Religious institutions and organizations Books

Book SynopsisThe world needs godly, trained leaders just as much as the church does. Taking the examples of Jesus and Paul, Reeder presents a model of multiplication that intentionally and continuously raises up other leaders. With its three–pronged approach to leadership development, this book guides readers through a time–tested paradigm that works in real life and is fully grounded in Scripture. The principles, personal illustrations, and practical ideas it contains will effectively equip leaders and the church for their task of transforming first the body of Christ and then our culture.Trade ReviewReeder is disturbed that churches have entrusted the world with defining what it means to be a leader. He tries to take that job back—and with it, he gives us help in knowing how we can develop and deploy those leaders in the church and beyond. -- Mark Dever (Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church and President, 9Marks.org, Washington, DC)Harry Reeder’s gifts of communication and leadership are legendary. This book is not only a source of spiritual wisdom but a manual on the practical application of the principles of Biblical leadership. -- Peter Lillback (President, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania )With compelling examples and practical suggestions, this book will challenge you to be a leader and to develop other leaders, and it will help you do both. -- Robert C. Cannada (Chancellor Emeritus, Reformed Theological Seminary)Reeder’s urgent call to develop Biblical leaders who are courageous, compassionate, and selfless is a battle cry to rescue our nation, our culture, and our churches from the suffocation of self–gratification. -- Bryan Chapell (Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, Peoria, Illinois )Drawing on a deep understanding of Scripture, a lifetime of ministry in the church, and a practical knowledge of military history, Reeder lays out clear Biblical principles for success in spiritual leadership. -- Philip G. Ryken (President, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois)

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Book SynopsisA selection of documents, translated primarily from medieval Latin but occasionally from Old French, that shows how religious women and their patrons managed resources to make monastic communities - particularly a variety of Cistercian communities - work. The records help us reconstruct how nuns and abbesses of Cistercian communities in the thirteenth century organized and kept records, managed their properties, responded to attempts at usurpation, and balanced their lives between devotional practices, which were part of their cloistered world, and family and social responsibilities beyond the convent walls.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part I: Charters for Houses Clearly Those of Cistercian Nuns Foundation Charters Reconstructing the Origins of Rifreddo The Urban Scene: Cistercian Nuns at Saint-Antoine-des-Champs near Paris A Foundation in Fulfillment of a Crusader Vow: Port-Royal Queen Blanche of Castille, and Her Cousin, Isabelle of Chartres Part II: More Problematic Examples Coyroux/Obazine: Double-House or Family Monastery? Le Tart and Jully Part III: Statistical Sources Part IV: Narrative and Normative Sources Glossary Further Suggestions for Reading

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Book SynopsisKarl Rahner, S.J. (1904–1984) ranks among the most influential theologians of our time. His contributions to the Second Vatican Council (1963–1965) shaped to a large degree the doctrinal formulations on the church, the sacraments, and the role of the laity. And his efforts at reconciling the scholastic method with an existential and anthropological understanding of humanity’s relationship with God earned him the reputation of having opened doors for ecumenical dialogue and to those outside the church. Less well known is that toward the end of his life, Rahner had slipped into the role of Ignatius of Loyola in an essay titled “Speech of Ignatius of Loyola to a Modern-Day Jesuit.” In doing so, Rahner proved not only that he could readily identify with the spirit of the sixteenth-century reformer and founder of the Society of Jesus, but he also offered a summary of his own theological thought. In fact, Rahner had called the Ignatius speech “a sort of last will and testament” and “a resumé of my theology, in general, and of how I tried to live.” This is the first English translation of Rahner’s Ignatius speech in more than thirty years and the first time for it to appear as a single volume with annotations. Readers are being offered here a fresh lens through which to reappraise Rahner’s writings and a contemporary interpretation of the teachings and mysticism of Ignatius of Loyola.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Glenn R. Mosley chronicles the history of the movement, including biographical sketches and the philosophies of pioneers and influential leaders linked to the movement's development and growth. These include Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, the founders of Unity; Ernest Holmes, founder of the Science of Mind; Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Church of Christ Science; Ralph Waldo Trine, philosopher, mystic, teacher, and early mentor of New Thought; Joel Goldsmith, founder of The Infinite Way, among others.

