Theology Books

Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling final volume in the Pope’s Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life

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Book SynopsisFaith and Understanding is the first book-length study of the age-old effort to understand Christianity from both the sides of faith and reason, looking at the work done by such figures as Augustine, Anselm, John Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards.

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Book SynopsisMany pastors, students, and teachers have come to know and depend upon James Montgomery Boice''s scholarly yet accessible commentaries on the most popular books of the Bible. Here is an addition to the Boice commentaries that has a unique focus. Instead of examining an entire book of the Bible, it provides readers with an in-depth look into Matthew 5-7, Jesus'' Sermon on the Mount. As with his other commentaries, Boice explains the meaning of the text verse by verse and also guides readers on how to apply the truths they find by relating the concerns of the text to today''s world, the church, and the realities of the Christian life. Boice''s clear and practical writing will make The Sermon on the Mount a helpful commentary for a wide range of readers, from serious Bible students to interested laypersons.

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Book SynopsisKörperbilder sind ein in der Forschung lange Zeit vernachlässigter, jedoch zentraler Bestandteil der Bildsprache der Psalmen. Welche Bedeutung einzelne Körperbilder haben, wie ihre Funktion im Gebetsprozess zu bestimmen ist und in welchem Verhältnis die Körperbilder zu anderen Bildkreisen stehen, untersucht Dörte Bester exemplarisch am Beispiel von Psalm 22. Nach einer textkritischen, kompositorischen und literarkritischen Analyse des 22. Psalms, die auch das "betende Ich" als Subjekt des Psalms reflektiert, wird eine Einzelauslegung vorgelegt, in der die zahlreichen körperbezogenen Aussagen des Psalms einen Schwerpunkt bilden. Weitere alttestamentliche Texte, vor allem aus dem Hiobbuch und dem Psalter, werden vergleichend herangezogen. Die Autorin weist nach, dass sich am Körper des betenden Ichs und in den verwendeten Körperbildern wie in einem Brennglas die Prozesse abbilden, die die Dynamik von Klage und Bitte, Lob und Dank bestimmen und das betende Ich von der Klage "mein Herz ist wie Wachs" (Ps 22,15) zu dem Wunsch führen "Leben möge euer Herz für immer" (Ps 22,27). Mit einem thematisch fokussierten Forschungsüberblick und für die Exegese fruchtbar gemachten Erkenntnissen der Sozialwissenschaften wird die exegetische Studie in die gegenwärtige Forschungsdiskussion eingeordnet. Dörte Bester leistet somit einen Beitrag zur Psalmenforschung wie zur alttestamentlichen Anthropologie.

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Book SynopsisA wide-ranging collection of essays on the varieties of liberation theologies emerging in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the hopes that they offer for future reconciliation.Trade Review"The book makes a unique contribution to the field of liberation theology by describing the grassroots spirituality of Palestinian Christians" Katie Leggett, University of Edinburgh, Theological Book Review vol.27 (2017) no.2, pp.123-4Table of ContentsContributors Acknowledgments Introduction -Nur Masalha and Lisa Isherwood 1 Liberation Theology in Latin America and Palestine-Israel: Practical Similarities and Contextual Differences -Samuel Kuruvilla 2 Reflections on Sabeel's Liberation Theology and Ecumenical Work (1992-2013) -Naim Ateek 3 Theologies of Liberation in Palestine-Israel and the Struggle for Peace and Justice -Marc Ellis 4 Reading the Bible with the Eyes of the Philistines, Canaanites and Amalekites: Messianic Zionism, Zealotocracy, the Militarist Traditions of the Tanakh and the Palestinians (1967 to Gaza 2013) -Nur Masalha 5 God's Mapmakers: A Theology of Dispossession -Gareth Lloyd Jones 6 The Quest for Peace with Justice in the Middle East: Christian Zionist and Palestinian Theologies -Rosemary Radford Ruether 7 Transcending Monotheism and a Theology of Land -Lisa Isherwood 8 Beyond Interfaith Reconciliation: A New Paradigm for a Theology of Land -Mark Braverman 9 Confronting the Truth: New Awakenings to the Palestinian Situation -Mary Grey 10 Civil Liberation Theology in Palestine: Indigenous, Secular-Humanist and Post-Colonial Perspectives -Nur Masalha Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A brilliant analysis."--Marvin Olasky, World MagazineTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Note on Text and Translation xi Introduction: The Emergence of Politics 1 1 The Grip of Power 17 2 Two Faces of Political Violence 67 3 Dynasty and Rupture 100 4 David's Will and Last Words 144 Conclusion 163 Notes 175 Index 207

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Book SynopsisOffers a new model for understanding the atonement, sensitive to both the Christian tradition and its postmodern critics.Table of ContentsIntroductionPart 1: The Divine Face of Hospitality1. The Possibility of Hospitality2. Limited Hospitality: Election and Violence in Eternity3. Preferential Hospitality: Election and Violence in History Part 2: The Cruciform Face of Hospitality 4. Atonement, Metaphors, and Models5. Modeling Hospitality: Atonement as Moral Influence6. Atonement and Mimetic Violence7. Hospitality, Punishment, and the Atonement8. Atonement, Violence, and VictoryPart 3: The Public Face of Hospitality9. The Church as the Community of Hospitality10. Public Justice and the Hospitality of LiberationEpilogueIndexes

