Religious social and pastoral thought and activity Books

Book SynopsisUSA TODAY BESTSELLER! The Ground Is Moving The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in the summer of 2020 shocked the nation. As riots rocked American cities, Christians affirmed from the pulpit and in social media that “black lives matter” and that racial justice “is a gospel issue.” But what if there is more to the social justice movement than those Christians understand? Even worse: What if they’ve been duped into preaching ideas that actually oppose the Kingdom of God? In this powerful book, Voddie Baucham, a preacher, professor, and cultural apologist, explains the sinister worldview behind the social justice movement and Critical Race Theory—revealing how it already has infiltrated some seminaries, leading to internal denominational conflict, canceled careers, and lost livelihoods. Like a fault line, it threatens American culture in general—and the evangelical church in particular. Whether you’re a layperson who has woken up in a strange new world and wonders how to engage sensitively and effectively in the conversation on race or a pastor who is grappling with a polarized congregation, this book offers the clarity and understanding to either hold your ground or reclaim it.

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Book SynopsisOutcome Oriented Chaplaincy (OOC) is a method of chaplaincy care that emphasizes achieving, describing, measuring, and improving the outcomes that result from a chaplain's work, alongside the parallel framework of evidence-based healthcare. This book examines the underlying principles of OOC and incorporates first-hand accounts of chaplains who have made a measured difference to patients and their families. Brent Peery draws on more than fifteen years of experience within the field of Outcome Oriented Chaplaincy, exploring its evolution and history within the complex culture of healthcare, and how its underlying principles of assessments, interventions, outcomes and documentation are most effectively put into practice. This practical guide will benefit chaplains interested in the approach of OOC, and identify a framework for providing the best spiritual care for those facing life's most difficult moments.Trade ReviewWith just the right mix of personal experience and comprehensive research, Dr. Peery establishes that effective chaplaincy care requires much more than intuition and thoughtful intentionality. Relying on relevant history, perspectives, and experts, Brent articulates how to ensure thoughtful intentions result in outcomes worthy of the trust placed in the professional chaplain by those in need. The attentive reader will come away with usable and integratable options for their own clinical context. -- The Rev. Ronald Oliver, PhD, MBA, BCC President, Association of Professional Chaplains, 2018-2019Brent Peery is our foremost champion for outcome oriented chaplaincy. His book is an excellent introduction to this important model for chaplaincy care. It should have a prominent place in chaplaincy education programs. -- George Fitchett, DMin, PhD, Transforming Chaplaincy

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Book SynopsisThe first volume in the new Short Studies in Systematic Theology series explores why theology is important and how to derive good theology from Scripture.

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Book SynopsisWayne Grudem offers a biblical and ethical guide to controversial issues surrounding abortion and euthanasia, defining his terms clearly and exploring science, politics, and opposing arguments.

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Book SynopsisThis book considers a series of biblical and pastoral arguments against both the multisite and multiservice church model, making the claim that maintaining a single assembly best embodies the unity the church possesses in Jesus Christ.

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Book SynopsisThis timeless treasure from Charles Spurgeon reminds readers to place their hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ as they navigate trials on this earth. Part of the Crossway Short Classics series.

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling author and prominent New Testament scholar draws parallels between 1stcentury Roman Empire and 21stcentury United States, showing how the radical messages of Jesus and Paul can lead us to peace today Using the tools of expert biblical scholarship and a keen eye for current events, bestselling author John Dominic Crossan deftly presents the tensions exhibited in the Bible between political power and God's justice. Through the revolutionary messages of Jesus and Paul, Crossan reveals what the Bible has to say about land and economy, violence and retribution, justice and peace, and ultimately, redemption. He examines the meaning of “kingdom of God” prophesized by Jesus, and the equality recommended to Paul by his churches, contrasting these messages of peace against the misinterpreted apocalyptic vision from the book of Revelations, that has been co-opted by modern right-wing theologians and televangelists to justify the United State's military actions

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Book SynopsisNow Includes a Survey of the Popes'' Statements on Building a Civilization of LoveCarl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, surveys the history-changing ideas of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, and brings a message of inclusion and hope in the midst of a battle between the culture of death and the culture of life, providing a road map to help Christians understand their role in the world.

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Book SynopsisA White pastor and a Black pastor, close friends who have each built racially diverse congregations, offer a model Christians can follow to open necessary conversations about race, encourage unity, and foster mutual respect to heal a wounded nation riven by racial tension and political tribalism.For years, Pastors John Siebeling and Wayne Francis have led thriving congregations that are the embodiment of diversity; Siebeling in Memphis and Francis in New York City. Many churches and leaders have sought their counsel, hoping to emulate their success. At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in Summer 2020, they pooled their insights and experiences to help others facilitate conversations about racism. The guide they developed is the basis of God and Race. Siebeling and Francis examine the White-Black tension from both perspectives and answer all the uncomfortable questions we’re afraid to ask—regarding ourselves, our families, our work and relationships, and the church. Most important, they provide practical steps anyone can take to become part of the solution. Whether you are a church leader or just a caring person who wants to make a difference, God and Race provides inspiration and guidance to help you become an agent of reconciliation and change. These two wise pastors teach you how to find your voice and join Jesus in healing, to help bring our divided communities together with open minds, open hearts, and open hands.Many Christian books on race either do not ask the hard questions or, if they do, speak as critics outside the mainstream church. Siebeling and Francis probe the meaning of racial reconciliation and reveal how the church can be a positive and effective leader to move us forward, beyond hate and injustice, to equality and love.