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Book Synopsis What is the state of Christianity in China? Some scholars say that China is invulnerable to religion. In contrast, others say that past efforts of missionaries have failed, writing off those converted as nothing more than “rice Christians” or cynical souls who had frequented the missions for the benefits they provided. Some wonder if the Cultural Revolution extinguished any chances of Christianity in China. Rodney Stark and Xiuhua Wang offer a different perspective, arguing that Christianity is alive, well, and on the rise. Stark approaches the topic from an extensive research background in Christianity and Chinese history, and Wang provides an inside look at Christianity and its place in her home country of China. Both authors cover the history of religion in China, disproving older theories concerning the number of Christians and the kinds of Christians that have emerged in the past 155 years. Stark and Wang claim that when just considering the visible Christians—those not part of underground churches—thousands of Chinese are still converted to Christianity daily, and forty new churches are opening each week. A Star in the East draws on two major national surveys to sketch a close-up of religion in China. A reliable estimate is that by 2007 there were approximately 60 million Christians in China. If the current growth rate were to hold until 2030, there would be more Christians in China—about 295 million—than in any other nation. This trend has significant implications, not just for China but for the greater world order. It is probable that Chinese Christianity will splinter into denominations, likely leading to the same political, social, and economic ramifications seen in the West today. Whether you’re new to studying Christianity in China or whether this has been your area of interest for years, A Star in the East provides a reliable, thought-provoking, and engaging account of the resilience of the Christian faith in China and the implications it has for the future. Trade Review“Sociologist Rodney Stark has done it again. Readers who enjoyed his earlier works on the Crusades, the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, and Christianity’s role in ending slavery will be grateful that he has now applied his brilliance to China.” — David Aikman, author of Jesus in Beijing and other books, and former China correspondent for TIME magazine “This is a concise, well-written, and stimulating account of the growth and prospects of Christianity in the world’s largest socialist society. Rodney Stark, a leading theorist in the sociology of religion, well-known for his explanations of the rise of Christianity in the Mediterranean world, collaborates with a young scholar from mainland China to describe and explain the extraordinary recent growth of Christianity in China. Highly recommended.” — Graeme Lang, retired professor of sociology (2014), and founder of Asian and International Studies, City University of Hong Kong “In this brief, very readable account of Christianity in China, authors Stark and Wang argue that cultural incongruity is what has made an opening in Chinese hearts and minds for the Christian faith, while familial and social networking account for the robust patterns of conversion. And contrary to theories that reduce religion to consolation for the poor and marginal, Stark and Wang find that Chinese Christianity is more favored by the affluent and well-educated. This book is a valuable addition to the growing effort to understand Christianity’s rise in China.” — Joel Carpenter, Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, Calvin College “Books on contemporary China have proliferated in recent years, and plenty of them address the remarkable growth of Christianity. What makes A Star in the East wholly distinctive though— and so very valuable—is its reliance on credible and strictly current quantitative evidence. The book thus provides an essential foundation for any future discussion of the religious scene in contemporary China.” — Philip Jenkins, Baylor UniversityTable of ContentsPreface / ix Chapter 1: The New Religious Awakening in China / 1 Chapter 2: Christian Missions to China: 1860–1950 / 13 Chapter 3: Repression and Christian Resistance / 43 Chapter 4: Converting the Educated / 75 Chapter 5: Converting Rural China / 91 Chapter 6: Future Prospects and Consequences / 113 Notes / 127 Bibliography / 131 Index / 141