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Book SynopsisThe first-century Jewish woman Miriam of Nazareth, mother of Jesus, proclaimed in faith to be Theotokos, the God-bearer, is the most celebrated female religious figure in the Christian tradition. The author construes the image of Mary so as to be a source of blessing rather than blight for women's lives in both religious and political terms.Trade Review"I know of no book on Mary, past or present, that is superior to Truly Our Sister. It is remarkably creative, challenging, and groundbreaking, and yet deeply rooted in the Catholic tradition. Elizabeth Johnson has already established herself as one of the Catholic Church's leading theologians. This book solidifies and enhances that well-deserved reputation." Richard P. McBrien, Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology, Notre Dame University "With her outstanding command of critical feminist theory and theology, biblical scholarship, history, and even archeology, Elizabeth Johnson has framed a thoughtful proposal for the place of Mary of Nazareth in the communion of saints. A companion to her stunning volume, Friends of God and Prophets, this book exceeds its riches to offer a superb, beautifully written treatise that demonstrates the power and possibilities of post-Vatican II theology for the world today. It is simply breath-taking in its scope and achievement." Anne Carr, Professor of Theology, Divinity School, The University of Chicago"

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Book SynopsisCutting across the divide between East and West and between Catholic and Evangelical, Thomas F. Torrance illuminates our understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Torrance combines here the Gospel and a theology shaped by Karl Barth and the Church Fathers, and offers his readers a unique synthesis of the Nicene Creed. This volume remains a tremendously helpful resource on the doctrine of the Trinity and the Nicene Creed. The new introduction for this Cornerstones edition is written by Myk Habets, the leading Thomas F. Torrance scholar today.Trade ReviewCan be viewed as a case study in how to build a scripturally grounded and historically attested doctrine of the Trinity…well worth obtaining in this new edition. * Themelios *Table of ContentsIntroduction Myk Habets Foreword 1. Faith and Godliness 2. Access to the Father 3. The Almighty Creator 4. God of God, Light of Light 5. The Incarnate Saviour 6. The Eternal Spirit 7. The One Church 8. The Triunity of God Index

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Book SynopsisJesus Shock is the second in a series of short works on seminal concerns of the impact that Jesus Christ made in the world. The first work, The Philosophy of Jesus (St. Augustine’s Press, 2007), explored philosophy in light of Jesus, rather than the other way around. The present work investigates the reception Jesus received both in His lifetime and continuously to the present time, not only from His enemies, but from His friends, a reception of shock, astonishment, even disgust. Perhaps a few remarks from the book best explains it:The point of the book: The point of the title: Imagine a storm has downed a telephone wire so that everyone who touches it is shocked in every cell of his body. Well, the storm of God’s crazy love has “downed” (incarnated) Jesus, and everyone who touches this “live wire” is shocked in every cell of his soul. The question of the book: Why is “Jesus” the most non-neutral, the most controversial, the most embarrassing name in the world? Why is talking about Jesus like talking about sex? This whole book is really about a single movie line, the greatest line in the greatest movie in history. Bet you know what it is. Jesus-Shock is about the Real Presence of Christ in the Gospels and in the Eucharist. It is not about the theology of the Real Presence, but about the experience of Him there, and about the experience of everyone in the Gospels who met Him. What was the bitterest controversy of the Protestant Reformation, both between Protestants and Catholics and between different Protestant denominations, the one that had both sides calling the other not just heretics but devils? Answer: It was not Justification by Faith, the hallmark of the Reformation, even though that question is about nothing less momentous than how to be saved, how to get to Heaven. It was not the relation between religion and politics, even though that was a matter of life or death (literally, on battlefields and at guillotines and hangings) and not just a matter of truth or falsity, or of good or evil. It was not about the sufficiency of the Bible, or the corruption in the Church, or the relation between the Bible and the Church. It was not about the Pope, and the governance of the Church. It was not about Mary or saints or angels or Purgatory. It was not about the Incarnation or the Trinity or the Atonement. It was about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus-Shock, in addressing this controversy forcefully and faithfully, shows the reasons why to this day the name of “Jesus” stirs up controversy, even revulsion, in polite society. In the true spirit of ecumenism, it also points the way toward a true rapprochement among His modern-day disciples.

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Book SynopsisThe doctrine of the Trinity is widely taught and believed by evangelical Christians, but is rarely fully understood or celebrated. In this accessible and stimulating book, Fred Sanders shows why we ought to embrace the doctrine of the Trinity wholeheartedly and without reserve, as a central concern of evangelical theology. With passion and conviction, Sanders demonstrates that the doctrine of the Trinity is grounded in the gospel itself. He examines the centrality of the Trinity in our salvation and the Trinity’s presence in the reading of the Bible and in prayer. Readers will understand that a robust doctrine of the Trinity has massive implications for their lives. Indeed, recognizing the work of the Trinity in the gospel changes everything, restoring depth to prayer, worship, Bible study, missions, tradition, and our understanding of Christianity's fundamental doctrines.