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Book SynopsisA revealing study of the radical attitudes of white evangelical Americans.Trade Reviewthis is an important text that sheds light on the inner theological and sociological workings of white evangelicals in connection to one of the most pressing issues in the United States ... valuable for its insights into Evangelicalism, religion and race, and religious pluralism. * Anthony B.Pinn, Reviews in Religion and Theology, Vol.8, Issue 3, June 2001 *"This is an important book. With thoughtful conceptual distinctions and careful analysis of data from a variety of empirical sources, Emerson and Smith provide an interesting account of how white evangelicals perpetuate the very racial divisions they publicly oppose. Divided by Faith breaks new ground in the study of religion and American race relations."--William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University, and author of The Truly Disadvantaged and The Bridge Over the Racial Divide"Divided by Faith is just that--an account of the deep racial division within American religion. But more than that, it is a penetrating look at the societal and religious-based reasons for this division within the Evangelical Christian sector, and a compassionate plea on the part of the authors for Christians to engage the issue of race and to lead the country in solving this 'American Dilemma.' A thorough and very readable book, to be read by scholars and church members alike."--Wade Clark Roof, J.F. Rowny Professor of Religion and Society, University of California, Santa Barbara"This path-breaking book is the best study in print on the racial attitudes of white evangelical Protestants. The book's unusual strength comes from its ability to combine a reliable summary of historical circumstances with careful attention to what evangelicals actually say and sensitive use of responsible sociological theory. The arguments of the book are made even more forceful by the willingness of Emerson and Smith to take the evangelicals' own theology seriously, especially where that theology calls into question standard patterns of evangelical racial practice."--Mark A. Noll, Professor of History, Wheaton College

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Book SynopsisAs public funding for social services has been slashed, there has arisen an unprecedented interest in the potential (and dangers) of faith-based institutions as agents of social change. Now, as President Bush begins his second term, he has placed government funding of faith-based programs at the top of his domestic agenda. What distinguishes church-based from secular social activism? What is particularly religious about church-based social services? How do churches express their religious identity in the context of social services, and how does this affect their access to resources and partners? This book, based on a Lilly-funded study of fifteen Philadelphia churches with active outreach, seeks to answer these and other pressing questions surrounding this important and controversial issue. Providing a far more objective understanding of faith-based initiatives than previously available, this study will be of interest not only to scholars of sociology of religion, social work, and social policy, but to denominational leaders, non-profit professionals, social policy analysts, community development practitioners, and others with the common goal of aiding struggling communities.Trade ReviewWhereas most scholars focus on the social service side of faith-based social services, Unruh and Sider integrate the faith factor and evangelism in understanding congregational social services. They convincingly demonstrate that one cannot understand faith-based social services without understanding its faith dimensions. This is a most innovative and groundbreaking book that is a must for all those concerned with the faith-based initiative and congregational studies. * Ram A. Cnaan, author of The Invisible Caring Hand: American Congregations and the Provision of Welfare *

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Book SynopsisJohn Paul Lederach''s work in the field of conciliation and mediation is internationally recognized. As founding Director of the Conflict Transformation Program and Institute of Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University, he has provided consultation and direct mediation in a range of situations from the Miskito/Sandinista conflict in Nicaragua to Somalia, Northern Ireland, the Basque Country, and the Philippines. His influential 1997 book Building Peace has become a classic in the discipline. This new book represents his thinking and learning over the past several years. He explores the evolution of his understanding of peacebuilding by reflecting on his own experiences in the field. Peacebuilding, in his view, is both a learned skill and an art. Finding this art, he says, requires a worldview shift. Conflict professionals must envision their work as a creative act - an exercise of what Lederach terms the ''moral imagination.''Trade ReviewToday the telecommunications and transport revolution has made the world a smaller place offering both an opportunity and challenge to the major leading countries to come together to shape the world, overcome violence and create a peaceful global community. John Paul Lederach presents a powerful case for the use of the moral imagination in rising to this challenge, thus creating authentic new possibilities. This book provides a valuable contribution to peacebuilding literature and I welcome it wholeheartedly. * John Hume, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace *This is a wonderful book it resonated, provoked and exhilarated me, challenging me to think very carefully and deeply about why peace builders do what they do. It also offers some profound compass points for direction which may help to keep many of us sane and focused in the midst of the chaos and violence that so often makes up our world. * Mari Fitzduff, Brandeis University *The Moral Imagination is an eloquent and personal meditation on the challenge of peacebuilding by one of the fields most insightful theorists and practitioners. Professor Lederach correctly observes that the years following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, represent a precious opportunity to address underlying cycles of violence and insecurity, locally and globally. It will take courage and creativity, but it is an opportunity we must not let pass us by. * Jimmy Carter, Chairman, The Carter Center *Much exists in the conflict resolution literature about method and technique, little about art and soul. John Paul Lederach, a theorist of great insight who also happens to be a practitioner of high skill, brings us deep into his own process of learning and the results are marvelous. He offers us a rich fare of insights, stories and metaphors that captivate the moral imagination this world so badly needs. Consider this book a precious treat! * William Ury, co-author of Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In and author of The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop *In its depth of wisdom regarding the dynamics of soul, spirit and society that lead good people to become effective practitioners of conflict transformation in war zones, The Moral Imagination could serve as the magnificent capstone to a life's work. The thrilling fact, however, is that Lederach stands not at the end but at the midpoint of a remarkable journey of conciliation, peacebuilding and ethical reflection. This book is a milestone in that journey; there is nothing quite like it in the literature of social change, peace and conflict studies, theology, ethics, and spiritualit? * for it weaves those disciplines together into a seamless, riveting whole.R. Scott Appleby, Professor of History and John M. Regan, Jr. Director of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame *

