Religious social and pastoral thought and activity Books

Book SynopsisSheds light on religious clashes of the mid-fifth century regarding the nature (or natures) of Christ. This title focuses on Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, his Syrian allies, and his opponents, led by Alexandrian bishops Cyril and Dioscorus. It examines council transcripts, correspondence, and other records of communication.Trade Review"Makes a major contribution to our understanding of late-antique Roman society." Catholic Historical Review "A pleasure to read... A valuable contribution to scholarship." Hugoye: Journal Of Syriac StudiesTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction Part I. Theodoret and His Antiochene Clerical Network 1. Traces of a Network: Friendship, Doctrine, and Clerical Communication, 423--451 2. Shape of a Network: Antiochene Relational Patterns 3. Roots of a Network: Theodoret on the Antiochene Clerical Heritage 4. Ephesus and After: Leadership, Doctrinal Crisis and the Transformation of the Antiochene Network 5. Forging Community: Theodoret's Network and its Fall Part II. Theodoret and Late Roman Networks of Patronage 6. Mediating Bishops: Patronage Roles and Relations in the Fifth Century 7. The Irreplaceable Theodoret: Patronage Performance and Social Strategy 8. Patronage, Human and Divine: The Social Dynamics of Theodoret's Christology Epilogue: The Council of Chalcedon and the Antiochene Legacy Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn the optimistic years preceding Federation in 1901, the Melbourne-based Australian Church emerged as a progressive Christian movement to serve a brand-new nation. Bringing together leading scholars, this volume celebrates the church's radicalism, while taking account of debates and obstacles on the path to social reform.

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Book Synopsisaeo All essays are diverse and propose no single way to link spirituality and embodiment. aeo Several essays re--read classical spiritual and political traditions represented in the New Testament, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas of Aquinas, Julian of Norwich and Martin Luther.Trade Review"Students of theology will welcome this study and enjoy the varied presentations and I believe they will return to them, a pleasure made all the more attractive by the index." Anthony Lovegrove, Haslemere "This book of essays is a selection of writings from some of todays most thoughtful theologians. The theme of the book is an attempt to engage with both the realm of the mystical and that of the material utilising traditional reasources in creative ways. All of the essays are intriguing and cover a wide range of topics.....they all go a long way in contributing valuable arguments to the current debates surrounding the relevance and message the chuch has to offer the larger community.Table of Contents1. A Thirst for God or Consumer Spirituality?. Cultivating Disciplined Practices of Being Engaged by God: L. Gregory Jones (Loyola College, Maryland). 2. Interiority and Epiphany: A Reading in New Testament Ethics: Rowan Williams (Bishop of Monmouth, Wales). 3. Mystical Theology Redux: The Pattern of Aquinas' Summa Theologiae: A. N. Williams (University of Puget Sound). 4. Julian of Norwich - Incorporated: F. C. Bauerschmidt (Loyola College, Maryland). 5. A Christian, Holy People: Martin Luther on Salvation, Faith and Church: David S. Yeago (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary). 6. The Church In The State We're In: Nicholas Lash (University of Cambridge). 7. Wrestling with a Wounding Word: Reading the Disjointed Lines of African American Spirituality: Willie James Jennings (Duke University).

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Book Synopsisaeo Takes on one of the most controversial contemporary theological issues. aeo Provides new insights into Christian arguments about the body, focusing on homosexuality. aeo Offers constructive arguments for the fittingness in the Christian tradition of marriage--like homosexual relationships.Trade Review"This is the most sustained, serious and original theological work on sexuality and in particular same-sex relationships to have appeared for many years. As in Barth, thoughtful, theological conservations lead to a radical and liberating stance. This book may well turn a debate that often is no more than the marshalling of untheological prejudices in a constructive and responsible direction." Duncan B. Forrester, University of Edinburgh "Both sides of the gay marriage debate will benefit from this startlingly original and theologically rich treatment of the graced body. Here are Christian traditions not slavishly reproduced but put to a genuinely radical use." Kathryn Tanner, University of Chicago "Eugene Rogers has produced a serious and illuminating study of the controversial issue of sexuality that can be read with profit by all sides in this sometimes bitter debate......Rogers has written an important book that deepens our understanding of marraige as well as contributing to the current debate on sexuality."Bishop Paul Richardson "This is an unusual, challenging and important book, which makes a powerful theological case for same-sex marriage...The main strength of the book lies, however, in its uncompromising engagement with Paul's letter to the Romans and the twin ethical discourses, natural law and divine command, that locate evil in homosexual activity." Modern Believing "This is an extremely good book. Rogers's argument...is theologically informed, carefully constructed and powerfully presented at every turn. It should be widely read, for there is much of great value." Stephen R. Holmes, Journal of Theological Studies "This is a work of some theological richness, subtlety and scope, which is - for that very reason - notably free from the familiar dogmatisms and polemicizing that cloud the debate on homosexuality. It is tempting to conclude that, if there is a serious theological case to be made for same-sex marriage, this is it." Studies in Christian Ethics "This study deserves the careful attention of anyone who is interested in identifying and understanding the foundations on which a biblically-informed Christian sexual ethic must rest." Pro Ecclesia "Sexuality and the Christian Body shows a young theologian at work on a central dilemma of our day, a Christian who brings to his vocation scholarly rigor, moral and intellectual imagination, and, supremely, great theological passion. These are great gifts, and we can look forward eagerly to more." Theology TodayTable of ContentsAcknowledgments. Introduction. Part I: Orientation in the Debates: Sexuality and the People of God. 1. The Politics of the People of God. 2. The Identity of the People of God. Contrary to Nature. 3. The Holiness of the People of God: Monogamy and Monasticism. Part II: Retrieving Traditional Accounts: Aquinas and Barth. 4. The Storied Context of the Vice against Nature: Retrieving a Narrative. 5. Nature and Justice when Science and Scripture Conflict: Retrieving a Narrative. 6. Karl Barth on Jews and Gender: A Preliminary Critique. 7. Unintended Abstraction in Barth's Doctrine of Israel: Retrieving a Doctrine of the Spirit. 8. Unintended Abstraction in Barth's Account of Gender: Retrieving Co-Humanity. Part III: The Way of the Body into the Triune God. 9. Creation, Procreation, and the Glory of the Triune God. 10. Eros and Philanthropy. 11. The Shape of the Body and the Shape of Grace. 12. Hostility and Hospitality. 13. The Narrative of Providence and a Charge for a Wedding. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisThere has long been a tradition in the Christian church that discerns in the scriptures an imperative towards radical political action. This volume brings more than 60 extracts together, and includes letters, sermons, poems, liturgies and other writings from the 3rd to the 21st century.Trade Review"The organization and diversity of this work make it fairly distinctive. Recommended for seminary and academic libraries." Library Journal "Whilst diverse in subject, the editors have done a marvellous job in providing an editorial narrative that takes the reader apace through the ideas of this group of Christian thinkers, activists and theologians. This is what makes the book hard to put down - the authors' enthusiasm for their subject comes through in both their treatment of the individuals and of the literature. The book will undoubtedly become a useful source of study and reference material, but it is more than this. For me, it has provided a fascinating window onto some lesser-known authors who have developed ideas which provide a context for the thoughts of today's Christian socialists. It is not a book to be rushed through, but one to which I will enjoy returning and exploring again and again." Christian Socialist "This compilation is a welcome contribution, combining as it does feminist and black theology themes with the incipient communism of the Civil War radicals." Anabaptism Today "An inspiring collection." Church Times "This book is a goldmine, which I have already put on the Reading List for a new course...This is essential for scholars, and a good read for many others as well." Reform "[T]hose who read Radical Christian Writings with patience and proper guidance will find it an invaluable resource. Nowhere else is the range and depth of Christian social prophecy so fully displayed." Theology "The book offers an easy introduction to subversive Christian thought through the ages and should be a welcome addition to the shelves of thoughtful Congregationalists whose history includes many forays into radical activity, as well as to Christians of all denominations." Congregational History Circle Magazine "The 63 authors selected in this collection offer an exciting array of diverse insights into what is usually called 'the Christian tradition,' but perhaps should more accurately labeled 'the Christian traditions.'" The European LegacyTable of ContentsPreface. Christianity: Radical and Political. 1. Justin (c. 100-c. 165) and Cyprian (c. 300). 2. The Acts of Paul and Thecla (Second Century). 3. Pelagius (Late Fourth and Early Fifth Centuries CE). 4. Joachim of Fiore (1135-1202) and Peter Olivi (1248-1298). 5. Marguerite Piorete (died 1310). 6. John Ball (d. 1381). 7. William Langland (1330-1387). 8. Jan Hus (c. 1372-1415). 9. Lollard Sermon for Christmas Day on Luke 2.1-14 (Early Fifteenth Century). 10. Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498). 11. Defending the Indians. 12. Argula von Grumbach (c. 1492-1554). 13. Thomas Münster (1489?-1525). 14. William Tyndale (1494-1536). 15. Early Anabaptist Writings. 16. The Family of Love. 17. Early Baptist Worship. 18. Thomas Helwys (c. 1550-c. 1616). 19. The Levellers. 20. John Milton (1608-1674). 21. Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1676). 22. Abiezer Coppe (1619-1672). 23. Anna Trapnel (c. 1654). 24. Priscilla Cotton and Mary Cole. 25. Anne Wentworth (c. 1679). 26. James Nayler (c. 1617-1660): Behold You Rulers (1658). 27. John Bunyan (1628-1688). 28. William Blake (1757-1827). 29. John Woolman (1771-1720): Some Considerations on the Keeping of the Negroes (1754). 30. The Narrative of Sojourner Truth (c. 1797-1883). 31. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902). 32. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). 33. Joseph Arch (1826-1919). 34. Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918). 35. Padraig Pearse (1879-1916). 36. Frank Weston (1871-1924). 37. Dorothy Day (1897-1980). 38. The Worker-Priests. 39. Jacques Ellul (1912-1994). 40. Alan Ecclestone (1904-1992). 41. Martin Luther King (1929-1968). 42. Camilo Torres (1929-1966). 43. Dorothee Soelle (b. 1929). 44. The Solentiname Community (1966-1977). 45. Steve Biko (1946-1977). 46. Stanley Hauerwas on John Howard Yoder (1927-1997). 47. William Stringfellow (1928-1985). 48. Ian M. Fraser. 49. Carter Heyward. 50. Herbert McCabe (b. 1926). 51. Oscar Romero (1917-1980). 52. John Vincent. 53. The Kairos Document (1985). 54. Carlos Mesters. 55. The Interpretive Method of 'Unlock'. 56. Theology from the Perspective of 'Third-World' Women. 57. Sigqibo Dwane. 58. David Nicholls (1936-1996). 59. Sara Maitland. 60. Kenneth Leech (b. 1939). 61. Daniel Berrigan (1921-). 62. Gustavo Gutiérrez (1928-). 63. Thomas Hanks. Index.

