more than ten years of ethnographic research in Hamtramck, which boasts one of the largest concentrations of Muslim residents of any American city, Alisa Perkins shows hoTrade ReviewPerkins lays out the demographic history of the city and delves into gender among American Muslims generally before exploring aspects of Bangladeshi and Yemeni women in Hamtramck. Finally, she wades into municipal issues affecting Muslims, specifically controversies over the broadcast of the call to prayer and LGBTQ rights. The topical coverage of this work is unique. * CHOICE *Muslim American City tells a complicated but important story of the expression of minority religious and civic identity in a US city. The book makes significant interventions in ongoing conversations about gender, sexuality, and Islam and the politics of religious freedom in the United States. * Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses *Meticulously researched and written ... Written for a broad audience, Muslim American City is particularly suitable for those interested in questions of liberalism and religious pluralism in the United States. * Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations *A timely book that answers questions in many important arenas ranging from pluralism and boundary work, to racialization and gender identity... Perkins shows those interested in the sociology of religion a new frontier, one in which we may consider the broader implications of our work in the context of the urban environment. * Sociology of Religion *This theoretically strong volume offers a multifaceted look at how Muslims have made an ideological and political place for themselves in Hamtramck, a small town in the Detroit metro area ... Combining sophisticated theory with solid ethnography, the result is a monograph that reveals the limitations of the standard frameworks that Americans use to understand and navigate racial, religious, and ethnic difference. * Religion *Being mindful of the fluid nature of ethnic identity, Muslim American City portrays different aspects of Muslims’ social lives in the Detroit metropolitan area, providing examples of how multicultural communities can provide opportunities for inclusion in a secular society. The reality that people from different cultures and with distinct values can and do expand their boundaries and fruitfully engage in everyday social exchanges across ethnic boundaries. -- Mehri ‘Mehrsa’ Mohebbi, University of Florida * Journal of Urban Affairs *

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Book SynopsisA remarkable history of the powerful and influential social gospel movement. The global crises of child labor, alcoholism and poverty were all brought to our attention through the social gospel movement. Its impact on American society makes it one of the most influential developments in American religious history. Christopher H. Evans traces the development of the social gospel in American Protestantism, and illustrates how the religious idealism of the movement also rose up within Judaism and Catholicism. Contrary to the works of previous historians, Evans demonstrates how the presence of the social gospel continued in American culture long after its alleged demise following World War I. Evans reveals the many aspects of the social gospel and their influence on a range of social movements during the twentieth century, culminating with the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. It also explores the relationship between the liberal social gospel of the early twentieth century andTrade Review"Evans has made an important contribution both in his excellent explanation of the origins and nature of the social gospel and his strong case for seeing its influence extending well into the twentieth century. In doing so, Evans writes primarily about individual social gospel figures, many of them well-known, others not as prominent, including women and African American ministers or reformers. His brief discussions of these figures are the heart and the strength of the book." -- Church History and Religious Culture"Christopher Evans has broken the Social Gospel out of the theological and ecclesial boxes that have been used to contain and domesticate its message. In The Social Gospel in American Religion readers will appreciate the true scope of the Social Gospel witness for over the last century and recognize its prophetic relevance and urgent resonance for today's broken world in need of Good News." -- Rev. Paul Raushenbush,Senior Vice-President for Public Engagement, Auburn Seminary"Christopher Evans has done it again. In this finely-crafted study one of the foremost scholars of the American Social Gospel weaves a story that is at once breathtaking in scope and full of subtle analysis. Anyone interested in the vital intersection of religion and reform in modern United States history will want to read this book." -- Heath W. Carter,author of Union Made: Working People and the Rise of Social Christianity in Chicago"Evans provides a new and much needed history of one of Americas most important religious movements. With seeds planted during the Second Great Awakening, the fruits of the Social Gospel extend to the end of the 20th century, and, in ironic ways, even into our own time. Evans tells the story of a long Social Gospelfrom before the Civil War to after Civil Rights to Barack Obama. This book should become, in short order, the standard history of the Social Gospel." -- Barry Hankins,Professor of History, Baylor University"Few subjects in American religious history invite interdisciplinary inquiries and readerships as much as does the Social Gospel. In the formal sense, it could be confined to a narrative of liberal American Protestantism c. 19001920. But, in the telling of Evans, its story begins a century earlier and, associated with new names, continues its reach into the present. Readers who have interests in the ethics of social reform, liberal theology and its opposition, African-American and feminist studies, rhetorical analyses of popular preaching, straight-out sociology, and the larger American historical contexts of movements and emphases like the Social Gospel will find reason to read this book with care." -- Martin E. Marty * Journal of Interdisciplinary History *"In recounting the social gospels full story, Evans fights off caricatures of the movement from the neo-orthodox left and defends the social gospel against appropriations by the religious right. The end result is a well-written and insightful addition to the intellectual history of social Christianity in America." -- Mark T. Edwards,Fides et Historia