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Book SynopsisIn recent years Christian scholars have become increasingly aware of their responsibility to recognize and respond to the challenges posed by ethnic and racial diversity. Similarly, historically white Christian colleges, universities, seminaries and congregations are struggling to transform themselves into communities that are welcoming to minorities and sensitive to their needs. This collection of all-new essays is meant to enable those who are engaged in these initiatives to understand the historical linkage of race, ethnicity and Christianity and to explore the ways in which constructive change can be achieved. The volume is the product of a long-term study funded by the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology. In the course of this study it emerged that many Christian institutions now offer courses on race and ethnicity, but that there is very little relevant literature written from the standpoint of rigorous Christian scholarship. This book is intended to fill that gap. The authors address such questions as: What has been the history of Christian churches and leaders in relation to slavery, segregation, and apartheid? Which biblical texts and doctrines have historically been employed on behalf of racial projects, and which are relevant to the racial and ethnic crises of our day? How have religious leaders constructively engaged such crises? How do congregations shape the values, civic commitments, understandings and sensitivities of their membership? How can local congregations be sites for racial reconciliation and justice initiatives? Are there positive models for how churches and other religious institutions have helped to bring healing to racial and ethnic tensions and divides? How might Christians in the professions work to bring justice to business, education, government, and other areas of society? When good intentions fail to accomplish desired ends, how do we analyze what went wrong? Written by an interracial and interethnic team of scholars representing diverse disciplines, this book will meet a pressing need and set a new standard for the discussion of race and ethnicity in the Christian context.Trade ReviewAmply documented and with helpful bibliographies, this set will appeal to all concerned about diversity in evangelical congregations, schools, and other agencies. * Choice *This Side of Heaven is a major contribution to the study of race, ethnicity, and religion. I found an incredible wealth of knowledge and insight in the book's chapters. This is a book to use in college and seminary courses, to read in your home, and to work through in small groups. Be prepared for serious discussions, as this volume if full of hard hitting chapters that cut to the core of religion, race, and ethnicity. Strongly recommended. * Michael O. Emerson, co-author of Divided by Faith and United by Faith *This Side of Heaven is unique among Christian books on multiculturalism and race because the authors combine thier social science analysis with their theological viewpoints. * Contemporary Sociology *The editors have managed to produce a volume that has unity and clarity, combining the realistic double edge of social analysis with a courageous rereading of biblical texts and a hopeful attitude in spite of discomforting facts. In short, this book represents missiology at its best. * International Bulletin of Missionary Research *

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Book SynopsisThe true role of religion in the AIDS epidemic in Africa has been debated for years: some scholars and activists claim that religious groups have provided much-needed education and assistance to those afflicted with the disease, and others argue that religion has contributed to the spread and stigmatization of AIDS. Drawing upon extensive fieldwork in Malawi and survey data from 26 other sub-Saharan African countries, Jenny Trinitapoli and Alexander Weinreb provide the first comprehensive empirical account of how religious groups affect the spread of knowledge, prevention, and mitigation of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.Trinitapoli and Weinreb identify religious patterns in the infection of HIV, examine differences across religions in risk and preventive behaviors, and discuss the role of religion in the provision of assistance to the sick and their families. Their study also shows how religious groups shape social and cultural interpretations of AIDS, addressing such issues as the discouTrade ReviewTrinitapoli and Weinreb challenge much that is holy writ for modern, Western, secular minds. For those with an interest in development or medicine, it is fascinating, and perhaps infuriating. * Michael Beasley, Theology *Religion and AIDS in Africa is a Scholarly yet readable exploration of many of the questions key to understanding the complexity of HIV and religion in Africa ... * Ann Smith, the Tablet *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; Part One / THE BASICS ; 1. AIDS in Context ; 2. Religious Patterns ; Part Two / UNDERSTANDING AIDS ; 3. Interpreting the Epidemic ; 4. Knowledge about HIV ; Part Three / HIV PREVENTION ABC...Z ; 5. The ABCs of prevention ; 6. Beyond ABC: Local prevention strategies ; 7. Congregational Combinations ; Part Four / RESPONDING ; 8. Stigma ; 9. Safety nets ; 10. Effects of AIDS on Religion ; Conclusions ; Appendices ; Notes ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisAttention to embodiment and the religious significance of bodies is one of the most significant shifts in contemporary theology. In the midst of this, however, experiences of disability have received little attention. This book explores possibilities for theological engagement with disability, focusing on three primary alternatives: challenging existing theological models to engage with the disabled body, considering possibilities for a disability liberation theology, and exploring new theological options based on an understanding of the unsurprisingness of human limits.The overarching perspective of this book is that limits are an unavoidable aspect of being human, a fact we often seem to forget or deny. Yet not only do all humans experience limits, most of us also experience limits that take the form of disability at some point in our lives; in this way, disability is more normal than non-disability. If we take such experiences seriously and refuse to reduce them to mere instances of suffering, we discover insights that are lost when we take a perfect or generic body as our starting point for theological reflections. While possible applications of this insight are vast, this work focuses on two areas of particular interest: theological anthropology and metaphors for God. This project challenges theology to consider the undeniable diversity of human embodiment. It also enriches previous disability work by providing an alternative to the dominant medical and minority models, both of which fail to acknowledge the full diversity of disability experiences. Most notably, this project offers new images and possibilities for theological construction that attend appropriately and creatively to diversity in human embodiment.Trade ReviewCreamer's concise and engaging book entices the reader to follow her lead to a new understanding of disability and, in the process, reignites a fresh theological appreciation of the human body. * Theological Studies *Table of ContentsChapter One: Understanding Disability ; Chapter Two: Disability and Christianity ; Chapter Three: Theology and the Disabled Body ; Chapter Four: Liberation Theologies of Disability ; Chapter Five: Limits and Disability Theology ; Conclusion: Embodied Limits and Constructive Possibilities