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Book Synopsis* Identifies and traces the radical tradition within Christianity. * Makes available for the first time a comprehensive collection of radical Christian writings within one volume. * Includes over sixty extracts, including some which have been newly translated and many which have long been unavailable.Trade Review"The organization and diversity of this work make it fairly distinctive. Recommended for seminary and academic libraries." Library Journal "Whilst diverse in subject, the editors have done a marvellous job in providing an editorial narrative that takes the reader apace through the ideas of this group of Christian thinkers, activists and theologians. This is what makes the book hard to put down - the authors' enthusiasm for their subject comes through in both their treatment of the individuals and of the literature. The book will undoubtedly become a useful source of study and reference material, but it is more than this. For me, it has provided a fascinating window onto some lesser-known authors who have developed ideas which provide a context for the thoughts of today's Christian socialists. It is not a book to be rushed through, but one to which I will enjoy returning and exploring again and again." Christian Socialist "This compilation is a welcome contribution, combining as it does feminist and black theology themes with the incipient communism of the Civil War radicals." Anabaptism Today "An inspiring collection." Church Times "This book is a goldmine, which I have already put on the Reading List for a new course...This is essential for scholars, and a good read for many others as well." Reform "[T]hose who read Radical Christian Writings with patience and proper guidance will find it an invaluable resource. Nowhere else is the range and depth of Christian social prophecy so fully displayed." Theology "The book offers an easy introduction to subversive Christian thought through the ages and should be a welcome addition to the shelves of thoughtful Congregationalists whose history includes many forays into radical activity, as well as to Christians of all denominations." Congregational History Circle Magazine "The 63 authors selected in this collection offer an exciting array of diverse insights into what is usually called 'the Christian tradition,' but perhaps should more accurately labeled 'the Christian traditions.'" The European LegacyTable of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xiii Christianity: Radical and Political xvi 1 Justin (c 100-c 165) and Cyprian (c 300) 1 2 The Acts of Paul and Thecla (Second Century) 4 3 Pelagius (Late Fourth and Early Fifth Centuries CE) 12 4 Joachim of Fiore (1135-1202) and Peter Olivi (1248-1298) 34 5 Marguerite Piorete (died 1310) 38 6 John Ball (d 1381) 40 7 William Langland (1330-1387) 42 8 Jan Hus (c 1372-1415) 51 9 Lollard Sermon for Christmas Day on Luke 2.1-14 (Early Fifteenth Century) 56 10 Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) 59 11 Defending the Indians 62 12 Argula von Grumbach (c 1492-1554) 69 13 Thomas Münster (1489?-1525) 75 14 William Tyndale (1494-1536) 81 15 Early Anabaptist Writings 84 16 The Family of Love 94 17 Early Baptist Worship 105 18 Thomas Helwys (c 1550-c 1616) 107 19 The Levellers 109 20 John Milton (1608-1674) 114 21 Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1676) 120 22 Abiezer Coppe (1619-1672) 138 23 Anna Trapnel (c 1654) 144 24 Priscilla Cotton and Mary Cole 147 25 Anne Wentworth (c 1679) 153 26 James Nayler (c 1617-1660): Behold You Rulers (1658) 157 27 John Bunyan (1628-1688) 162 28 William Blake (1757-1827) 165 29 John Woolman (1771-1720): Some Considerations on the Keeping of the Negroes (1754) 172 30 The Narrative of Sojourner Truth (c 1797-1883) 176 31 Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) 180 32 Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) 186 33 Joseph Arch (1826-1919) 189 34 Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918) 193 35 Padraig Pearse (1879-1916) 196 36 Frank Weston (1871-1924) 199 37 The Barmen Declaration (1934) 201 38 Dorothy Day (1897-1980) 204 39 The Worker-Priests 209 40 Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) 216 41 Alan Ecclestone (1904-1992) 221 42 Martin Luther King (1929-1968) 229 43 Camilo Torres (1929-1966) 235 44 Dorothee Soelle (b 1929) 238 45 The Solentiname Community (1966-1977) 243 46 Steve Biko (1946-1977) 247 47 Stanley Hauerwas on John Howard Yoder (1927-1997) 250 48 William Stringfellow (1928-1985) 255 49 Ian M Fraser 261 50 Carter Heyward 265 51 Herbert McCabe (b 1926) 272 52 Oscar Romero (1917-1980) 277 53 John Vincent 280 54 The Kairos Document (1985) 285 55 Carlos Mesters 305 56 The Interpretive Method of 'Unlock' 308 57 Theology from the Perspective of 'Third-World' Women 311 58 Sigqibo Dwane 315 59 Sara Maitland 321 60 Kenneth Leech (b 1939) 327 61 Daniel Berrigan (1921-) 332 62 Gustavo Gutiérrez (1928-) 335 63 Thomas Hanks 343 Index 347 Scriptural Citations 350

