|
|
Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Anglican & Episcopalian Churches
A Time for Creation encourages us to praise God for his creation,
take responsibility for our actions, repent of our misuse of
natural resources and hear the voice of creation itself in our
prayer. Drawing together texts from Common Worship with newly
commissioned material, it offers liturgies for all times and
occasions when there is a focus on creation - in daily prayer,
services of the word, school assemblies, eucharistic celebrations
and seasonal services to mark the agricultural year. It has been
compiled by the Liturgical Commission of the Church of England and
is designed to provide its parishes, schools and chaplaincies with
a rich selection of resources for worship and prayer.
This important and timely study is rooted in the belief that the
relationship between Judaism and Christianity is a gift of God to
the church to be received with gratitude, respect and care, so that
we may learn more fully about God's purposes for the world. It
offers a theological exploration of that relationship that is
mindful of the prejudice and persecution experienced by the Jewish
community throughout history, not least from the Christian church,
and is intended as antidote to antisemitism. Part One explores the
distinctive relationship between Judaism and Christianity and
traces its troubled history. Part Two considers critical
contemporary issues and reflects on how the Church should conduct
itself appropriately in its mission and evangelism, teaching and
preaching, ethical practices and attitudes towards Israel and
Palestine.
How did a thirteenth-century Italian friar become one of the
best-loved saints in America? Around the nation today, St. Francis
of Assisi is embraced as the patron saint of animals, beneficently
presiding over hundreds of Blessing of the Animals services on
October 4, St. Francis' Catholic feast day. Not only Catholics,
however, but Protestants and other Christians, Hindus, Buddhists,
Jews, and nonreligious Americans commonly name him as one of their
favorite spiritual figures. Drawing on a dazzling array of art,
music, drama, film, hymns, and prayers, Patricia Appelbaum explains
what happened to make St. Francis so familiar and meaningful to so
many Americans. Appelbaum traces popular depictions and
interpretations of St. Francis from the time when non-Catholic
Americans ""discovered"" him in the nineteenth century to the
present. From poet to activist, 1960s hippie to
twenty-first-century messenger to Islam, St. Francis has been
envisioned in ways that might have surprised the saint himself.
Exploring how each vision of St. Francis has been shaped by its own
era, Appelbaum reveals how St. Francis has played a sometimes
countercultural but always aspirational role in American culture.
St. Francis's American story also displays the zest with which
Americans borrow, lend, and share elements of their religious lives
in everyday practice.
|
|