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Book SynopsisExplores how Muslim Americans test the boundaries of American pluralismIn 2004, the al-Islah Islamic Center in Hamtramck, Michigan, set off a contentious controversy when it requested permission to use loudspeakers to broadcast the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer. The issue gained international notoriety when media outlets from around the world flocked to the city to report on what had become a civil battle between religious tolerance and Islamophobic sentiment. The Hamtramck council voted unanimously to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan, making it one of the few US cities to officially permit it through specific legislation. Muslim American City explores how debates over Muslim Americans' use of both public and political space have challenged and ultimately reshaped the boundaries of urban belonging. Drawing on more than ten years of ethnographic research in Hamtramck, which boasts one of the largest concentrations of Muslim residents of any American city, Alisa Perkins shows hoTrade Review"Perkins lays out the demographic history of the city and delves into gender among American Muslims generally before exploring aspects of Bangladeshi and Yemeni women in Hamtramck. Finally, she wades into municipal issues affecting Muslims, specifically controversies over the broadcast of the call to prayer and LGBTQ rights. The topical coverage of this work is unique." * CHOICE *"Muslim American City tells a complicated but important story of the expression of minority religious and civic identity in a US city. The book makes significant interventions in ongoing conversations about gender, sexuality, and Islam and the politics of religious freedom in the United States." * Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses *"Meticulously researched and written ... Written for a broad audience, Muslim American City is particularly suitable for those interested in questions of liberalism and religious pluralism in the United States." * Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations *"A timely book that answers questions in many important arenas ranging from pluralism and boundary work, to racialization and gender identity... Perkins shows those interested in the sociology of religion a new frontier, one in which we may consider the broader implications of our work in the context of the urban environment." * Sociology of Religion *"This theoretically strong volume offers a multifaceted look at how Muslims have made an ideological and political place for themselves in Hamtramck, a small town in the Detroit metro area ... Combining sophisticated theory with solid ethnography, the result is a monograph that reveals the limitations of the standard frameworks that Americans use to understand and navigate racial, religious, and ethnic difference." * Religion *"Being mindful of the fluid nature of ethnic identity, Muslim American City portrays different aspects of Muslims’ social lives in the Detroit metropolitan area, providing examples of how multicultural communities can provide opportunities for inclusion in a secular society. The reality that people from different cultures and with distinct values can and do expand their boundaries and fruitfully engage in everyday social exchanges across ethnic boundaries." -- Mehri ‘Mehrsa’ Mohebbi, University of Florida * Journal of Urban Affairs *