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Book Synopsis* Presents new, accessible translation by internationally acclaimed Weberian scholar * Contains classic text by Weber exploring the continuing debate over the origins and legacy of modern Western capitalism * Includes an enlightening introduction by the translator, a glossary, and supplemental essays.Trade Review"In a style at once elegant and rigorous, Stephen Kalberg presents us with a superb translation of Max Weber's classic study of religion and economics that to a large extent has defined the nature of the historical sociology of capitalism... [This] work of authoritative and authentic scholarship ... will establish the bench mark for Weber translations in the social sciences." Bryan S. Turner, University of Cambridge "I am glad to see this immensely important work, first published a century ago, finally made available to the English reading public in an accessible version ... Kalberg succeeds in making the text a pleasure to read." Egon Bittner, Brandeis University "Weber's classic text has now at last been given the treatment it deserves in English, with Stephen Kalberg's meticulous translation and superb editorial presentation." William Outhwaite, University of Sussex "This new translation offers a readable, trenchant alternative to the ideologies of modernity and to the postmodernist philosophies central to much social theory, ethics and theology today. Those interested in the future will attend to this fresh recovery of the past." Max L. Stackhouse, Princeton Theological Seminary "Stephen Kalberg has produced a book that teachers and students will find invaluable. What an excellent idea, to combine a new translation of Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with other closely related writings of Weber's, including a detailed and accessible introduction and supporting background information on Weber the man, on the book, and on its place in contemporary social science. Kalberg's comprehensive introduction manages to be informative and scholarly while remaining a clear and intelligible guide to the book. The introduction offers an accurate and refined statement of Weber's important and influential (if often misunderstood) thesis, placing it in the context of its era and to Weber's general idea of sociology. This new version of The Protestant Ethic should greatly improve upon its predecessor and clear up misunderstandings of Weber's meaning which the earlier translation may have engendered." Wes Sharrock, University of Manchester "This new translation of Weber's The Protestant Ethic, one of the most important social science works of the twentieth century, is a welcome and worthwhile enterprise. It carefully presents the numerous and important nuances of Weber's text, giving a clear idea of the place of this text in the intellectual framework of his time. Professor Kalberg's introduction provides a very interesting commentary on this text as well as the place of Weber's work in the history of sociology and its relevance to the central problems of contemporary sociology theory. [The book] is a distinct contribution - and a tool for students of sociological theory and its history." S.N. Eisenstadt, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem "A couple of years ago I had to re-read Plato's Republic. I was amazed by the striking resemblance between the social problems addressed by Plato and the problems of contemporary societies. I had similar experience after reading the new translation of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Stephen Kalberg, an internationally acclaimed Weberian scholar. Although capitalism and the discursive formation that has laid the foundation for its existence has changed very much, reading this classical work of Weber reminds one the nature and operations of capitalism that we take for granted...[Kalberg] has successfully overcome the daunting task of balancing between keeping Weber's message intact while at the same time providing a reader friendly translation." AlemSeghed Kebede, California State University, Bakersfield "Essentially, Kalberg achieves his goal of providing an indispensable, up-to-date resource for the scholar, teacher, student while, at the same time presenting the general, albeit serious reader with an engaging version of this most outstanding of Weber's works. Auto/Biography JournalTable of ContentsIntroduction to the Translation:Stephen Kalberg. Introduction to The Protestant Ethic:Stephen Kalberg. Glossary. Part I: The Problem:. 1. Religious Affiliation and Social Stratification. 2. The Spirit of Capitalism. 3. Luther's Conception of the Calling. Task of the Investigation. Part II: The Vocational Ethic of Ascetic Protestantism:. 4. The Religious Foundations of This-Worldly Asceticism. Calvinism. Pietism. Methodism. The Baptizing Sects and Churches. 5. Asceticism and the Spirit of Capitalism. The Protestant Sects and the Spirit of Capitalism: Trans. Hans H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills. "Prefatory Remarks" to Collected Essays in the Sociology of Religion (1920). Notes for The Protestant Ethic. Notes for The Protestant Sects. Notes for Prefatory Remarks. Name Index. Subject Index.

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Book SynopsisIn the Book of Genesis, the first words God speaks to humanity are "Be fruitful and multiply." From ancient times to today, these words have been understood as a divine command to procreate. Fertility is viewed as a sign of blessedness and moral uprightness, while infertility is associated with sin and moral failing. Reconceiving Infertility explorTrade Review"This book brings to light biblical ideas that challenge 'modern natural assumption about infertility.' Required reading for those interested in biblical and/or disability studies."--Choice "[A] provocative and palliative book."--Amy-Jill Levine, Irish Theological Quarterly "The last 90 pages of this elegantly produced book include a wealth of scholarly material as well as the usual subject index. In other words, the text not only draws upon a range of resources perhaps not expected by the title, presented with organization and clarity, making the content accessible to a wide range of readers."--Ann Loades, Theology "Reconceiving Infertility is a valuable contribution to a variety of emerging and established conversations in biblical studies, including those on gender, disability studies, family structures, and childhood."--Laurel Koepf Taylor, Catholic Bible QuarterlyTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The Matriarchs as Models 21 Chapter 2: The Blessing and the Curse 70 Chapter 3: Mother Zion and the Eschaton 103 Chapter 4: The Son of God and the Conception of the New Age 140 Chapter 5: Chastity, Marriage, and Gender in the Christian Family 171 Chapter 6: Barrenness and the Eschaton 200 Conclusion 229 Notes 239 Bibliography 291 Primary Source Index 313 Subject Index 325