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Book SynopsisThe first volume of its kind, Christianity and Constitutionalism explores the contribution of Christianity to constitutional law and constitutionalism as viewed from the perspectives of history, law, and theology. The authors examine a wide range of key figures, including Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Moses, Martin Luther, and Roger Williams, offering innovative and thoughtful analyses of the relationship between religious thought and constitutional law. Part I features contributions from historians and is focused on the historical influence of Christianity on constitutionalism, recounting how the relationship between the Christian faith and fundamental ideas about law, justice, and government has evolved from era to era. Part II offers the analyses of constitutional lawyers, focusing on the normative implications of Christianity for particular themes or topics in constitutional law. The chapters in this section orbit around several central doctrines and principles of this field--includinTrade ReviewScholars of the American founding have long noted the influence of Reformed Protestant Christianity on the background assumptions of the framers—both about language and the nature of republican government—but this collection of essays provides more depth and insight on that topic than ever before. I highly recommend this book for both academics and general readers interested in the connections between Christianity and the Constitution. * Michael W. McConnell, Richard & Frances Mallery Professor, Stanford Law School; Director, Stanford Constitutional Law Center; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution *The relationship between religious thought and constitutionalism is the focus of this book...the contribution it makes to an understanding of the important connections between religion, specifically Christianity, and constitutionalism, are worthy of attention. * Commonwealth Lawyers' Association and Contributors *Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. * Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Contributors Contents INTRODUCTION 1 INTRODUCTION: Christianity and Constitutionalism Nicholas Aroney and Ian Leigh Part I: The Historical Influence of Christianity 2 OLD TESTAMENT: Torah and Constitutionalism Jonathan Burnside 3 NEW TESTAMENT: "But our constitution is in heaven": New Testament sketches on the people of God between divine law and earthly rulers Dorothea H. Bertschmann 4 ANTIQUITY: Constantine and Constitutionalism Peter Leithart 5 PATRISTIC ERA: Augustine's Constitutionalism: Citizenship, Common Good, and Consent Mary Keys & Colleen Mitchell 6 MIDDLE AGES: Canon Law Constitutionalism? Richard Helmholz 7 REFORMATION: The Protestant Reformation of Constitutionalism John Witte Jr. 8 MODERNITY: Understanding Law and Constitutionalism in Modernity: The Critical Contribution of English Reformation Public Theology Joan Lockwood O'Donovan Part II: Christian Perspectives on Constitutionalism 9 SOVEREIGNTY: Dual, Plural and One Joel Harrison 10 RULE OF LAW: The Sacred Roots and Secular Shoots of the Supreme Law Li-ann Thio 11 DEMOCRACY: Self-Government and the Kingdom of Heaven Richard Ekins 12 SEPARATION OF POWERS: Biblical Foundations of the Separation of Powers and the Catalytical Judicial Role Carlos Bernal 13 RIGHTS: Christian Constitutional Rights? Julian Rivers 14 FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE: Freedom of Conscience Assessing the Christian Contribution Ian Leigh 15 FEDERALISM: A Legal, Political and Religious Archaeology Nicholas Aroney PART III: Christian Theology and Constitutionalism 16 REVELATION: Scripture and Covenant David VanDrunen 17 TRINITY: Against Leviathan: The Implications of Trinitarian Theology for Constitutionalism David McIlroy 18 JUSTICE: Justice the Constitution and the Purpose of the Political Community Jonathan Chaplin 19 CHRISTOLOGY: Christology and Constitutionalism Tracey Rowland 20 NATURAL LAW: Natural Law and Natural Right Revisited John Milbank 21 SUBSIDIARITY: Origins and Contemporary Aspects Iain T. Benson 22 ESCHATOLOGY: The Greater Operation of Liberty Douglas Farrow

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Book SynopsisDrawing on the writings of German pastor-theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jennifer M. McBride constructs a groundbreaking theology of public witness for Protestant church communities in the United States. In contrast to the triumphal manner in which many Protestants have engaged the public sphere, The Church for the World shows how the church can offer a nontriumphal witness to the lordship of Christ through repentant activity in public life. After investigating current Christian conceptions of witness in the United States, McBride offers a new theology for repentance as public witness, based on Bonhoeffer''s thought concerning Christ, the world, and the church. McBride takes up Bonhoeffer''s proposal that repentance may be reinterpreted non-religiously, expanding and challenging common understandings of the concept. Finally, she examines two church communities that exemplify ecclesial commitments and practices rooted in confession of sin and repentance. Through these communities she dTrade ReviewThis refreshing study of Christian activism appeals to Bonhoeffer's deeply Luteheran Christology and transcends the usual stereotypes of evangelicals as right-wingers and mainliners as left-wingers...this books merits attention, not only as a Bonhoeffer study but also as the witness of the social consciousness of McBride herself, a young evangelical. * Lutheran Quarterly *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments ; Part I: Public Witness in a Pluralistic Society ; Chapter One - Introduction: Confession and Repentance as Public Witness ; Chapter Two - Evaluating Public Witness in the United States ; Part II: A Theology of Public Witness Based on Bonhoeffer's Thought ; Chapter Three - Christ's Public Presence: The Foundation and Form for Ecclesial Witness ; Chapter Four - Belonging: Participation in the World's Christological Pattern ; Chapter Five - The Church's Public Presence: Visibility through Confession and Repentance ; Part III: Contours of a Repenting Church ; Chapter Six - The Eleuthero Community: Confession and Repentance through Unlearning and Learning Anew ; Chapter Seven: The Southeast White House: A Local Presence in a Neglected Neighborhood ; Conclusion: Concrete Implications of an Ecclesial Witness Based on Repentance ; Notes ; Selected Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisChristianity struggles to show how living on Earth matters for living with God. While people of faith increasingly seek practical ways to respond to the environmental crisis, theology has had difficulty contextualizing the crisis and interpreting the responses. In Ecologies of Grace, Willis Jenkins presents a field-shaping introduction to Christian environmental ethics that offers resources for renewing theology. Observing how religious environmental practices often draw on concepts of grace, Jenkins maps the way Christian environmental strategies draw from traditions of salvation as they engage the problems of environmental ethics. By being particularly sensitive to the ways in which environmental problems are made intelligible to Christian moral experience, Jenkins guides his readers toward a fuller understanding of Christianity and ecology. He not only makes sense of the variety of Christian environmental ethics, but by showing how environmental issues come to the heart of ChristianTable of Contents1. Saving Nature, Saving Grace ; Part I: Ethical Strategies ; 2. Three Practical Strategies in Environmental Ethics ; 3. The Strategy of Ecojustice ; 4. The Strategy of Christian Stewardship ; 5. The Strategy of Ecological Spirituality ; Part II: Theological Investigations ; 6. Sanctifying Biodiversity: Ecojustice in Thomas Aquinas ; 7. Environmental Virtues: Charity, Nature, and Divine Friendship in Thomas ; 8. Stewardship after the End of Nature: Karl Barth's Environment of Jesus Christ ; 9. Nature Redeemed: Barth's Garden of Reconciliation ; 10. After Maximus: Ecological Spirituality and Cosmic Deification ; 11. Thinking like a Transfigured Mountain: Sergei Bulgakov's Wisdom Ecology ; 12. Conclusion: Renovating Grace ; Notes ; Works Cited ; Index