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Book SynopsisWhy are young people dropping out of religious institutions? Can anything be done to reverse the trend? In Got Religion?, Naomi Schaefer Riley examines the reasons for the defection, why we should care, and how some communities are successfully addressing the problem. The traditional markers of growing up are getting married and becoming financially independent. But young adults are delaying these milestones, sometimes for a full decade longer than their parents and grandparents. This new phase of “emerging adulthood” is diminishing the involvement of young people in religious institutions, sapping the strength and vitality of faith communities, and creating a more barren religious landscape for the young adults who do eventually decide to return to it. Yet, clearly there are some churches, synagogues, and mosques that are making strides in bringing young people back to religion.Got Religion? offers in-depth, on-the-ground reporting about the most successful of these institutions and shows how many of the structural solutions for one religious group can be adapted to work for another. The faith communities young people attach themselves to are not necessarily the biggest or the most flashy. They are not the wealthiest or the ones employing the latest technology. Rather, they are the ones that create stability for young people, that give them real responsibility in a community and that help them form the habits of believers that will last a lifetime.Trade Review“Naomi Schaefer Riley is an astute cultural observer and critic, and a very good interpreter of the larger meanings and implications of social science research. For those concerned about the religious live of emerging adults, Got Religion? will be essential reading.” —Christian Smith, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Sociology and principle investigator, National Study of Youth and Religion “In researching and writing Got Religion? Naomi Schaefer Riley has accomplished a difficult task. She has managed to make fairly dense millennial generation demographic material both interesting and understandable. She has also connected the dots in illustrating how such material is relevant and instructive to those who seek to ‘bring young people back’ to their various faith traditions.” —Dr. Richard Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary“The precipitous drop in religious affiliation among young people in the United States has been covered to the point of exhaustion—often generating more heat than light. In Got Religion? Naomi Schaefer Riley weaves together a compelling counter narrative that focuses on the best examples of how various communities—Judaism, Catholicism, non-denominational Christianity and Islam—are successfully engaging young people. It is a study in American ingenuity, insight and reinvention as it applies to faith communities and it should be read by anyone in the field who believes that studying what works is the best way to fix what's wrong.” —Bill McGarvey, author of The Freshman Survival Guide “Got Religion? offers two reassuring messages to those worried that the under-thirty generation is running away from religion. First, it shows that the problem is not confined to particular faiths. Mormons and Muslims turn out to be as concerned as Catholics, Protestants and Jews. Second, it demonstrates that creative programs can succeed in luring young people back to religion. There is reason for hope. Chocked full of ideas and insights, this is a book that anyone interested in ‘youth engagement’ should read.” —Jonathan D. Sarna, president, Association for Jewish Studies; the Joseph Engel Visiting Professor of American Jewish Studies, Harvard University; the Joseph H. Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History; and chair, Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program, Brandeis University“No one writes about the religious experiences, beliefs, and practices of contemporary Americans more astutely or with great insight than Riley. In Got Religion? she explores the factors that tend to draw young adults into, or alienate them from, communities of faith. This is far from an exercise in merely academic sociology of religion. It contains valuable lessons for faith communities and their leaders—from Catholics and Jews to Mormons and Muslims—about what they can do to give young people, including young couples with children, stability and responsibility, helping them to deepen their spiritual lives and form habits that will serve them well in every dimension of their lives.” —Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University “If you want a book with pat answers to the "problem" of millennials and organized religion, you've come to the wrong place. If, however, you want to consider the many ways that adults in their 20s and 30s engage with religion, God, and peoplehood, if you want a book that holds just as many questions as it does answers, then pull out your highlighter and get comfortable. Riley takes us on a fascinating journey that traverses religious, geographical, racial, and cultural boundaries. Learn from those who may share a different understanding of God but a similar drive to create a meaningful life. I know I did.” —Rabbi Shira Stutman, director of Jewish programming at Sixth I “Naomi Schaeffer Riley is one of the keenest analysts of American religious life today. In this book, she takes up a question that every religious community is asking. Not everyone will agree with everything in this book, but everyone who cares about American religious life will find a provocative and fruitful catalyst for conversation and action.” —Russell D. Moore, president, Southern Baptist Ethics Religious Liberty CommissionTable of ContentsPreface / vii Introduction / 1 Location, Location, Location:How the Theology of Place Is Plugging Young Adults back into Their Communities and Their Churches / 17 The All-American Mosque:How Shedding Immigrant Ways Can Reshape Islam in the United States / 35 Joining the Service:How the Catholic Church Is Training a New Generation of Laypeople to Be Spiritual Leaders / 55 What’s NEXT?Channeling the Enthusiasm of Birthright Israel into a Permanent Jewish Commitment / 73 A Ward of Their Own:How the Mormon Church Is Turning Twenty-Somethings into Community Leaders / 91 When No One Needs Church Anymore, How Do You Make Them Want It?The Relevance of the Black Church in the Twenty- First Century / 107 The End of Sheep Stealing:How Churches Can Collaborate to Bring Twenty-Somethings Back into the Fold / 123 Conclusion / 139 Notes / 155 Index / 157