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Book SynopsisBefore the outbreak of hostilities between Charles I and the Long Parliament, the King had authorized a regular monthly fast for the realm which members of parliament later adopted as a program of national humiliation. At the invitation of individual members of parliament, two preachers, generally leading puritan clerics connected with the WestminsTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Preface, pg. vii*Contents, pg. xi*I. Preaching in the Long Parliament, pg. 1*II. The Genesis of the Commons Preaching Program, pg. 22*III. The Program of Humiliations and Thanksgivings, pg. 60*IV. Parliamentary Sponsors and the Puritan Preachers, pg. 98*V. The Plain Style and Puritan Texts, pg. 137*VI. Puritan Piety for a Covenanted Nation, pg. 166*VII. Puritanism in the Time of Civil War, pg. 197*Appendix One: Calendar and Checklist of Humiliations, Thanksgivings, and Preachers in the Long Parliament, pg. 237*Appendix Two: Calendar of Printed Sermons Preached to Members of the Long Parliament, pg. 255*Appendix Three: Sermons Preached to Sundry of the House of Commons, 1641, pg. 275*Index, pg. 281

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Book SynopsisThe story of the an influential group of social reformers in early 19th Century England.Table of ContentsContentsDramatis Personae: The Clapham Sect and SignificantSupporters 7Introduction 11PART ONE: FATHERS AND MOTHERS 151 The Thorntons 162 The Venns 283 Henry Thornton 364 William Wilberforce 43PART TWO: BROTHERS AND SISTERS 515 Schooling 526 The Proclamation 577 The Slave Trade 668 Mendip Schools 759 The Slave Trade Continued 8010 Sierra Leone: Exodus 9111 Sierra Leone: the Promised Land 10112 Coming to Clapham 11213 Sierra Leone: New Management 12514 The Pen 13315 Sons and Lovers: Macaulay and Stephen 14516 Husbands and Wives 15517 Sierra Leone and Ireland 16718 Church Missionary Society 17419 Vice 18520 Slaves of the Abolitionists 20021 East and West Indies 21222 Anti-Slavery 22323 Deliverance to the Captives 23424 Sons and Daughters 246Notes 251Select Bibliography 262Index 269

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Book SynopsisWhen Dr. Robinson asked her freshman psychology students what today''s parents need to know about teens and sex, they said parents do not have a realistic view of the world their children live in. A healthy sexual identity requires more than just a list of what not to do. In today''s culture of sexual identity confusion, ubiquitous pornography, and #MeToo, teenagers need to know how to protect themselves as well as how to treat others. Talking with Teens about Sexuality will help you understand your teen''s world and give you effective strategies in the midst of cultural pressures. Drs. Robinson and Scott provide scientifically reliable and biblically based information about gender fluidity, types of intimacy, online dangers, setting boundaries, and much more. Along the way, the book provides useful conversation starters and insightful guidance.Don''t let fear keep you from engaging in vital conversations. Learn how to talk to your teen with knowledge an

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Book SynopsisWhile the spiritual atmosphere grows more toxic and the world becomes more anti-God, Christians are engaging less and less with their faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We do not have to fear the future. But we must not be surprised by it or be unprepared to face it.In this insightful book, David Sliker helps readers understand and prepare for a future filled with glory and victory for the church, unfolding in the context of unprecedented rage, rebellion, and resistance by the world around us. Full of practical application, this book connects readers to the current storm that is upon us, contextualizing today''s news, current events, and cultural narratives through the lens of biblical prophecy and the return of Jesus. The greatest days of the church lie ahead. We can stand strong, persevere, and overcome in these days!

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Book SynopsisIn this addition to the award-winning Church and Postmodern Culture series, respected theologian Daniel Bell compares and contrasts capitalism and Christianity, showing how Christianity provides resources for faithfully navigating the postmodern global economy.Bell approaches capitalism and Christianity as alternative visions of humanity, God, and the good life. Considering faith and economics in terms of how desire is shaped, he casts the conflict as one between different disciplines of desire. He engages the work of two important postmodern philosophers, Deleuze and Foucault, to illuminate the nature of the postmodern world that the church currently inhabits. Bell then considers how the global economy deforms desire in a manner that distorts human relations with God and one another. In contrast, he presents Christianity and the tradition of the works of mercy as a way beyond capitalism and socialism, beyond philanthropy and welfare. Christianity heals desire, renewing humanTable of ContentsIntroduction: What Has Paris to Do with Jerusalem?1. The Multitude: The Micropolitics of Desire2. Capital Desire: Capitalism as an Economy of Desire3. What Is Wrong with Capitalism?4. Capitalist Theology: The Agony of Capitalist Desire5. Is Another Economy Possible? The Church as an Economy of Desire6. The Economy of Salvation7. Christian Economics8. The Work of MercyConclusion: Dishonest Wealth, Friends, and Eternal HomesIndex

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Book SynopsisNoted theologian and bestselling author Ron Sider provides a career capstone biblical-theological case for the view that Jesus calls his disciples to love, and never kill, their enemies.Table of ContentsContents Foreword by Stanley Hauerwas Introduction 1. Jesus's Gospel 2. Jesus's Actions 3. Jesus's Teaching in the Sermon on the Mount 4. Other Teachings of Jesus 5. Peace in the Rest of the New Testament 6. But What About . . . ? 7. Foundational Theological Issues 8. Problems with Pacifism 9. Problems with Just War Thinking 10. Jesus and Killing in the Old Testament 11. What If Most (or All) Christians Became Pacifists? 12. Nonviolence and the Atonement 13. Christians and Killing in Church History 14. If Jesus Is Lord Indexes

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Book SynopsisProvides a comprehensive evaluation of current approaches to leadership from a discerning Christian perspective. Now updated and revised throughout.Table of ContentsContentsForeword by Max De PreePreface to the Second EditionIntroduction1. Leadership: An Emerging Academic Discipline2. Biblical, Historical, and Denominational Perspectives on Leadership3. Spiritual and Religious Dimensions of Leadership: The Ethical Foundation4. Faith-Based Approaches to Leadership5. Practicing Leadership through Faithfulness, Integrity, and Service6. Leadership Development: Leaving a Legacy7. Governance: Practicing Faith-Based Leadership8. Christian Leadership in Action: Some Exemplary Case StudiesConclusion: The Future of LeadershipIndex

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Book SynopsisOutreach Magazine''s 2012 Resource of the Year Award Winner2012 Book of the Year Award, Foreword MagazineThe entire material world can be divided between the Natural Environment and the Built Environment. Over the past forty years, the Natural Environment has received more attention of the two, but that is beginning to change. With a renewed interest in 'place' within various academic disciplines and the practical issues of rising fuel costs and scarcity of land, the Built Environment has emerged as a coherent and engaging subject for academic and popular consideration.While there is a growing body of work on the Built Environment, very little approaches it from a distinctly Christian perspective. This major new work represents a comprehensive and grounded approach. Employing tools from the field of theology and culture, it demonstrates how looking at the Built Environment through a theological lens provides a unique persTrade Review"Jacobsen sets himself two goals: to get us to attend to urban space--the space between the buildings in a city or village--and to explain why Christians in particular should care about the quality of urban space. He succeeds admirably on both counts. A fine contribution to an extremely important topic." --Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale University and University of Virginia

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Book SynopsisAn international roster of scholars highlights the place of Stoic teaching in early Christian thought.Table of ContentsContents• Introduction to philosophy between Stoicism and Platonism by Troels Engberg-Pedersen• Chapters on the New Testament by Runar M. Thorsteinsson (on Romans), Niko Huttunen (on Paul and the law), Stanley K. Stowers (on the Gospel of Matthew), Harold W. Attridge and Gitte Buch-Hansen (on the Gospel of John), and J. Albert Harrill (on 2 Peter)• Chapters on other early Christian topics and documents by John T. Fitzgerald (on slavery), Nicola Denzey (on martyrdom), Esther de Boer (on the Gospel of Mary), Ismo Dunderberg (on Valentinianism), Takashi Onuki (on the Apocryphon of John), and Tuomas Rasimus (on Sethianism and stoicizing Platonism)