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Book SynopsisMaking a case for the use of affect theory in religious studies, Donovan O. Schaefer challenges the notion that religion is inextricably linked to language and cognition, contending instead that religion is primarily driven by affect and that non-human animals have the capacity to practice religion.Trade Review"Religious Affects represents a challenge to decenter our anthropocentric presuppositions more broadly, and, by appealing to human animality, provides a provocative angle for imagining affect over and above the all-toohuman parameters that usually characterize religious studies.... [M]any scholars will find Schaefer’s animal religion and his strategies for affective readings of religious phenomena both theoretically exciting and critically useful." -- Abigail Kluchin * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Schaefer’s book is fascinating, mind-expanding, and entirely worth a read." -- Barbara J. King * Atlantic *"Religious Affects is an original and challenging argument for the discipline, especially to social-constructionist approaches, as it aims to radically reconfigure how we think about religion as a phenomenon grounded in feelings and emotions (affects) that humans share with the animal world." -- Matt Sheedy * Religious Studies Review *"For all its breadth in Religious Affects Schaefer develops a well-crafted argument and clarion call:the study of religion must include,at its very core, the study of affect.... Schaefer's project is timely in an urgent sense." -- Jonathan Russell * Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory *"Religious Affects offers a new way to use affect theory to understand religion that better accounts for its connections with politics, globalization, and power." -- Staci Poston Conner * Affectsphere *"Schaefer . . . is blazing a trail in religious studies." -- Jonathan Benthall * TLS *"Religious Affects is an important book, rendering helpful therapy for some of the myopic methodological tendencies that can afflict the field of religious studies." -- Jason N. Blum * Syndicate *"[Schaefer's] approach to reading affect theory through the lens of animality will enrich critical engagement with the concept of religion as a theoretical tool and as a word of power in the world." -- Pamela Klassen * Syndicate *"Religious Affects comfortably belongs on the bookshelves of those who work with affect theory or in critical animal studies. For religious scholars, or anyone interested in affect theory or critical animal studies, it serves as a concise and valuable introduction to these theories, providing explanations, histories, applications, and paving ways for future scholarship." -- Alexander Cox-Twardowski * Journal of Religion and Popular Culture *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction. Species, Religious Studies, and the Affective Turn 1 1. Religion, Language, and Affect 19 2. Intransigence: Power, Embodiment, and the Two Types of Affect Theory 36 3. Teaching Religion, Emotion, and Global Cinema 60 4. Compulsion: Affect, Desire, and Materiality 92 5. Savages: Ideology, Primatology, and Islamophobia 120 6. Accident: Animalism, Evolution, and Affective Economies 147 7. A Theory of the Waterfall Dance: On Accident, Language, and Animal Religion 178 Conclusion. Under the Rose 206 Notes 219 Bibliography 261 Index 281

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Book SynopsisOffers an account of what Thomas Aquinas says about divine immutability. This book reviews the various ways Aquinas applies the notion of immutability to creatures, showing that he is well aware of both the positive and negative implications of the concept.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“David Bentley Hart’s You Are Gods is simply brilliant. The book is a wonderful example of Hart’s incomparable skill as an essayist, delightful writer, and profound thinker, both philosophically and theologically.” —John Behr, author of John the Theologian and His Paschal Gospel“These outstanding essays are all absolutely first-rate and crucial for current theological discussions and the emergent, most creative directions. Hart successfully shows that the manualist revival is a pathology irrelevant to those directions.”—John Milbank, author of The Suspended Middle"You Are Gods is a challenging but rewarding theological text whose contents are confessedly radical, and whose end point is to advance the idea that nature and supernature are, in reality, one." —Foreword Reviews"The debate over whether it is grace or nature that directs human beings towards the beatific vision was one of the most contentious intra-Catholic theological disputes of the twentieth century. David Bentley Hart’s You Are Gods: On Nature and Supernature shows that the debate is alive and by no means merely academic and inconsequential—pantheism, tradition, orthodoxy, and heterodoxy are all very much at stake in the argument." —Public Discourse"As you might expect, if you have read even a single paragraph of Hart’s previous writing, the essays in this collection are erudite and trenchant, and full of surprises." —Church Times"[R]eaders would do well not to cheapen Hart’s work by allowing his verbal enthusiasms to be nothing more than an exciting (or aggravating) thrill ride. Instead, there’s probably something for most readers to gain by slowing down and trying to grok the basic judgment holding the whole thing up: All created realities, but especially spiritual realities, have their being and meaning in radical and total dependent relationship to God. This, for Hart, is the necessary shape of our contingence." —The Living Church"You Are Gods has much to recommend it. The author is highly effective in his attack on two-tier Thomism, and his argument that the Gospels are shot through with non-dualist imagery is sound. . . . David Bentley Hart brings to this elegantly written book his customary verve, theological acumen and ability to communicate difficult ideas." —The Way"Another masterful essay by an essential Christian thinker." —Mayéutica"Hart’s prose is flowing, profound and often entertaining... This book will not only be of considerable interest to his followers and to students of deification, but will also be of significance for those who are intrigued to see how the classical tradition can be interpreted in such a way as to eliminate divine aloofness and detachment." —Modern Believing"Eastern Orthodox theologian and author Hart presents metaphysical meditations on his idea that nature and the supernatural are a unified whole." —Publishers Weekly"One is invited to reflect upon the metaphysical implications of revelation which hearken to the deepest secret of our created and uncreated existence… Taken as a whole, You Are Gods is by turns bold, incisive, exasperating, ultimately a penetrating exposition of the manner in which the primal root of nature, time, and grace is the eschaton that alone bestows meaning and coherence to dynamisms of heart and mind summoned from the nothing as agapeic gift." —Eclectic Orthodoxy"In its more constructive and confessedly radical aspects, the book makes a vigorous case for the all-but-complete eradication of every qualitative, ontological, or logical distinction between the natural and the supernatural in the life of spiritual creatures. It advances a radically monistic vision of Christian metaphysics but does so wholly on the basis of credal orthodoxy." —Englewood Review of Books"You are Gods is a work that would be of great interest to the student of theology, and it is also one that opens up a number of important debates which are worth having, and it already appears to have stirred up the Thomist circles which Hart scrutinises." —VoegelinView"To say that David Bentley Hart possesses brilliant theological insight is a truism newly confirmed in this beautifully written collection of essays themed around the topic of nature and supernature. The book is an engaging read that should not be missed by anyone interested in contemporary theologies of grace."—The Heythrop JournalTable of Contents Introduction 1. Waking the Gods: Theosis as Reason’s Natural End 2. The Treasure of Delight: Nicholas of Cusa on Infinite Desire 3. That Judgment Whereby You Judge: Beauty and Discernment 4. Pia Fraus: Our Words and God’s Truth 5. Geist’s Kaleidoscope: Some Questions for Cyril O’Regan 6. The Chiasmus: The Created Supernatural and the Natural Divine