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Book SynopsisIn 2017, the year marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of Sir John Templeton, a group of scientists, scholars, and advisors who knew him personally gathered in Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. Their purpose: to discuss how the Foundation that bears his name could best extend his philanthropic vision into the twenty-first century. This volume is a result of that meeting—a collection of thirteen essays written by experts in fields that most fascinated Sir John. The contributors assess the Foundation’s fidelity to its founder’s intent, chart promising avenues for future grantmaking, and champion Sir John’s contrarian mission of unlocking life’s deepest mysteries. The members of the John Templeton Foundation are the custodians of Sir John’s vision—bold in its aspiration; humble in its approach—charged with using the tools of science to advance the frontiers of the spirit. May the essays collected here serve as inspiration as we carry that vision forward.Table of Contents Foreword / vii Introduction / xiii section one 1. Extending Sir John’s Vision into the Twenty-First Century / 3 Paul C. W. Davies 2. From Cosmology to Life and Ethics / 11 George F. R. Ellis 3. Future Research in a Diversity of Domains in Science, Theology and Spirituality / 27 Robert John Russell 4. John Marks Templeton: The Man Who Said No / 51 Owen Gingerich Section Two 5. Psychological Science and Christian Faith: Insights and Enrichments from Sustained Dialogue / 61 Malcolm Jeeves 6. Frontiers in Psychological Science / 83 David G. Myers 7. Religion, Spirituality and Health: What We Know, What We Need to Know 97 Harold G. Koenig 8. The Search for God in the Human Mind 111 Russell Stannard 9. The Evolving Process of Man’s Consciousness from a Scientific and Spiritual Perspective / 122 Rebekah A. Dunlap 10. Can We Investigate Sir John’s Core Metaphysical Idea? An Infinite Mind of Creative Love Manifest in the Ordered Universe and as a Source of Our Nonmaterial Souls / 129 Stephen G. Post Section Three 11. Has There Been Progress in Theological Understanding in the Modern World? / 153 Keith Ward 12. From Spiritual Information to Communication and Transformation / 164 Niels Henrik Gregersen 13. The Philanthropic Vision of a Contrarian / 174 Philip Clayton About the Contributors / 186

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Book SynopsisThe Blueprint for Overcoming Darkness and Living in God’s Light...   Our world unravels more each day. It feels as if we’re drowning in a sea churning with greed, violence, and lust. As darkness advances, hope dims. Yet within that reality, God gives us a profound mandate...             Be Light   Light has always defined God and His followers. At creation, God spoke light into existence. Jesus is the light of the world. And we are born to absorb and then reflect God’s light. In Be Light Samuel Rodriguez—described by Fox News and CNN as “America’s most influential Latino Evangelical leader”—provides a blueprint for confronting darkness in every realm of our lives. He issues a clarion call for individual believers and the church to rise up and once again be that bright city on a hill that doesn’t simply expose the invading darkness, but overcomes it with God’s blazing light. “When we share the message of Jesus, the candles of others are lit and more and more darkness is driven out of our world. Our prayer is that this excellent book will inspire millions—including you—to Be Light.”  —Roma Downey, producer and actress 

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