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Book SynopsisHighly regarded preacher and teacher Bryan Chapell shows readers how he has prepared expository sermons according to the principles he developed in his bestselling Christ-Centered Preaching. This companion volume provides concrete examples of how a redemptive approach to Scripture is fleshed out in various types of sermons and various genres of the Bible. The example sermons not only demonstrate different approaches but also are analyzed for pedagogical purposes, helping readers move from theory to practice. In essence, the book allows students and preachers to look over Chapell''s shoulder as he prepares these messages to learn how to construct their own expository sermons that communicate grace and truth from both the Old and New Testaments.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Christ-Centered SermonsPart One: StructureExample Sermon One: Expository Sermon in Formal Structure FormatExample Sermon Two: Expository Sermon in Fundamental Reduction FormatExample Sermon Three: Expository Sermon in Inductive (Narrative) FormatExample Sermon Four: Topical Sermon for a Special OccasionPart Two: Biblical TheologyExample Sermon Five: Predictive Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Bridge Example)Example Sermon Six: Preparatory Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Dead End Example)Example Sermon Seven: Reflective Christ-Centered Interpretation (Narrative Passage)Example Sermon Eight: Resultant Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Macro-Approach)Example Sermon Nine: Resultant Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Micro-Approach)Part Three: Gospel ApplicationExample Sermon Ten: Indicative/Imperative Dynamics (Indicative Emphasis)Example Sermon Eleven: Indicative/Imperative Dynamics (Imperative Emphasis)Example Sermon Twelve: Union with Christ: Motivation and EnablementExample Sermon Thirteen: Preach the WordIndexes

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Book SynopsisThis companion volume to Robinson's bestselling Biblical Preaching provides models of biblical preaching from Old Testament texts and includes insightful preacher interviews.Table of ContentsContentsA Word to the Reader1. Climbing Test Mountain: Genesis 22:1-19 Bryan Wilkerson2. How to Say God's Name: Exodus 20:7 Eric Dokken3. The Story of the Left-Handed Assassin and the Obese King: Judges 3:12-30 Steve Mathewson4. Dealing with Doubt: A Story: Psalm 73 Patricia Batten5. Sounds That Make a Noise: Proverbs 22:1 Sid Buzzell6. Ego Adjustment: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 Scott Wenig7. There Is Value in Remembering: Isaiah 43:1-3a Ramona Spilman8. The Place of the Preacher: Jeremiah 1 Kent Edwards9. The Insanity of Stewardship: Daniel 4 Torrey Robinson10. What Do You Care About? Jonah 1-4 Matthew Kim11. God's Justice and Love: Topical Chris DolsonAppendix: Titles That Tick Haddon W. Robinson

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Book SynopsisAn experienced preacher and teacher shows how cultural intelligence can help preachers build bridges to reach their varied listeners in the church and beyond.Table of ContentsContentsIntroductionPart 1: Cultural Intelligence in Theory1. Preaching and Cultural Intelligence2. The Homiletical Template3. Hermeneutics and Cultural Intelligence4. Exegeting the PreacherPart 2: Cultural Intelligence in Practice5. Preaching and Denominations6. Preaching and Ethnicities7. Preaching and Genders8. Preaching and Locations9. Preaching and ReligionsConclusionAppendix 1: The Homiletical TemplateAppendix 2: Worksheet for Understanding CultureAppendix 3: Sample SermonIndex

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Book SynopsisMany Christians today feel overwhelmed as they try to live faithfully in a culture that seems increasingly hostile to their beliefs. Politics, marriage, sexuality, religious freedom--with an ever-growing list of contentious issues, believers find it harder than ever to hold on to their convictions while treating their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family members who disagree with respect and compassion. This isn''t just a problem that affects individual Christians; if left unaddressed, the growing gap between the faithful and society''s tolerance for public faith will have lasting consequences for the church in America.Now the bestselling authors of unChristian turn their data-driven insights toward the thorny question of how Christians talk with people they know and love about the most toxic issues of our day. They help today''s disciples understand what they believe and why, and how to keep believing it without being judgmental and defensive. Readers will d

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Book SynopsisMost pastors know when they enter the ministry that they will spend time helping others through times of suffering. What they usually do not realize, though, is that they too will suffer. Caught off guard, many of them end up deeply hurt and quit the ministry, deciding that perhaps they misunderstood God''s call on their lives or that they simply do not have what it takes. But church history is filled with compelling stories of men who were profoundly afflicted while they carried out their ministry and yet persevered faithfully until death.Now the editors of The Gospel Coalition have collected inspiring stories of twelve faithful men who endured great suffering for the cause of Christ. The stories of the apostle Paul, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, John Bunyan, Wang Mindao, and others show that suffering in the context of ministry is expected--and it''s never wasted. Pastors and ministry leaders, as well as those who support them, will find in this collection encouragement to

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Book SynopsisAre you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of 'Say no unless you have to say yes.'Don''t want that to be your church''s legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a dynamic, giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is 'Yes! How can we help?'No matter the size, location, demographics, or issues in your community, the approach found in this practical book will help you improve people''s lives, draw them into productive conversation about the hope you have in Christ, and glorify God.

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Book SynopsisIn the life of a pastor, no two days, months, or years will be the same. This church growth expert unpacks the various roles of a pastor, showing you how to live and lead more fruitfully in your calling.

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Book SynopsisProvides theological rationale and strategies of action for evangelicals passionate about justice, showing them how to advocate for lasting change.Table of ContentsContentsPart 1: The Problem Defined1. An Evangelical Approach to Advocacy: Definitions and Underpinnings2. Transformational Advocacy: Past Foundations, Current Challenges, and New Frontiers for Evangelical ActionPart 2: An Evangelical Theology of Advocacy3. Theology of Advocacy: God, Power, and Advocacy4. Transformational Advocacy and Power: The State and Social Institutions5. The Role of the ChurchPart 3: An Evangelical Practice of Advocacy6. Transformational Advocacy Practice: Witness of the Local and Global Church and the Parachurch7. Challenges and Tensions in Transformational Advocacy and Steps for Overcoming ThemConclusionAppendix: Case Studies in Evangelical AdvocacyIndex

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Book SynopsisA respected scholar and veteran teacher offers Christian leaders tools for facing the demands and seizing the opportunities of being a moral teacher.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Why This Book?1. The Minister as Ethicist2. Preaching on Morally Difficult Texts and Occasions3. Teaching about Moral Issues4. Giving Moral Counsel5. Serving as a Moral ExampleFurther ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisTwo experienced teachers and pastors offer a one-of-a-kind resource in professional ethics for today's clergy, addressing both current and perennial ethical issues.Table of ContentsContents1. Walking with Integrity: A Profession or a Calling?2. Being Good and Doing Good: Moral Formation for Ministry3. Looking in the Mirror: Integrity in Your Personal Life4. Looking at the Church: Integrity in Your Ministry5. Looking at Fellow Ministers: Integrity with Your Colleagues6. Promoting Peace and Justice: Integrity in the Community7. Facing Clergy Sexual Abuse: The Cost of Lost Integrity8. Developing a Personal Code of Ethics: A Plan for Integrity in MinistryMinisterial Code of Ethics WorksheetAppendix A: A Procedure for Responding to Charges of Clergy Sexual AbuseAppendix B: Early Denominational Codes of EthicsAppendix C: Contemporary Denominational Codes of EthicsAppendix D: Sample Codes of EthicsIndexes