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Book SynopsisExamines the efforts of American Catholics to thwart eugenic policies, illuminating the ways in which Catholic thought transformed the public conversation about individual rights, the role of the state, and the intersections of race, community, and family. This title deals with the history of religion, science, politics, and human rights.Trade Review"Passionately argued, engagingly written, and based on extensive research, An Image of God will be essential reading for historians of eugenics and students of Catholic activism in the United States. With this book, Sharon M. Leon fills a huge gap in the scholarly literature." (Molly Ladd-Taylor, York University)"

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Book SynopsisWhy are so many churches vehemently opposed to blessing same-sex unions? This title shows how carefully selected ideals of Christian marriage have come to dominate recent debates over same-sex unions. It is suitable for both sides of the ongoing American debate over gay marriage.Trade Review"A powerful, at times brilliant, brief for Christian churches blessing same-sex unions. This is not merely a contribution to gay studies; any Christian who wants to think more clearly about marriage should read Mark D. Jordan." (Publishers Weekly) "Documenting his case colorfully from both popular media and scholarly sources, Mark D. Jordan asks: if all that marriage entails is following the etiquette advice from a professional weding planner, what is the point? Jordan digs deep as he examines the historical and theological origins of Christian marriage." (Christian Century)"

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Book SynopsisReveals that virtually all of the critics, as well as many supporters, have long misunderstood both the true implications of faith-based partnerships and their unique potential for advancing social justice.Trade Review"Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama have all supported expanding poverty-fighting partnerships between religious nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Lew Daly has taken the complicated history and often divisive discourse concerning such faith-based initiatives to a better intellectual and civic place. Agree or not with all of Daly's conclusions, this is an engaging, balanced, and timely book: President Obama's faith-based policy advisors and all other interested citizens should take note." - John J. Dilulio Jr., first director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives"

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Book SynopsisBrings together hundreds of stories from all over the world, from the earliest recorded Hindu and Hebrew texts to the items in the Weekly World News, to show the hilariously convoluted sexual scrapes that people get into and out of. Here you will find wives who accidentally commit adultery with their own husbands.Trade Review"Doniger seduces the reader with her casual erudition, tempering the dizzying accumulation of evidence with wry asides." - Edward Rothstein, New York Times "A triumph.... The numerous glittering parts of The Bedtrick are ultimately held together by the unanswerable, endlessly fascinating questions to which it keeps returning." - Katharine Eisaman Maus, Times Literary Supplement"

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Book SynopsisProviding historical context to help us reevaluate the current furor over homosexuality in the Church, this book brings to light the myriad ways that modern churches and openly gay men and women can learn from the wealth of each other's cultural and spiritual experience.

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Book SynopsisAmericans have long acknowledged a connection between evangelical religion and democracy in the early days of the republic. The author demolishes the idea that evangelical growth in the early republic was the cheerful product of enthusiasm for democracy, and creates for us a very different narrative of influence and ideals in the young republic.

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Book SynopsisJordan also argues that no matter what the courts do, Christian churches will have to decide for themselves whether to bless same-sex unions. No civil compromise can settle the religious questions surrounding gay marriage.

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Book SynopsisExplores the invention of sodomy in medieval Christendom, examining its conceptual foundations in theology and gauging its impact on Christian sexual ethics both then and now. The text traces the genealogy of this cultural construct through many of the idiosyncratic worldviews of the Middle Ages.

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Book SynopsisThis analysis of the relationship between male homosexuality and Catholicism examines the Church's language about sexual morality and the rhetorical devices used to actively produce silence about the topic. The author draws analogies between clerical institutions and gay culture.

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Book SynopsisInvestigates twelve of the instructive episodes involving the interaction between science and Christianity, aiming to tell each story in its historical specificity and local particularity.Trade Review"Taken together, these papers provide a comprehensive survey of current thinking on key issues in the relationships between science and religion, pitched - as the editors intended - at just the right level to appeal to students." - Peter J. Bowler, Isis"

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Book SynopsisInvestigates twelve of the instructive episodes involving the interaction between science and Christianity, aiming to tell each story in its historical specificity and local particularity.Trade Review"Taken together, these papers provide a comprehensive survey of current thinking on key issues in the relationships between science and religion, pitched - as the editors intended - at just the right level to appeal to students." - Peter J. Bowler, Isis"

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Book Synopsis'God, Sex, and Politics' examines both sides of the church controversy over homosexuality to consider the ways in which people develop, in everyday thought and interaction, their beliefs about God and justice.

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Book Synopsis'God, Sex, and Politics' examines both sides of the church controversy over homosexuality to consider the ways in which people develop, in everyday thought and interaction, their beliefs about God and justice.