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Book SynopsisThis accessible and enlightening history provides insights into the fascinating genre of apocalyptic literature, showing how the apocalypse encompasses far more than popular views of the last judgment and violent end of the world might suggest. An accessible and enlightening history of the apocalypses--ancient Jewish and Christian works -- providing fresh insights into the fascinating genre of literature Shows how the apocalypses were concerned not only with popular views of the last judgment and violent end of the world, but with reward and punishment after death, the heavenly temple, and the revelation of astronomical phenomena and other secrets of nature Traces the tradition of apocalyptic writing through the Middle Ages, through to the modern era, when social movements still prophesise the world's imminent demise Trade Review"This is certainly a valuable addition. We look forward to those which are yet to come." (Theological Book Review, 2010) Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Chronology 1. Revelation in the Age of the Torah 2. The Book of the Watchers and Ascent to Heaven 3. The Book of Daniel and the Kingdom of the Holy Ones 4. The Heavenly Messiah 5. The Heavenly Temple, the Fate of Souls after Death, and Cosmology 6. Tours of Paradise and Hell and the Hekhalot Texts 7. Eschatology in the Byzantine Empire 8. Apocalyptic Movements in the Modern Era Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisBy laying out a cosmic vision of marriage as the Bible teaches from Genesis to Revelation, this volume honors and exalts marriage as a grand display of the gospel, offering hope for our marriages today.

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Book SynopsisVanDrunen uses the two-kingdoms theory to demonstrate how God's response to the civil and spiritual kingdoms inform an active yet critical Christian engagement with culture.