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Book SynopsisHonorable Mention, Theology and Religious Studies PROSE Award A powerful insight into the historical and cultural roles of the Black churchIf we are in a post-racial era, then what is the future of the Black Church? If the US will at some time in the future be free from discrimination and prejudices that are based on race how will that affect the church's very identity?In The Ground Has Shifted, Walter Earl Fluker passionately and thoroughly discusses the historical and current role of the Black church and argues that the older race-based language and metaphors of religious discourse have outlived their utility. He offers instead a larger, global vision for the Black church that focuses on young Black men and other disenfranchised groups who have been left behind in a world of globalized capital. Lyrically written with an emphasis on the dynamic and fluid movement of life itself, Fluker argues that the church must find new ways to use race as an emancipatory instrument if it is to reTrade ReviewFluker has a fresh approach to deal with the subject and provides new insights on the subject. It is meticulously researched and well-referenced. Walter Earl Fluker's scholarship is unmatchable. * The Washington Book Review *An exuberant, thought-provoking assessment of the dilemmas facing black churches. [A] passionate analysis and call for change. * STARRED Publishers Weekly *An important and perceptive contribution to the literature on religion and race. * Choice *Flukers book is thoroughly interesting as he studies the history and present of the black church Fluker brings us a work for todays church and a charge to connect that church to the world house. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *[T]imely and fascinating...The Ground Has Shifteddoes a masterful job of blending black religious thought, literature, critical theory, memoir, and personal experience. * Religion Dispatches *An excellent conversation starter to inspire holistic freedom for all people. -- The Journal of African American HistoryThe Ground Has Shifted analyses the ramifications of post-racialism in the black church and emphasizes the various ways that religious leaders and scholars can engage and re-evaluate critical questions; thus, coming up with clear and concise solutions towards historical problems of race, and sexualized and gendered politics of the church … The author paves a way for a new generation of church leaders, scholars, and activists for them to reclaim the black church’s historical identity of being the pivotal force within the community, while also instilling character, civility, and a sense of community among its congregants once again. -- Black TheologyThe Ground Has Shifted addresses questions being posed by a historical Black Church caught between its piety, the politics of respectability, and a cataclysmic shifting of the taken-for-granted realities of a besieged/blessed people. I will buy and teach this book as often as I can. What an amazing contribution to the literature. -- Barbara A. Holmes,President Emerita of United Theological Seminary of the Twin CitiesThis is the most decisive statement on post-racialism, the American dilemma, and black church positive agency. On each page, Fluker's writing moans and wails us out of southern African American religiosity, up north into the fragmentation of black urban life, and into an ethical world of hope for an America becoming. A defining direction and persuasive proposal on how to get us to healthy community. -- Dwight N. Hopkins,author of Being Human: Race, Culture, and ReligionWalter Fluker is the towering theorist of the Black Church and the unapologetic lover of the black prophetic tradition. This powerful and timely book is sophisticated, subtle, and rich. And it soars with a deep, long memory alive in the present a present that reeks of a 'cultural asylum' that he notes the Black Lives Movement is shattering! -- Dr. Cornel WestFlukers judicious use of personal reflection provides an exciting affirmation that our black lives and our black churches really do matter as important standpoints for engaging spirituality, renewing the national imaginary, and enhancing the human condition. -- Cheryl Townsend Gilkes,Colby CollegeThe Ground Has Shifted puts forward a passionate challenge to the Black Church and all those who profess to stand in the prophetic Black Church tradition. It is a powerful and provocative treatment of the role and place of this venerable institution and the Gospel that gives it life. But more than that, the book offers a blueprint for a way forwarda pathway that involves "reclaiming [our] humanity through the integrity of the act"; to find beauty and grace in the dark places of what it means to live in this world without the burdens of ghosts. Beautiful written; passionately argued. A must read! -- Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.,author of Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American SoulThis is a very important work that challenges all who read it to continue to search for answers to the growing crisis of faith in the black community, answers that will provide a viable way forward for black Christians and their churches in the challenging years ahead. * The Journal of Religion *

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Book SynopsisFollowing Sherwood Lingenfelter's successful books on ministering, teaching, and leading cross-culturally (with combined sales of over 200,000 copies), Teamwork Cross-Culturally casts a vision for how teams made up of diverse peoples can serve in unity as the body of Christ despite the complicated problems that arise. The book equips leaders to respond to divisive issues so that multinational mission teams can do the work of ministry in ways that honor God. Real-life examples of teamwork challenges from around the world demonstrate that "in Christ" responses are achievable.Table of ContentsContents1. What Are Wicked Problems and In-Christ Solutions? Sherwood G. Lingenfelter and Julie A. GreenPart 1: Biblical Foundations for In-Christ Responses2. Paul's Wicked Problem and In-Christ Defense Sherwood G. Lingenfelter3. Biblical Essentials for Teamwork in Christ Sherwood G. LingenfelterPart 2: "In the World" Deceptions and Disagreements4. Uncertainty about Power and Authority Julie A. Green5. The Deception of Elegant Solutions Julie A. Green6. The Deception of Investment Returns Sherwood G. Lingenfelter7. Can You Disagree? Can You Work Together? Sherwood G. Lingenfelter8. Tensions between Personal Identity and Role Sherwood G. Lingenfelter9. Balancing Convictions, Rights, and Loving Others in Christ Sherwood G. LingenfelterPart 3: Five Leaders, Four Journeys, Four Metaphors of Leadership for "Mission with" in Christ10. Enabling In-Christ Participation Penny Bakewell11. Equipping Multinational Ministry Teams Robert and Elizabeth McLean12. Unequal Partners, Clumsy Compromise Matthew E. Crosland13. Koinonia Teamwork in Central Africa Martins AtandaPart 4: Leadership Challenge, Steadfast Hope14. The Leadership Challenge of Wicked Problems Sherwood G. Lingenfelter15. "Mission With"--Steadfast Hope Sherwood G. LingenfelterIndex