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Book SynopsisLong considered the lifeblood of black urban neighborhoods, churches are thought to be dedicated to serving their surrounding communities. But Omar McRoberts's work in Four Corners, a tough Boston neighborhood containing twenty-nine congregations, reveals a very different picture.Trade Review"If we are truly interested in contemporary community life and civil society, we will want to know how churches actually work in depressed urban areas. There is no better study available on this volatile subject than this one, required reading for all would-be policy makers and citizens." - Peter J. Gomes, Boston Globe"

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Book SynopsisIt's not a process, one pastor insisted, rehabilitation is a miracle. In the face of addiction and few state resources, Pentecostal pastors in Guatemala City are fighting what they understand to be a major crisis. Yet the treatment centers they operate produce this miracle of rehabilitation through extraordinary means: captivity. These men of faith snatch drug users off the streets, often at the request of family members, and then lock them up inside their centers for months, sometimes years. Hunted is based on more than ten years of fieldwork among these centers and the drug users that populate them. Over time, as Kevin Lewis O'Neill engaged both those in treatment and those who surveilled them, he grew increasingly concerned that he, too, had become a hunter, albeit one snatching up information. This thoughtful, intense book will reframe the arc of redemption we so often associate with drug rehabilitation, painting instead a seemingly endless cycle of hunt, capture, and release.

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Book SynopsisIt's not a process, one pastor insisted, rehabilitation is a miracle. In the face of addiction and few state resources, Pentecostal pastors in Guatemala City are fighting what they understand to be a major crisis. Yet the treatment centers they operate produce this miracle of rehabilitation through extraordinary means: captivity. These men of faith snatch drug users off the streets, often at the request of family members, and then lock them up inside their centers for months, sometimes years. Hunted is based on more than ten years of fieldwork among these centers and the drug users that populate them. Over time, as Kevin Lewis O'Neill engaged both those in treatment and those who surveilled them, he grew increasingly concerned that he, too, had become a hunter, albeit one snatching up information. This thoughtful, intense book will reframe the arc of redemption we so often associate with drug rehabilitation, painting instead a seemingly endless cycle of hunt, capture, and release.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An important contribution to ongoing scholarly discussions in religious studies, American history, politics, and legal studies. . . . Sullivan has contributed much to our understanding of the many ways religion continues to influence 'secular' legal trajectories, and vice versa."--Religion Bulletin "One of the most important voices in the contemporary study of law and religion, Sullivan shows how the chaplain has come to occupy a key role in the negotiation of law, politics, and religion in contemporary America. With subtlety and erudition, Sullivan brings her reader to the illuminating realization that the chaplain is a figure that sits at the complicated confluence of church and state, an emblem not only of contemporary constitutionalism, but also of modern economic and political life in the United States."--Benjamin L. Berger, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University "Winnifred Sullivan's study is an important read, one not to be missed by anyone who wishes to understand the reality of chaplaincy in the modern world."--Calvin Theological Journal "In this elegantly written and closely argued work, Sullivan shows that chaplains of all faiths in prisons, hospitals, and the military today find themselves at the nexus of forces that aim to make them into 'priests of the secular, ' whose role it is to insure spiritually healthy and well adjusted prisoners, patients, and soldiers--as spiritual well-being is determined by the state and circumscribed by the courts. A Ministry of Presence is essential for understanding what has become--and what is becoming--of 'religion' in the United States today."--Robert Orsi, author of Between Heaven and Earth: The Religious Worlds People Make and the Scholars Who Study Them "Fantastic and provocative. Sullivan takes readers into new territory where we can consider American religion and social life from a new angle. Her strong authorial voice keeps the many moving parts together and makes A Ministry of Presence a pleasure to read."--Courtney Bender, Columbia University "Excellent. . . . Highly recommended." --Catholic Library World "Thought-provoking. . . . Contemporary chaplaincy programs demonstrate that practices termed 'spiritual' are not unique to the political left or right, and chaplains from a wide variety of institutional backgrounds are grappling with how to provide this 'spiritual care.' A Ministry of Presence makes clear that this grappling has a particular history, and in so doing makes a valuable contribution to the study of American religion."--Michael Graziano "Religion in American History " "[A] cogent, well-researched volume. . . . Recommended." --Choice "A dazzling, meticulous study of the interdependence of law and religion. . . . This book is an analytical feat of rare and beautiful complexity. No other scholarship on the topic of chaplaincies explores their legal significance with the intensity or range that Sullivan's 'legal anthropology of religion' exhibits." --Journal of the American Academy of Religion

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Book SynopsisAims to give readers a feeling for what it means to be Catholic and put one's faith into action. Tracing the practices of a group of parishioners in Oakland, California, and another in Guadalajara, this work reveals parallels - and contrasts - in the ways these ordinary Catholics receive and act on a church doctrine that emphasizes social justice.Trade Review"In this fine-grained ethnographic analysis, Joseph Palacios reveals how the teaching of the Catholic Church on poverty, human rights, immigration, and labor rights is brought to bear on different societies. He shows how differing civil society structures and divergent historical experiences of the Catholic Church in Mexico and the United States explain the contrasting patterns of church-based public engagement and societal influence in the two countries." - Richard L. Wood, author of Faith in Action"

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Book SynopsisAims to give readers a feeling for what it means to be Catholic and put one's faith into action. Tracing the practices of a group of parishioners in Oakland, California, and another in Guadalajara, this work reveals parallels - and contrasts - in the ways these ordinary Catholics receive and act on a church doctrine that emphasizes social justice.Trade Review"In this fine-grained ethnographic analysis, Joseph Palacios reveals how the teaching of the Catholic Church on poverty, human rights, immigration, and labor rights is brought to bear on different societies. He shows how differing civil society structures and divergent historical experiences of the Catholic Church in Mexico and the United States explain the contrasting patterns of church-based public engagement and societal influence in the two countries." - Richard L. Wood, author of Faith in Action"

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Book SynopsisCreatively uses Aliite religious movments, such as the Moorish Science Temple of America, to illuminate the larger intersection of religion, race, citizenship, and law in America.