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Book SynopsisSince its inception over two hundred years ago, Swaminarayan Hinduism has flourished into a transnational movement described as one of the fastest growing Hindu groups in the world. Despite being one of the largest and most visible Hindu traditions both in India and the West, surprisingly little is known about what the Swaminarayan fellowship believes. An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology provides a comprehensive doctrinal account of the Swaminarayan tradition''s belief system, drawing on its rich corpus of theological literature, including the teachings of Swaminarayan himself and classical commentaries on canonical Vedantic texts. Part I delineates the sources and tools of Swaminarayan Hindu theology, while Part II systematically expounds upon its distinctive five eternal entities - Parabrahman, Ak?arabrahman, maya, isvara and jiva - and mukti (spiritual liberation). In presenting these key themes theologically and lucidly, Swami Paramtattvadas makes the Swaminarayan Hindu Trade Review'[This] is a ground-breaking book that will be widely appreciated by scholars and believers in India and the West. It is a welcome addition to the growing field of Swaminarayan studies, distinguished by its clear focus on the teachings of the tradition, with close attention to philosophical and theological foundations. Written by an erudite insider and practitioner, it is an excellent example of Hindu theology, as Swami Paramtattvadas speaks with the authority of his experience, practice, and with the benefit of many years of traditional learning. The book exemplifies constructive religious thinking, as he points to areas where new thinking is required, to understand ever more deeply the mysteries of God and scripture, the human and the world, as the tradition grows globally. This work will be prized by members of the Swaminarayan community, by scholars interested in contemporary Hinduism and in the self-representation of faith traditions with an increasing global presence, and by theologians of all faiths committed to the global interreligious conversation.' Francis X. Clooney, Director, Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University, Massachusetts'Swaminarayan Hinduism is rapidly becoming the most prominent form of Hinduism in many countries. This constructive presentation of Swaminarayan theology is an essential text for Swaminarayan and Hindu studies and a valuable resource for comparative theology and interreligious dialogue. Swaminarayan developed a theology, an ethical discipline and a reform movement in a time of rapid social and political change in the early nineteenth century that continues to inspire and guide Hindu followers in the twenty-first century. Contemporary migration movements expand his influence across strong transnational networks and through social media in cyberspace, making this book even more relevant in helping us understand what this dynamic global community believes. Swami Paramtattvadas' Western education at Oxford and classical Hindu studies in India enable him to present this important Hindu theology with academic rigor, depth and clarity. His introduction is an accessible and major contribution to the study of modern Hinduism.' Raymond Brady Williams, Wabash College, Indiana, author of An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism'In this welcome introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu theology, Swami Paramtattvadas has succeeded in presenting the fundamental beliefs of his tradition in a lucid, meticulous and methodical exposition. This book, while standing within Swaminarayan Hinduism, seeks to engage with a broader, rational discourse and to stimulate discussion beyond the bounds of Hindu communities. The writing of this book has been a large scholarly task, aiming to systematise key themes from an extensive network of the tradition's authoritative texts in Gujarati and Sanskrit. As such it is an important contribution to theology and religion and, to my knowledge, is the first Hindu systematic theology written in English. It is also a welcome contribution to Hindu theology and to the emerging discussion of comparative theology. I am sure it will find a wide readership among both the academic and Hindu communities.' Gavin Flood, Senior Research Fellow, Campion Hall, University of Oxford and Visiting Yap Kim Hao Professor of Comparative Religious Studies, Yale-NUS, Singapore'This book provides a brilliant introduction to the theology of the Swaminarayan tradition, one of the most dynamic and visible forms of Hinduism in India and abroad. It comprehensively narrates the key doctrines and beliefs of the tradition drawing on canonical Hindu texts, original teachings of the tradition's founder, and exegetical works of other teachers of the tradition. After delineating the sources for his research, the author intelligibly expounds upon the five central entities of the tradition. It also opens vistas of mutual understanding and comparative studies with other religious traditions. The book stands as an essential tool for understanding the belief system of this vibrant Hindu tradition.' Diwakar Acharya, Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics, University of Oxford'In this engagingly written book, Swami Paramtattvadas looks at the complex ways in which the Swaminarayan tradition interpreted the critical and hallowed terminology of Vedānta, thereby developing its own unique system from the early modern period onwards. At the same time, by approaching the thought of the tradition from within, he also raises interesting questions about the relationship between the categories of theology, metaphysics, the philosophy of religion, and the practices of Hindu devotion. This book does an excellent job of bringing the Swaminarayan tradition into conversation not only with English-language studies of modern Vedānta, but with comparative theology more generally.' Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad FBA, Lancaster University'This monograph by Swami Paramtattvadas fills a longstanding need for a detailed and systematic exposition of the theology of the Swaminarayan tradition. It makes accessible the fundamental theological assumptions and claims of the tradition, while contextualizing and discussing these within the rich diversity of Hindu intellectual thought. The author brings to his exposition both the depth of traditional learning and practice as well as the tools of contemporary Western scholarship. This is an excellent contribution to the field of Hindu theology exemplifying the creativity of commitment and critical inquiry. It is a valuable resource for understanding and engaging with one of India's most visible and rapidly growing global religious traditions.' Anantanand Rambachan, Saint Olaf College, Minnesota'An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology is a ground-breaking work which provides a comprehensive theological overview of the belief system of the Swaminarayan tradition, one of the fastest growing and most visible Hindu groups in India and in the West. The book indicates the author's deep immersion in traditional Hindu styles of theological reasoning and also his ability to situate the themes of God, humanity and the world within the wider frames of 'Hindu theology' and 'comparative theology'.' Ankur Barua, University of Cambridge'A key marker of a religious tradition's health is its ability to articulate, renew and reapply its doctrines and scriptures for each succeeding generation. This is the work of theology. There is still a great dearth of Hindu theological writing in English that takes into account our global, interreligious context. Not only does this book offer a superb example of such writing within the Swaminarayan tradition, it also issues a call for others to join the conversation and grow the field of Hindu theology. An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hindu Theology provides a thorough, balanced and incisive analysis of the tradition's key sources, doctrines and practices, written in a clear and accessible style. I commend Swami Paramtattvadas on this signature achievement.' Ravi Gupta, Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies, Utah State UniversityTable of ContentsForeword Gavin Flood; 1. Prolegomenon; Part I. Sources and Tools of Swaminarayan Hindu Theology: 2. Introduction: the imperceptibility and ineffability of God; 3. Revelation: the exclusive source of Swaminarayan Hindu theology; 4. Reason, praxis and tradition: the tools of Swaminarayan Hindu theology; Part II. Themes of Swaminarayan Hindu Theology: 5. Introduction: the five eternal entities of Swaminarayan Hinduism; 6. Parabrahman; 7. Akṣarabrahman; 8. Jīva; 9. Īśvara; 10. Māyā; 11. Mukti; 12. Afterword: the way forward; Appendix: theological principles of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha: creedal statement by Pramukh Swami Maharaj; Glossary.