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Book SynopsisThe first document enacted by the Second Vatican Council was its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, and the liturgical reform mandated by that document has probably had a greater impact on the average Catholic than any other action of the Council. That this liturgical reform has not in every respect been the unalloyed success hoped for by the Council Fathers, however, has only been grudgingly recognized. The liturgists and other Church officials responsible for implementing the reforms have had a vested interest in claiming success, even where there was evidence to the contrary. Nevertheless, the many and sometimes abrupt liturgical changes made were bound to affect long-established modes of worship and devotion – not to speak of the drastic move from Latin to the vernacular which came shortly after the Council, and which necessarily entailed radical change in the Church’s worship. In July 2007, Pope Benedict XVI signaled that the liturgical question needed to be revisited when he issued a motu proprio that allowed, some forty-plus years after the end of the Council, a wider celebration of the unreformed pre-Vatican-II Mass in Latin as an “extraordinary” form of the Roman rite. While the pope’s motu proprio was not a repudiation or cancellation of the Vatican II liturgical reforms — as some liturgists feared (and some traditionalists hoped) – it did indicate a sane and sensible papal recognition that liturgy must be developed organically, not “manufactured” by a “committee.” Above all, the pope recognized that the question of the liturgy must be approached realistically in the light of how the reforms have actually worked out, not of how some have imagined that they might or should have worked out. This book by Kenneth D. Whitehead, who has written extensively both on Vatican II and on the liturgy, explains Pope Benedict’s action in its proper context and describes the reactions to it, while making special reference to some of the pontiff’s own extensive previous writings on the liturgy. The author then doubles back to evaluate the Vatican II liturgical reforms generally – how and why they were enacted, what has actually come about as a result of them, and how and why a “reform of the reform” is now called for.

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Book SynopsisTrue productivity is more than just getting things done. True productivity is less about getting things done; it is more concerned with stewarding priorities, time, and resources wisely and faithfully in a way that honors God. In Every Day Matters Brandon Crowe provides an accessible and biblical understanding of productivity filled with practical guidance and examples. Crowe draws insights from wisdom literature and the life and teaching of the Apostle Paul to reclaim a biblical perspective on productivity. He shows the implications for matters such as setting priorities and goals, achieving rhythms of work and rest, caring for family, maintaining spiritual disciplines, sustaining energy, and engaging wisely with social media and entertainment.

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Book SynopsisWhat can the Church learn from the business world? You're a leader of a ministry, nonprofit, or church. You trained to be a faithful counselor, preacher, interpreter of God's Word—so why do you find yourself spending so much energy on administration tasks that threaten to drain your time, energy, and joy? Look to this book for the coaching you needed, yesterday. Written from years of ministry and business experience, Business for Ministry is built on a solid foundation of business principles but—unlike many business books—in a straightforward style that anyone can grasp. You'll learn how to: Communicate vision and strategize with a team Steward resources well (yes, including budgeting) Prioritize goals, wisely make decisions, and evaluate outcomes based on vision and data Leverage the existing talents of men and women at your church, many of whom don't fit in "traditional" ministry roles This field guide to building a holistic, sustainable system for your church will both help you address the business needs of your church and free your leaders to serve, fully and joyfully.