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Book SynopsisA respected scholar and veteran teacher addresses the moral formation and identity of the pastor, particularly emphasizing ethical and safe ministry.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Why Good Rules Aren't Enough1. A Moral Framework for Power2. Laying Deeper Ethical Foundations3. Protecting Space for Ministry4. Understanding How Ministers Get into Trouble5. Embracing the Practices that Sustain FaithfulnessFurther ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisEl destacado erudito Jared Alcántara ofrece una edición en español de su libro de texto introductorio de predicación de la próxima generación que es centrado en la práctica, intencionalmente colaborativo y tecnológicamente innovador.Esta edición en inglés abrió nuevos caminos mediante la adopción de un enfoque basado en la práctica para enseñar predicación y mediante el uso de una entrega tecnológicamente innovadora para mejorar la experiencia educativa de los estudiantes. Ahora Alcántara trae su enfoque único a los pastores en entrenamiento que hablan español, a los institutos bíblicos de español y a las clases bilingües.Alcántara introduce los básicos de la predicación cristiana y enfatiza las habilidades que los predicadores pueden cultivar durante todas sus vidas. Este libro presenta las persTable of ContentsContenidoIntroducción1. Predique sermones cristianos2. Predique con convicción3. Predique de forma contextual4. Predique con claridad5. Predique de manera concreta6. Predique de un modo creativoConclusiónÍndice

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Book SynopsisClergy suffer from certain health issues at a rate higher than the general population. Why are pastors in such poor health? And what can be done to help them step into the abundant life God desires for them?Although anecdotal observations about poor clergy health abound, concrete data from multiple sources supporting this claim hasn''t been made accessible--until now. Duke''s Clergy Health Initiative (CHI), a major, decade-long research project, provides a true picture of the clergy health crisis over time and demonstrates that improving the health of pastors is possible. Bringing together the best in social science and medical research, this book quantifies the poor health of clergy with theological engagement. Although the study focused on United Methodist ministers, the authors interpret CHI''s groundbreaking data for a broad ecumenical readership. In addition to physical health, the book examines mental health and spiritual well-being, and suggests that increasing positivTable of ContentsContentsPreface: The Birth of the Duke Clergy Health Initiative1. Creatures Doing the Creator's Work2. When Work Is Holy: Highs and Lows of Ministry Work3. Slowed Down and Overwhelmed: Clergy and Depressive Symptoms4. A Practical Guide to Combating Stress Symptoms5. The Pastor's Paradox: Clergy Health and Disease6. Feeling Alive: The Role of Positive Emotions7. Clergy Flourishing: In Their Own Words8. The Lord Bless You and Keep YouAppendix: Recommendations for Clergy Health Programs

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Book SynopsisRedekop, Conrad Grebel College; Mel Schmidt; Dorothy Jean Weaver, Eastern Mennonite University; Michael Yoder, Northwestern College, Iowa.Trade ReviewCreation and the Environment is a helpful, valuable contribution to the growing corpus of writing on Christianity and the environment. -- Lytton John Musselman Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith In any discussion of the environment of environmental responsibility, few elements are quite as complex and contentious as the relationship of religious belief to activities affecting the environment. Thus, it is difficult to have a useful discussion of the nature of appropriate human action towards the natural world without taking into account the extent to which several widespread views on the environment are undisputedly motivated by religious belief. Here Creation and the Environment fills a useful niche. -- Carol Medlicott Ethics, Place and the Environment A revealing and multi-disciplinary examination of one particular Christian perspective on the topic... one is left understanding the way in which a faith commitment can have specific consequences for the practical working out of a creation-caring lifestyle. -- Randolph Haluza-DeLay Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuse A rich collection of essays on a sustainable world based on Anabaptist insights. Each of the essays is important and contributes to a basic theology of nature, stewardship, population, personal behavior, and public action. I can't recommend this book too highly. -- John A. Lapp Provident Book Finder A rich and distinctive contribution to the growing literature on Christian eco-theology and environmental ethics. -- Anna Peterson WorldviewsTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionsPart I. Human Activities & Their Alteration of the Creation1. Economics, Development, and Creation2. Science, Technology, and Creation3. Population Density and a Sustainable EnvironmentPart II. Anabaptist/Mennonite Life & the Environment4. God's Spirit and a Theology for Living5. Mennonites, Economics, and the Care of Creation6. The Mennonite Political Witness to the Care of CreationPart III. Anabaptists' Theological & Historial Orientation7. Creation, the Fall, and Humanity's Role in the Ecosystem8. The New Testament and the Environment: Toward a Christology for the Cosmos9. Pacifism, Nonviolence, and the Peaceful Reign of God10. An Anabaptist Mennonite Theology of Creation11. The Earth Is a Song Made VisiblePart IV. The Challenge to Take Care of the Earth12. Toward an Anabaptist/Mennonite Environmental Ethic13. The Environmental Challenge before UsAppendix A. A Letter to CongressAppendix B. Stewards in God's CreationNotesBiblographyContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Seth Dowland's monograph makes a fresh and valuable contribution to a densely populated literature, not simply with impressive research and writing, but with innovative engagement with the historical development of the contemporary Christian Right. . . . Dowland shows . . . that gender was not simply one issue among many but was the central organizing category, fundamental analytical logic, and discursive self-understanding." * Journal of Southern Religion *"What Dowland gives us is a remarkably perceptive analysis of white conservative evangelicals' beliefs about the family, the state, and American society. Other books may chronicle the history of the Christian Right, but few other works succeed so well in taking readers inside the mind of conservative evangelicals to explain how Christian Right activists think." * Reading Religion *"Dowland's work elucidates the underbelly of the Christian right movement and clarifies the importance of many topics to this group." * Political Science Quarterly *"This tightly argued, well-executed study stands up admirably on a crowded bookshelf." * American Historical Review *"As Seth Dowland explains, evangelicals hearkened to a past in which gender lines were clear. . . . It's a story that Dowland tells carefully and fairly." * Christian Century *"'Family values' politics is omnipresent in the history and rhetoric (and study) of the Christian Right, yet what exactly does it mean, and how, why, and when did it gain such remarkable traction? Weaving a boldly and beautifully written story through the many stages of evangelical family life, grassroots activism, advocacy, and public policy, Seth Dowland tells us. His is the definitive study of a movement-a phenomenon-that has shaped modern American politics in its image." * Darren Dochuk, author of From Bible Belt to Sunbelt *"'Family values' has become ubiquitous in our culture and yet it has not received serious, thorough, and substantive analysis-until now. Seth Dowland has produced a smart, lively, and engaging book that makes important contributions to political, religious, and cultural history. This book should garner serious attention from a wide readership." * Matthew Avery Sutton, author of American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism *Table of ContentsIntroduction PART I. CHILDREN Chapter 1. Christian Schools Chapter 2. Textbook Politics Chapter 3. Home Schools PART II. MOTHERS Chapter 4. Abortion Chapter 5. Feminism PART III. FATHERS Chapter 6. Gay Rights Chapter 7. Military Men Chapter 8. Promise Keepers Notes Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisLuigi Taparelli, SJ, 1793-1862 presented a neo-Thomistic approach to social, economic, and political sciences grounded in an integral conception of the human person as social animal but also as rational truth seeker. In this present book, Taparelli's ideas are evaluated both for their philosophical character but also in their historical context.