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Book SynopsisAmericans have long acknowledged a deep connection between evangelical religion and democracy in the early days of the republic. This title challenges this standard interpretation and describes the intertwined relationship between religion and partisan politics that emerged in the formative era of the early republic.Trade Review"With sound scholarship and deep research, Amanda Porterfield offers a fresh interpretation of the symbiotic relationship between evangelical popular religion and libertarian politics in the early republic. I am confident that Conceived in Doubt will take its place as a seminal work in the study of American religion and politics." -Franklin Lambert, Purdue University"

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Book SynopsisPresence in the Modern World is Jacques Ellul''s most foundational book, combining his social analysis with his theological orientation. Appearing first in French in 1948, and later in English as The Presence of the Kingdom, it has reached the status of a classic that retains all of its relevance dealing with today''s challenges. How should we respond to such complex forces as technology or the state? How can we communicate with one another, despite the problems inner to modern forms of media? Do we have hope for the future of our civilisation? Ellul responds by describing how a Christian''s unique presence in the world can make a difference. Instead of acting as ''sociological beings'', we must commit ourselves to the kind of revolution that will occur only when we become radically aware of our present situation and undertake ''a ferocious and passionate destruction of myths''. In this way, states Ellul, we become the medium for God''s action in the modern world.Trade ReviewToday the moral question above all others is how to be truly awake and fully equal to the technological world. Jacques Ellul as a young man saw the question and began to outline the answer in Presence in the Modern World. Albert Borgmann, Author of Power Failure: Christianity in the Culture of Technology Read Presence in the Modern World. Not only is it the introduction to Ellul's entire body of work, but its emphasis on Christians' revolutionary situation in the world has never been more relevant. Patrick Chastenet, University of Bordeaux; President of the Association Internationale Jacques Ellul Lisa Richmond's new translation echoes Ellul's radicality and revolutionary fervour, making the reading a brilliant experience. Enjoy this powerful book! Marva Dawn, Author; translator of Sources and Trajectories: Eight Early Articles by Jacques Ellul that Set the StageTable of ContentsForeword by Ted Lewis Translator's Preface by Lisa Richmond Author's Preface Chapter One-The Christian in the World Chapter Two-Revolutionary Christianity Chapter Three-End and Means Chapter Four-Communication Chapter Five-Prologue and Conclusion Afterword: Notes on Revolution Introduction to Jacques Ellul's Life and Thought by David W. Gill Bibliography of Books by Jacques Ellul Topical Index Scripture Index

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Book SynopsisBenjamin and Scholem are regarded as two of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. With material dating from 1918 to 1923, this text aims to make their more obscure work accessible to a wider audience. The topics discussed include messianism, language and divine justice.Trade ReviewJacobson's superb undertaking reveals profound insights in the early writings of Benjamin and Scholem that may serve well in understanding and resolving contemporary problems in political theology... Recommended. Choice Metaphysics of the Profane is an important, thoughtful, profound, and very welcome study. -- Robert Weldon Whalen German Studies Review Metaphysics of the Profane is the first book to make this intellectual exchange clear... This book would be suitable for all Judaica, academic, and public libraries and any institution with an interest in philosophy. -- Magali Milmaniene Association of Jewish Libraries The importance of this passionate intellectual friendship ... has long been recognized. But surprisingly, we have lacked a fine-grained, conceptually sophisticated examination until now... Jacobson has given us a compelling restatement of the argument that Scholem was the legitimate heir of Benjamin's early intentions. -- John McCole The German Quarterly In this erudite discussion ... Jacobson moves from a detailed exploration of Benjamin's and Scholem's works on the messianic in history, to their conceptions of language, to a discussion of notions of justice, [offering] deeper insight into the speculative philosophy of metaphysics through a close reading of original texts. -- Hannah Holtschneider Journal of Theological Studies The term 'political theology' often invokes images of revolutionary political struggles prompted by messianic or apocalyptic expectations. As Eric Jacobson shows... such revolutionary Messianism... is not solely the province of Catholic liberation theology and Protestant theologies of hope, but is also characteristic of the writing of two of the more prominent Jewish thinkers in the twentieth century. ... Jacobson's account of the early religious and political thoughts of Benjamin and Scholem is full of illuminating insights into the interdependence of these two thinkers, and into the distinctiveness of their politics. -- Thomas A. James Journal of Political Theology Jacobson reveals... how the notion of an intensive magic resounds throughout Benjamin's work. Il Sole 24 Ore (Milan) [Jacobson's] compelling proposal concerns the Judaic concepts in anarchism, leading through the traces of Gershom Scholem's thought, one of the exponents of the religious poles of Central European Jews with a utopian sensibility. Il Gazzettino (Venice) [They] were riveted by the question of 'origins' and the recovery of lost meanings, on truth as hidden, part of a greater structure waiting to be revealed, and the possibility of redemptive moments. ... --what Eric Jacobson has described as the metaphysics of the profane. -- Steven E. Aschheim, Beyond the Boarder: The German-Jewish Legacy Abroad Jacobson regards as a key question 'whether redemption is initiated prior to or only after the arrival of the messiah' [which], he argues, ... remains unresolved in Benjamin's thought. -- R. Lane Reading Walter Benjamin: Writing Through the Catastrophe Jacobson's work is focused on the early political and theological concepts of both authors from the years 1915-1923, seeking to reconstruct Benjamin's and Scholem's early discussions on politics and theology... These ideas, which the authors established together in an early phase, were central for both their later thinking and were to have a tremendous impact on contemporary philosophy and Jewish studies in this century. FU-NachrichtenTable of ContentsI. Messianism 1. The Messianic Idea in Walter Benjamin's Early Writings 2. Gershom Scholem's Theological Politics II. On the Origins of Language and the True Names of Things 3. On the Origins of Language 4. Gershom Scholem and the Name of God III. Justice and Redemption 5. Prophetic Justice 6. Judgment, Violence, and Redemption