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Book SynopsisAn examination of the cultural context in which theological pluralism emerged. Analyzing models of theology, this work formulates a revisionist model and applies it to questions in contemporary theology including the meanings of religion, theism, and of Christology.

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Book SynopsisThe Virgin Mary has been a figure of inspiration to Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims, artists, musicians, writers, and men and women everywhere. This text examines how Mary has been depicted and venerated through the ages.Trade Review“After finishing Pelikan’s book, one must surely conclude that the Virgin is as fortunate in the ‘subtlety and discrimination’ of her 20th-century chronicler as she has been in her composers.”—John B. Breslin, Washington Post Book World"There can be no doubt that the Queen of Heaven would be pleased with this accolade, and no reader will come away from the work without profit."—Jo Ann Kay McNamara, New York Times Book Review“A lively and visually beautiful volume that any thoughtful reader can enjoy. . . . For anyone seeking an introduction to the cultural history of the figure of Mary, . . . this book is indispensable, delightful in its intelligence, learning, and remarkable beauty.”—David Myers, Chicago Tribune"This inclusive work covers it all, and in doing so helps explain the importance and attraction Mary has had over the centuries for various cultures and religions."—Publishers Weekly"Even the general reader with an interest in the subject will be mesmerized by [Pelikan's] lucidity and analysis. As a writer, Pelikan has an enviable way with words."—Dorothy A. Boyd-Rush, History"A remarkable tapestry enriched by superb illustrations. Its author's constructive approach should do much towards a better understanding and appreciation of one whom he describes in the final chapter as 'a woman for all seasons.'"—Gordon Huelin, Expository Times"This is a fascinating and stimulating book for teachers and others who wish to refresh and broaden their ideas about he history of Christian belief and devotion."—Leslie Houlden, Theological Book Review"This is a book of outstanding interest and outstanding quality, beautifully produced and beautifully illustrated."—A.M. Allchin, Journal of Ecclesiastical History"His scholarly acumen gives academic substance to Mary through the Centuries, although it is a book which is likely to appeal to general readers as well as to academics. . . . For those willing to entertain the notion that Mary might still have some significance in the modern world, I would recommend it as a most enjoyable and informative read."—Tina Beattie, Religion"It is rare for a non-expert audience to be allowed to participate in this type of etymological deconstruction, and it is a pleasure to see it done so deftly."—Michael Michael, Apollo

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Book SynopsisRarely did ancient authors write about the lives of women; even more rarely did they write about the lives of ordinary women: not queens or heroines who influenced war or politics, not sensational examples of virtue or vice, not Christian martyrs or ascetics, but women of moderate status, who experienced everyday joys and sorrows and had everyday merits and failings. Such a woman was Monica--now Saint Monica because of her relationship with her son Augustine, who wrote about her in the Confessions and elsewhere. Despite her rather unremarkable life, Saint Monica has inspired a robust controversy in academia, the Church, and the Augustine-reading public alike: some agree with Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who knew Monica, that Augustine was exceptionally blessed in having such a mother, while others think that Monica is a classic example of the manipulative mother who lives through her son, using religion to repress his sexual life and to control him even when he seems to escape. In Monica:Trade Review[a] detailed and vivid book ... which is worth reading for people interested in the life of Augustine's mother Monica and women's history in general. * Klazina Staat, L'Antiquite Classique *This is a level-headed book, written from a sympathetic perspective. * Ingrid van Neer-Bruggink, Augustiniana *Table of ContentsList of Figures ; Chapter 1: Introduction ; Chapter 2: Monica's House ; Chapter 3: Monica's Service ; Chapter 4: Monica's Education ; Chapter 5: Monica's Religion ; Chapter 6: Saint Monica ; References and Resources ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisFeinburg tackles claims from modern thinkers who regard a classical view of God as outmoded and unbiblical by seeking to reconstruct a model that reflects the advances in understanding God's revelation and his unchanging nature.

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Book Synopsis“As Alasdair MacIntyre notes in the preface, the work of Pinckaers attracted strongand fully justified notice in this country with the publication in English of his TheSources of Christian Ethics. As Pinckaers himself notes in the text, excellently translatedby Michael Sherwin, the interest should in no way be limited to RomanCatholics. Morality recasts the earlier book in an argument that is both lower andupper case ‘catholic,’ and is accessible to readers and teachers outside the limitedcircle of moral theologians and academic ethicists. Pinckaers contends thatChristian morality is not first of all about obligations but about happiness, understandingthat the happiness of union with God is our natural destiny made possibleby grace. The Sermon on the Mount is at the center of an approach to moralitythat turns on the distinction between ‘freedom for excellence’ and ‘freedom ofindifference,’ the former understood as human flourishing and the latter as a ‘neutral’capacity to choose between controversies. The proposal of Morality is thoroughlyChrist-centered, humanistic, and faithful to the magisterial teaching of theChurch. Warmly recommended.”First Things “If you want to have the experience of reflecting on Catholic morality as thoughyou were reading about it for the first time, treat yourself to Father ServaisPinckaers’ Morality: The Catholic View. He has recovered the classical view of themoral life as the quest for happiness and has presented it with disarming simplicity.Bringing us back to the Sermon on the Mount and Romans 12–15, the writingsof Augustine and Aquinas, and the theme of natural law, he has freed those textsfrom the layers of legalism which has hidden their liberating, spiritual powers formoral living. By distinguishing freedom of indifference from freedom for excellence,he has restored a wise vision of freedom. No one has shown better the roleof virtues as building blocks for morality. Catechists need to read this book.”Rev. Alfred McBride, O.Praem., Professor of Homilectics and Catechetics at BlessedPope John XXIII Seminary, Weston, Massachusetts “Father Pinckaers has given us a masterful exposition of Christian living. The clarityand brevity of his presentation – captured well by the translator – make this bookideal for classroom and parish use. “Readers will find the historical and systematic observations very informative.”Romanus Cessario, St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts