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Book SynopsisCommentaries aimed at aiding priests and seminarians as they address or prepare to address the pastoral and theological concerns they encounter or will encounter on a daily basis. This volume could also be used in parish adult education groups, wherein the laity could better understand the relationship between faith and the sacraments.

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Book SynopsisIt is often assumed that the law and religion address different spheres of human life. This book challenges this assumption by presenting the reader with an urgent conversation between the law and religion that yields a constructive approach, both theoretically and practically, to the complex role of mercy in our legal process.Trade ReviewAn engaging, vital book, well written and pertinent to a wide range of theoretical and practical issues in the shaping of policy in this society's treatment of persons deemed 'criminals.'... This book suggests that wrongdoers deserve forms of justice tempered by mercy and mercy inclusive of some level of punishment that falls short of revenge. Currently, many Americans like revenge. But that makes this book as important as ever. - Donald W. Shriver, Union Theological Seminary, author of Honest Patriots: Loving a Country Enough to Remember Its Misdeeds

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Book SynopsisWhat can today's influx of Evangelical leadership tell us about Christianity and society at large?Trade Review"A fascinating journey into the worlds of five of the most influential religious leaders in the United States. Holy Mavericks provides an open window to view change both in American religion and American culture. In reading this book, you will find that these five religious giants do not practice old time religion, and yet, ironically, they do. Holy Mavericks shows us how." -- Michael O. Emerson,co-author of People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States"Introduces us to some of the most prominent religious innovators in the United States today‘savvy spiritual suppliers,’ as the authors saywho are skilled at recalibrating their messages and ministries to fit particular audiences. Religious scholars will welcome the attention given to cultural themes in the analysis, and the emphasis on more than just individual choice; general readers will be enthralled by the creativity of the producers but also appalled at the captivity of religious faith to contemporary culture." -- Wade Clark Roof,University of California at Santa Barbara"Takes us beyond the scandal-mongering and speculation so common in popular media coverage of religion to provide a deeper level of insight into some of the most influential ministries in the spiritual marketplace of American religion today. Combining keen sociological analysis with crucial historical contextualization, Lee and Sinitiere explain what have been the keys to the relative successes of these ministries' leaders as individuals willing to ‘do business’ outside of traditional ministerial boundaries in a variety of ways. . . . A must-read for those seeking to understand this intersection of faith, commerce, and politics." -- Milmon F. Harrison,author of Righteous Riches: The Word of Faith Movement in Contemporary African American Religion"The new book Holy Mavericks casts a wide net in its study of evangelical innovators . . . Co-authors Shayne Lee and Phillip Luke Sinitiere see [them] as helping to create the competition and vitality of Americas religious marketplace." * Religion Watch *"These evangelical innovators are household names, thanks in large part to their multimedia know-how, but they preach a conservative messageoften regarded as antiquated. Most important, their ministries supply existential fulfillment to existential demands. This book (especially the bibliographic essay "Theory of Religious Economy") will most appeal to scholars and students. However, curious readers will enjoy it as well. Highly recommended." * Library Journal *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments1 Introduction 2 The "Negro Problem" and the "Yellow Peril": Early Twentieth-Century America's Views on Blacks and Asians 3 Estrangement on a Train: Race and Narratives of American Identity in The Marrow of Tradition and America through the Spectacles of an Oriental Diplomat 4 The Eaton Sisters Go to Jamaica 5 Quicksand and the Racial Aesthetics of Chinoiserie 6 Nation, Narration, and the Afro-Asian Encounter in W. E. B. DuBois's Dark Princess and Younghill Kang's East Goes West 7 Coda Notes Bibliography Index About the Author

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Book SynopsisA range of perspectives and data on pastoral abuse, investigating sexual and financial misconduct, and political and personal abuse of authority. Rather than focusing on individuals, it investigates whether the foundation for malfeasance is inherent in religious organizations themselves.Trade Review"This book is extremely valuable. Shupe et al. have done an excellent job...highly recommended; it is a must-read." * Criminal Justice Review *"Goes far beyond the ‘bad apple' theory of clergy malfeasance. In this book sensitive, tough-minded sociologists ask why notorious predators have been able to exploit religious institutions and use them to cover up their violations. The clear-headed contributors not only communicate effectively with a wide audience, but also bring years of hard-won experience and training to help the rest of us understand how the misuse of clergy power arose and operates. Institutions that train professionalsseminaries, law schools, medical schools, academic centerscould profit considerably from the wisdom and implied recommendations found in these weighty chapters." -- J. E. Barnhart,author of The Study of Religion and Its Meaning"Bad Pastors raises all the good questions and provides many hypothetical answers, and for these reasons alone it should be read by all sociologists of religion with an interest in wrongdoings." * Sociology of Religion *

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Book SynopsisA range of perspectives and data on pastoral abuse, investigating sexual and financial misconduct, and political and personal abuse of authority. Rather than focusing on individuals, it investigates whether the foundation for malfeasance is inherent in religious organizations themselves.Trade Review"This book is extremely valuable. Shupe et al. have done an excellent job...highly recommended; it is a must-read." * Criminal Justice Review *"Goes far beyond the ‘bad apple' theory of clergy malfeasance. In this book sensitive, tough-minded sociologists ask why notorious predators have been able to exploit religious institutions and use them to cover up their violations. The clear-headed contributors not only communicate effectively with a wide audience, but also bring years of hard-won experience and training to help the rest of us understand how the misuse of clergy power arose and operates. Institutions that train professionalsseminaries, law schools, medical schools, academic centerscould profit considerably from the wisdom and implied recommendations found in these weighty chapters." -- J. E. Barnhart,author of The Study of Religion and Its Meaning"Bad Pastors raises all the good questions and provides many hypothetical answers, and for these reasons alone it should be read by all sociologists of religion with an interest in wrongdoings." * Sociology of Religion *

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsDivinity, data, destruction : theological foundations to Christian right international activism -- Constructing the global : the United Nations in Protestant thought and prophecy -- Nation, family, church : the Christian right global mission -- The deathculture goes global : international population policy and Christian right politics in action -- In defense of the natural family : doctrine, disputes, and devotion at the World Congress of Families II Conference -- The gender agenda : women's rights, radical feminism, and homosexuality.

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Book SynopsisFaiths can take direct action by leadership in the initiation of conservation projects, and they can seek to persuade their members that each individual has a moral obligation to contribute to the ecological conservation. This work describes the logic for conservation afforded by the major faiths.