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Book SynopsisMy Basilian Priesthood is a memoir of Michael Quealey's six years in the order in the 1960s. During his priesthood, Quealey was director of the Newman Centre at the University of Toronto and engaged in reforming the mass and in other theological matters. The 1960s was a time of questioning traditions, including the role of Biblical criticism, the nature of liturgy, the place of women in the Church and in society, and the power of community living and decision-making. Quealey was deeply involved in all these matters, and sought to fulfill his commitment to service and balance that with his faith and vows of obedience to the institution of the Church. Written decades after the events he describes, the book is his reflection on the excitement of the times and the tensions created when tradition encountered new ideas and new forms of communal living. Here's a story that blends Toronto history with Catholic Church history and an inside look at 1960s counterculture.

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Book SynopsisThere is an urgent need for more debate and discussion in our churches because the integrity and credibility of our faith is at risk. Our integrity is at risk because it is not clear that we understand what it is that we profess. Our credibility is at risk because we seem unable to communicate it. We need to engage more actively at the intellectual level and to be willing to examine the fundamentals of our faith more critically. And such discussion must start with a human rather than a divine perspective. It is as human beings that we are embodied as persons, it is as human beings that we engage with the world around us, and it is as human beings that we form relationships with the rest of the created order. And it is as a human being that that which we understand as God was embodied in the form of Jesus of Nazareth, thereby placing humanity at the pinnacle of creation and giving humanity the responsibility for the stewardship of the created order.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive account of the abbey of Evesham and its surroundings, demonstrating its full significance in the wider history of the time. Provides a fine contribution to the rich history of the region, showing Evesham's place in the life of the medieval kingdom of England. Professor Ann Williams. In c.701, a minster was founded in the lower Avon Valleyon a deserted promontory called Evesham. Over the next five hundred years it became a Benedictine abbey and turned the Vale of Evesham into a federation of Christian communities. A landscape of scattered farms grew into one of open fields and villages, manor houses and chapels. Evesham itself developed into a town, and the abbots played a role in the affairs of the kingdom. But individual contemplation and prayer within the abbey were compromised by its corporate aspirations. As Evesham abbey waxed ever grander, exerting a national influence, it became a ready patron of the arts but had less time for private spirituality. The story ends badly in the prolonged scandal of Abbot Norreis, a libertine whose appetites caused religion to collapse at Evesham before his own sudden downfall. This book integrates the evidence of archaeology, maps, and documents in a continuous narrative that pays as much attention to religious and cultural life as to institutional and economic matters. It provides a complete survey over one of the most important and wealthy Benedictine abbeys and its landscape, a stage on which was enacted the tense interplay of lordship and prayer. Dr David Cox, FSA, was until his retirement county editor of the Victoria History of Shropshire and lecturer at Keele University.Trade ReviewThis enjoyable study gives us not only an authoritative and most informative history of Evesham Abbey to 1215 but also a valuable overview of the medieval origins of the landscape of the borough of Evesham and the surrounding Vale. * EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE *Provides students, academics and general readers with an accessible, interesting and scholarly account of Evesham Abbey. * HISTORY *A valuable addition to Studies in the History of Medieval Religion published by Boydell Press, Cox skillfully blends chronology with a thematic approach in his book . interesting and scholarly . People interested in medieval or monastic history will appreciate this book. * AMERICAN BENEDICTINE REVIEW *An interesting and scholarly book which chronicles the humble beginnings of a monastery which interacted with and influenced the social and economic life of the local area . People interested in medieval or monastic history will appreciate this book. * SIXTEENTH CENTURY JOURNAL *This is a thorough historical study of one of the most important medieval abbeys in the West Midlands, usefully set against the region's political history. * LANDSCAPE HISTORY *Essential reading for all interested in the history of Evesham and of religion in the diocese of Worcester. * WORCESTERSHIRE RECORDER *Table of ContentsPreface Æthelred and Ecgwine A land of promise A waiting people Ecgwine and the first abbots Decay and revival On the defensive Abbot Ælfweard and King Cnut Abbot Manni, the town, and the Vale Abbot Æthelwig A new regime God's work The estates under threat Protecting the future Interested parties Order and governance Economic realities Investment Worship Learning and writing Religious buildings Collapse and renewal Afterword Appendix Select bibliography

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Book SynopsisExpanding Scriptures: Lost and Found is the second book in the Wisdom Series. Don MacGregor considers what could be added to the Bible from rediscoveries of recent years, supports a new role for Mary Magdalene and looks at how it can all be reframed within the Perennial Wisdom teachings.

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