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Book SynopsisThese diverse case studies make a compelling case for the importance of effective spiritual care in healthcare and provide unprecedented insight into the essential role of the chaplain within the healthcare team. Presented alongside critical reflections and responses from professionals within chaplaincy, psychology, psychiatry and nursing, they provide an honest and detailed look into how healthcare chaplains actually work with the people in their care and reveal the vital role of narrative and imagination in effective transformative practice. From a 16-year-old with a belief that God would enable a miraculous recovery from paralysis, to an African man with a history of psychosis and depression whose cultural belief in witches complicated his treatment, to a dying Jewish man, aggressive and isolated due to his traumatic life experiences, each case includes insight into the patient's needs and chaplain's perspectives, discussion of spiritual assessments and spiritual care interventions, and accounts of significant encounters and dialogues. The nine paediatric, psychiatric and palliative case studies and reflections in this ground-breaking book will enable chaplains to critically reflect on the spiritual care they provide and communicate their work more effectively, help healthcare professionals develop a clearer understanding of the care chaplains deliver, and provide an informed perspective for those who develop policy around spiritual care and need to make the case for chaplaincy services.Trade ReviewFitchett and Nolan, along with the writers of these cases, have provided us with a long-missing resource essential to the further integration of spiritual care and professional chaplaincy into healthcare. These cases should become fundamental to every chaplain's training and every interdisciplinary team's discussion about spiritual care. Swinton's Afterword sets the context brilliantly and probably should be read first. Kudos all around! -- The Rev. George Handzo, BCC, Director of Health Services Research & Quality, HealthCare Chaplaincy NetworkThis ground-breaking book will enable healthcare chaplains to critically reflect on the care they provide and communicate their work more effectively. It will be a valuable tool for educating new chaplains, for continuing education for experienced chaplains, and for students of practical theology, as well as for others working in healthcare. -- Harold G. Koenig, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North CarolinaThis book is intended to be a learning piece and a conversation starter for the chaplaincy profession but it is also of interest to all those interested in the provision of spiritual care in a health care setting. Chaplains often work in small departments isolated from the support and supervision afforded to other healthcare professionals; books such as this can provide a valuable learning experience and enable chaplains to reflect on their own practice and how they might have handled the situations described in the case studies. -- Emily Wood * Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, Issue 4.1 (June) 2016 *It breaks new ground in illustrating the educative role of case studies in the training and continuing education of healthcare chaplains and in demonstrating the nature and value of healthcare chaplaincy services to clinicians and healthcare payers. The external reviews of the chaplains' work with their individual patients are particularly useful, typically illustrating deficits and concerns that the participating chaplains may not otherwise have considered - relevant research is cited, emerging theoretical perspectives and theological implications considered and with good cross-referencing to other disciplines.It provides a valuable learning resource for healthcare chaplains to employ in reflecting on their own practice and to consider how they themselves might have handled the cases described....I can certainly recommend this book as important reading for all healthcare chaplains and to those clinical and managerial colleagues who wish to increase their understanding of the modern healthcare chaplain's role. -- Andrew Miles MSc MPhil PhD DSc * European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare *Table of ContentsForeword. Christina M. Puchalski, MD, Professor of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University School of Medicine, and Founder and Director of The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health. Introduction. George Fitchett, DMin, PhD, Professor and Director of Research, Department of Religion, Health and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. Part 1. Paediatric Case Studies. Steve Nolan, PhD, Chaplain, Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, UK. 1.1. “God tells the doctors to pick the right medicine” – LeeAnn, a 12 year old girl with cystic fibrosis. Daniel H. Grossoehme, DMin, BCC, Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Division of Pulmonary Medicine), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. 1.2. “I can tell you this, but not everyone understands” – Erica, a mother of a two year old girl with cancer. Alice A. Hildebrand, MDiv, BCC, Women's and Children's Service Line Chaplain at Barbara Bush Children's Hospital of Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine. 1.3. “Why did God do this to me?” – Angela, a 17 year old girl with spinal injury. Katherine M. Piderman, PhD, BCC, Staff Chaplain, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. 1.4. Critical Response to Paediatric Case Studies – A Chaplain's Perspective. Alister W. Bull, BD, Dip Min, MTh, PhD, Secretary to the Mission and Discipleship Council, Church of Scotland, previously NHS Healthcare Chaplain, Yorkhill Children's Hospital, Glasgow and Lead Chaplain, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, UK. 1.5. Critical Response to Paediatric Case Studies – A Psychologist's Perspective. Sian Cotton, PhD, health psychologist and Director, Center for Integrative Health and Wellness and UC Health Integrative Medicine, University of Cincinnati. Part 2. Psychiatric Case Studies. Steve Nolan. 2.1. “I am frightened to close my eyes at night in case the witch comes to me in my sleep” – Yesuto, an African man in his early thirties troubled by his belief in witchcraft. Rosie Andrious-Ratcliffe, PhD, Trust Chaplain and Mental Health Lead, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK. 2.2. “I tried to kill myself. Will God keep me apart from the person I love in the life-after?” – June, a 78 year old woman who attempted suicide. Chris Swift, PhD, Head of Chaplaincy Services, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and Visiting Research Fellow, University of Leeds, UK. 2.3. “My family wants me to see a priest. It can't hurt, right?” – Nate, a 20 year old man and his sexual identity. Angelika A. Zollfrank, BCC, ACPE, Clinical Pastoral Educator, Massachusetts General Hospital. 2.4. Critical Response to Psychiatric Case Studies – A Chaplain's Perspective. Graeme D. Gibbons, DMin, BA, BD, Grad Dip Psych, Ordained Minister, Uniting Church, Australia, and accredited Clinical Pastoral Educator by the Association of Supervised Pastoral Education, Australia. 2.5. Critical Response to Psychiatric Case Studies – A Psychiatrist's Perspective. Warren Kinghorn, MD, ThD, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Pastoral and Moral Theology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Divinity School. Part 3. Palliative Case Studies. Steve Nolan. 3.1. “I need to do the right thing for him” – Andrew, a Canadian Veteran at the end of his life, and his daughter Lee. Jim Huth, PhD, Spiritual Care Provider, Sunnybrook Veterans Centre, Toronto, Canada, and Wes Roberts, MTS, BRE, Chaplain, Sunnybrook Veterans Center, Toronto, Canada. 3.2. “What can you do for me?” – David, a mid-60s Jewish man with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Nina Redl, BCC, Bryan Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. 3.3. “Tell her that it's OK to release her spirit” – Maria, a Native American woman, grieving the loss of her dying mother. Richard C. Weyls, MDiv, STL, BCC, Staff Chaplain, Paaliative Care Consult Team, Swedish Health Systems, Washington. 3.4. Critical Response to Palliative Case Studies – A Chaplain's Perspective. David Mitchell, BD, Dip P Theo, MSc, PG Cert, TLHE, Programme Leader, Postgraduate Education in Healthcare Chaplaincy, University of Glasgow, UK. 3.6. Critical Response to Psychiatric Case Studies – A Nurse's Perspective. Barbara Pesut, PhD, RN, Canada Research Chair in Health, Ethics and Diversity, and Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Okanagan. Part 4. Ethical Issues in Chaplaincy Case Study. David B. McCurdy, DMin, BCC, adjunct faculty member in Religious Studies, Elmhurst College, and previously Senior Ethics Consultant and Director of Organizational Ethics, Advocate Health Care. Afterword. John Swinton, PhD, BD, RNM, RNHD, Professor, Practical Theology and Pastoral Care, School of Divinity, Religious Studies and Philosophy, University of Aberdeen, UK.