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Book SynopsisWith a fresh, transdisciplinary approach, this title aims to probe the possibility of a green shift radical enough to permeate the ancient roots of our sensibility and the social sources of our practice. It explores our sense of how to proceed in the face of an ecological crisis that demands fresh thinking and acting.Trade Review"The convenors and editors chose to focus on the relation between environmentalism and post-modernism, an increasingly important engagement for eco-theology." -ESSSAT-News "This book is a rare combination of intelligence and vision. Its essays deserve to be read--and reread--by scholars of religion, environmentalists, students, and anyone who values the sacredness of the earth." -- -Roger S. Gottlieb author of A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and our Planet's Future and A Spirituality of Resistance; Worcester Polytechnic Institute "Ecospirit is best described as state-of-the-art in its field. All the essays in Ecospirit start at the cutting edge of the interdisciplinary responses to the ecological crisis and push critical questions about the effectiveness of contemporary scholarship and activism." -Comptes rendus "This wide-ranging volume embraces poetry, interfaith liturgies, ecological readings of biblical and theological texts, and philosophical analyses of our place in the natural world, all in the service of transforming our ecological attitudes and practices." -The Christian Century "... an inclusive affirmation of the need for and the commitment to change." -ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment "Ecospirit inspires new converstaions and opens fresh avenues of insight contributing to Creation's healing." -- -Norman Wirzba Georgetown College "Challenging, inspiring, and subversive." -- -David Barnhill University of Wisconsin Oshkosh "Essays that offer a theological perspective on the environment and its protection." -The Chronicle of Higher Education "A remarkable volume, given the current debate and eco-crisis." OR "Ecospirit is cutting-edge work for just the right moment! Every direction taken in this collection moves the discussion forward in re-theorizing nature, our place in it, and our critical practices. I strongly will use this volume at every opportunity." -- -Larry Rasmussen Union Theological Seminary

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Book SynopsisAre Black megachurches more focused on prosperity than people? Live Long and Prosper examines some of their motivations and programs in light of Prosperity or “Health and Wealth” Theology. It considers how Black megachurches address two pressing social problems among Blacks – HIV/AIDS (a “health” issue) and poverty (a “wealth” issue) – as well as influential church and clergy dynamics.Trade Review"This new study of the black megachurch phenomenon asks whether such megachurches are more focused on prosperity than on people." -Publishers Weekly "A rich ideological analysis of black megachurches from within comparative theological frames that include social gospel, liberation, prophetic, and prosperity gospel in relation to 'calling' and 'corner.'" -- -Victor Anderson Vanderbilt University "A pioneering work! Dr. Barnes offers us a vitally important contribution, not only for black church scholarship, but for sociology of culture, sociology of religion, with implications in social movement theory, urban sociology, and American studies." -- -Shayne Lee University of Houston

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Book SynopsisAre Black megachurches more focused on prosperity than people? Live Long and Prosper examines some of their motivations and programs in light of Prosperity or “Health and Wealth” Theology. It considers how Black megachurches address two pressing social problems among Blacks – HIV/AIDS (a “health” issue) and poverty (a “wealth” issue) – as well as influential church and clergy dynamics.Trade Review"This new study of the black megachurch phenomenon asks whether such megachurches are more focused on prosperity than on people." -Publishers Weekly "A rich ideological analysis of black megachurches from within comparative theological frames that include social gospel, liberation, prophetic, and prosperity gospel in relation to 'calling' and 'corner.'" -- -Victor Anderson Vanderbilt University "A pioneering work! Dr. Barnes offers us a vitally important contribution, not only for black church scholarship, but for sociology of culture, sociology of religion, with implications in social movement theory, urban sociology, and American studies." -- -Shayne Lee University of Houston

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays tracing the development of selected Catholic lay apostolates in the decades before and after the Second Vatican Council. Contributors demonstrate how Catholic Action that functioned as an auxiliary of the American bishops gave way to groups more inclined to challenge episcopal authority during the 1960s and 1970s.Trade Review"Empowering the People of God is a major contribution to the "lived history" of Vatican II for the American Catholics. Catholics changed and the changes made a difference for the country as well as the Church. These thoroughly researched essays demonstrate that lay empowerment was taking place before the Council. The Council persuaded lay leaders that "the shaping of the Church's future was in their hands". How they handled those rising expectations is then the theme of six well chosen case studies. Anyone who wants to understand American Catholics must consider the history provided by this excellent book." -- -David O'Brien Professor Emeritus, College of the Holy Cross, and Distingusihged Visiting Professor at Large, University of Dayton "I think a broad audience will enjoy this book about the practice of Catholic Action in America. It deals with Pope Pius Xl's call for the laity to engage in "Catholic Action" by assisting the clergy in carrying out the Vatican's definition of the Church's worldly mission, including its commitment to social justice. Millions of the faithful responded to this call, dutifully in he 1930s and 1940s and zealously after mid-century. The introduction to the book deftly contextualizes both periods of Catholic Action, and the essays explore the diversity of the activists reactions to this opportunity. Briefly put, the activists before mid-century conformed to the Pope's charge without challenging the Vatican's authority to define their options. But after 1950, in the new age of cultural individualism in American society and its institutions, the activists opted for the maximum feasible participation of the laity in the definition and implementation of the mission of the Church, a phenomenon that yielded todays' tripartite struggle, laic and clerical , among conservatives, liberals, and moderates for ascendancy in America's largest and perhaps its most quintessentially urban branch of Christianity." -- -Zane Miller Charles Phelps Taft Professor of History Emeritus, University of Cincinnati, and co-editor, The Urban Life, Landscape, and Policy Series "Empowering the People of God gives a nuanced, complicated, insightful portrait of Catholic Action as a spectrum rather than a monolith. The volume is timely, not just for historians of American Catholicism, but also for those seeing to understand the deeper backstory to the contesting definitions of authority in the Church in the present moment." -- -Amy L. Koehlinger Oregon State UniversityTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgements List of Contributors Introduction: Jeffrey Burns Part One: Catholic Action 1. Catholic Action in the Archdiocese of New York: The Case of the Catholic Club of New York City (Patrick J. Hayes) 2. The Liturgical Movement and Catholic Action: Women Living the Liturgical Life in the Lay Apostolate (Katharine E. Harmon) 3. "The Priesthood of the Layman": Catholic Action in the Archdiocese of San Francisco (William Issel) 4. From Participation to Community: John Courtney Murray's American Justification for Catholic Action (Christopher Denny) 5. Azzione Cattolica in an American Setting: The Society of Saint Charles-Scalabrinians and Catholic Action (Mary Elizabeth Brown) Part Two: The People of God 6. Relevant Transformations: The Young Women of the Extension Lay Volunteers, 1961-1971 (Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello) 7. Reaching Out to the People of God: The Implications of Renewal for the Sisters of Mercy in Parish Schools (Mary Beth Fraser Connolly) 8. "This is Our Challenge! We will Pursue It": The National Council of Catholic Women, the Feminist Movement, and the Second Vatican Council, 1960-1975 (Mary Henold) 9. Who Will Guard the Guardians? Church Government and the Ecclesiology of the People of God, 1965-1969 (Jeremy Bonner) 10. Empowering the People of God: John Cardinal Dearden's Church of Tomorrow (Samuel J. Thomas) 11. Christian Unity, Lay Authority, and the People of God: The Community of Christ Our Brother in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, 1967-1969 (Andrew Moore)

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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