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Book SynopsisThis is a major project to be undertaken as part of a broad intiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the University of Notre Dame on the role of Christianity in modern society. John Witte is one of the editors of the forthcoming Sex, Marriage, and the Family: A Reader in World Religions.Trade ReviewThese essays and excerpts address an extraordinary range of essential theological and political concerns... Highly recommended. Choice This is a most impressive collection of essays, written by some of the most eminent scholars in their fields. Ecclesiastical Law JournalTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Introduction Part I. The Roman Catholic Tradition 1. Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) 2. Jacques Maritain (1882-1973) 3. John Courtney Murray (1904-1967) 4. Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) 5. Gustavo Gutierrez (b. 1928) 6. Dorothy Day (1897-1980) 7. Pope John Paul II (b. 1920) Part II. The Protestant Tradition 8. Abraham Kuyper (1827-1920) 9. Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) 10. Karl Barth (1886-1968) 11. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) 12. Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) 13. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) 14. William Stringfellow (1928-1985) 15. John Howard Yoder (1927-1997) Part III. The Orthodox Tradition 16. Vladimir Soloviev (1853-1900) 17. Nikolai Berdyaev (1874-1948) 18. Vladimir Nikolaievich Lossky (1903-1958) 19. Mother Maria Skobtsova (1891-1945) 20. Dumitru Staniloae (1903-1993) Contributors Copyright Information Index

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Book SynopsisFocuses on the practice of permanent sexual renunciation-continence, celibacy, and life-long virginity - in Christian circles from the first to the fifth centuries AD. This book questions how theological views on sexuality and the human body both mirrored and shaped the uneven relationships between men and women.Trade ReviewThe reader of Peter Brown's work is always uncertain which to admire most, the grace and clarity, the scope and erudition, or the ability to bring diverse and complex units into a meaningful whole. These merits are all fully on display in The Body and Society. New York Times Book Review Peter Brown's book is a great achievement. It will long be read, its insights studied and discussed, and its prose admired and enjoyed... His work is a tour de force, showing a mastery of text and subject through six centuries of history. -- W. H. C. Frend New York Review of Books A profound exploration of the meaning of embodiment, celibacy, and chastity for early Christians. Christianity Today A work of rediscovery and re-evaluation, written in luminous, heart-stopping prose. -- Nicolas Rothwell The Australian A seminal work. Bryn Mawr Classical Review A truly magisterial work of historical scholarship by the greatest living authority on late antique Mediterranean civilization. It will be the definitive work on this subject for the foreseeable future. Choice [A] compelling and human study of the depths and heights of sexual renunciation... Brown's detached yet compassionate sympathy recreates the subtle and complex world of late-antique sexuality and renunciation with a skill which is uniquely his. This is not a history of the idea of virginity, but a sharpyly-focused series of pictures of its practice. London Review of Books Only Peter Brown could have written The Body and Society. The book... is the work of an acute and immensely learned mind soaked in the sources, with an enviable power to bring together widely scattered and recondite texts. ReligionTable of ContentsPreface Introduction Part I. From Paul to anthony 1. Body and City 2. From Apostle to Apologist: Sexual Order and Sexual Renunciation in the Early Church 3. Martyrdom, Prophecy and Continence: Hermas to Tertullian 4. "To Undo the Works of Women": Marcion, Tatian and the Encratites 5. "When You Make the Two One": Valentinus and Gnostic Spiritual Guidance 6. "A Faint Image of Divine Providence": Clement of Alexandria 7. "A Promiscuous Brotherhood and Sisterhood": Men and Women in the Christian Churches 8. "I Beseech You: Be Transformed": Origen 9. "Walking on Earth, Touching High Heaven's Vault": Porphyry and Methodius 10. Church and Body: Cyprian, Mani and Eusebius of Caesarea Part II. asceticism and Society in the Eastern Empire 11. The Desert Fathers: Anthony to John Climacus 12. "Make to Yourselves Separate Booths": Monks, Women and Marriage in Egypt 13. "Daughters of Jerusalem": The Ascetic Life of Women in the Fourth Century 14. Marriage and Mortality: Gregory of Nyssa 15. Sexuality and the City: John Chrysostom 16. "These Are Our Angels": Syria Part III. Ambrose to Augustine: The Making of the Latin Tradition 17. Aula Pudoris: Ambrose 18. "Learn of Me a Holy Arrogance": Jerome 19. Sexuality and Society: Augustine Epilogue. Body and Society: The Early Middle Ages Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewViefhues-Bailey does, however, very effectively clarify some crucial points in frequently enlightening ways, and the book constitutes a useful and significant intervention into this most confounding political impasse of our time. -- Whitney Strub H-HistSex ...Viefhues-Bailey's book participates in a reserved yet powerful undermining of homophobia in general... Books and IdeasTable of ContentsAuthor's Note Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Who Are the Conservative Christians, by and Why the Focus on Focus on the Family? Connection to Previous Research Structure of the Book Theoretical Considerations and Methodological Consequences 2. Religious Interests Between Bible and Politics Love Between Gays or Lesbians Is Wrong, by Because the Bible Tells Me So? A Confluence of Forces: Religion and Politics 3. America and the State of Respectable Christian Romance Same-Sex Couples and the Moral and Spiritual Stamina of the Nation Theologies of Christian Marriage American (Christian) Marriage: A History of Change Protecting the Body Politic: A Political Analysis Conclusion: Religion, by Respectability 4. Same-Sex Love and the Impossibility of Christian Femininity and Masculinity Gays and Feminists: From Logic to Rhetoric Christian Masculinity as Crisis Submission and the Crisis of Christian Womanhood Complicated Flows of Power in Ordinary Family Life 5. A Political and Sexual Theology of Crisis Beyond Functionalism Struggling for the Christian Life A Political and Sexual Theology of Crisis Notes Bibliography Index

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