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Book Synopsis"God Crucified" and Other Essays on the New Testament's Christology of Divine Identity The basic thesis of this important book on New Testament Christology, sketched in the first essay 'God Crucified, is that the worship of Jesus as God was seen by the early Christians as compatible with their Jewish monotheism. Jesus was thought to participate in the divine identity of the one God of Israel. The other chapters provide more detailed support for, and an expansion of, this basic thesis. Readers will find not only the full text of Bauckham's classic book God Crucified, but also groundbreaking essays, some of which have never been published previously

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Book SynopsisThérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), also known as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, is popularly named the Little Flower. A Carmelite nun, doctor of the church, and patron of a score of causes, she was famously acclaimed by Pope Pius X as the greatest saint of modern times. Thérèse is not only one of the most beloved saints of the Catholic Church but perhaps the most revered woman of the modern age. Pope John Paul II described her as a living icon of God. Her autobiography Story of a Soul has been translated into sixty languages. Having long transcended national and linguistic boundaries, she has crossed even religious ones. As daughter of Allah, she is venerated widely in Islamic cultures. Therese has been the subject of innumerable biographies and treatises, ranging from hagiographies to attacks on her intelligence and mental health. Thomas R. Nevin has gained access to many untapped archival materials and previously unpublished photographs. As a consequence he is able toTrade ReviewThis is a full and scholarly account... interesting and intructive, with a wealth of fascinating detail, and will appeal both to old friends of Thérèse and to those who are meeting for the first time 'the greatest saint of modern times'. * Susan Leslie, Mount Carmel *

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Book SynopsisFour views on God’s command to the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites and what that implies about continuity between the Old and New Testaments.

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Book Synopsis

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