Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world - often described as a kind of heaven on earth. But for the majority of its inhabitants it is hell.

Ghettoes are everywhere, and for those living in Manenberg - a coloured township on the Cape Flats, purpose-built by the apartheid government as part of its forced removal plan - life is just as marginal today as it was during apartheid. The main differences now are the rampant drug use and widespread gang presence. No Neutral Ground is the gripping account of Pete Portal's move from London in the U.K. to Manenberg, of addicts and gangsters meeting Jesus and being transformed, and how he went from living with a heroin addict to helping establish a church community - and all the heartbreak and failure along the way.

This is a story of mighty works of God, as well as relapse, hopelessness and despair; the miraculous and the mundane, heaven and hell, all balanced on a knife edge. Offering searing insight and an inspiring vision of faith, Pete asks why anyone would choose this way of life, if giving up our lives for others is worth it - and what the church could become if we were willing to risk it all to reach the forgotten and the lost.

Across the world, 2 billion people experience menstruation, yet menstruation is seen as a mark of shame. We are told not to discuss it in public, that tampons and sanitary pads should be hidden away, the blood rendered invisible. In many parts of the world, poverty, culture and religion collide causing the taboo around menstruation to have grave consequences. Younger people who menstruate are deterred from going to school, adults from work, infections are left untreated. The shame is universal and the silence a global rule. In It's Only Blood Anna Dahlqvist tells the shocking but always moving stories of why and how people from Sweden to Bangladesh, from the United States to Uganda, are fighting back against the shame.

A hugely topical collection of essays from a cross-disciplinary group of leading academics focussing on the implications for an understanding of human identity in light of the current possibilities in medical science. The book brings together an international body of medical experts alongside philosophers, sociologists, theologians and ethicists in order to discuss these vital issues.

The ensuing discussion will allow public debate to be more informed about the actual possibilities inherent in medical science, alongside a sophisticated treatment of ethical and theological issues. The result is a focused collection of essays that raises new and challenging questions.

Iman Rappetti is an award-winning journalist who has been involved in print, radio and television. She worked as a young journalist in South Africa and then abandoned it (along with all her worldly possessions) when she became Muslim. She lived in the Islamic Republic of Iran for two years, where she also worked on a current affairs TV show for the state broadcaster before returning to South Africa and resuming her life here.

She describes herself as `the youngest of five children. One Rasatafarian brother (passed away), one ex-con brother (who can dance the pants off any woman and has a wicked sense of humour), another brother who's a big shot in the marine engineering industry (he makes a mean curry), and a sister who has the thankless task of staying at home and raising the rugrats (she has a way with words, and also makes a kick-ass briyani)'.

In this moving and entertaining memoir, Iman shares stories and what she has learned from her colourful journey through life.

Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age explores the questions: How can we be faithful people of God in a postChristian, postdenominational, postmodern world? and How can we do ministry in, through, and as the church in an increasingly secular world? Author Edward Hammett draws on concepts from the ministries of Jesus and Paul as they ministered among persons unlike themselves during the birthing of the New Testament church. He offers a coaching approach and practical ideas to help leaders and congregations as they struggle to discern how to build bridges instead of barriers with the unchurched.

You ve heard lots of biblical answers, but the question remains . . . How Do You Grow? Our desire to grow runs deep. Yet the issues in our lives that we wish would change often stay the same, even with our best efforts to build ourselves up spiritually. What does growth look like---and how can we grow? Unpacking the practical and passionate theology that forms the backbone of their counseling, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend shatter popular misconceptions about how God operates and how growth happens. You ll discover .What the essential processes are that make people grow .How those processes fit into a biblical understanding of spiritual growth and theology .How spiritual growth and real-life issues are one and the same .What the specific tasks and tips are that will help pastors, counselors, and others who assist people in growing---and what your own responsibilities are in your personal growth Shining focused light on the great doctrines and themes of Christianity, How People Grow shows why all personal growth is spiritual growth. Designed for use with How People Grow, the How People Grow Workbook will help you translate biblical principles into a practical path of growth in all the vital areas of your life---your relationship with God, your marriage and family life, your friendships, your sticking points, your personal development, and everything that life is about. Suitable for personal or small group use, this fascinating, hands-on volume is filled with true-life examples, questions for reflection or discussion, Tips for Growers, and probing insights that can help you experience the kind of change and growth you ve longed for---and that Jesus has promised."

This collection of nine meditations from renowned biblical scholar and Anglican Bishop Tom Wright carries Holy Week from its solemn beginnings to the dramatic conclusion on Good Friday and Easter. "I hope that these addresses," Wright says in his preface, ." . . will contribute both to the enriched understanding, and also to the empowered living out, of the vital and inexhaustible events at the heart of Christian faith." The writings for Palm Sunday through Maundy Thursday morning, as well as the Easter Vigil, focus on texts from the Gospel of Matthew; Maundy Thursday evening, Good Friday, and Easter morning focus on texts from the Gospel of John.

In a conversation about his teaching and preaching style, Michael Curry noted with a laugh that hymns and songs of faith were always a part of the mix. "I learned what I believed in the songs I heard my family - especially my grandmother - sing. We sang our faith every day." Out of that strong foundation, Bishop Curry shares the music of his childhood - the songs that have grown with him to shape an adult and vibrant faith.

From one of America's most brilliant writers, a New York Times bestselling journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness. At the heart of Buddhism is a simple claim: The reason we suffer-and the reason we make other people suffer-is that we don't see the world clearly. At the heart of Buddhist meditative practice is a radical promise: We can learn to see the world, including ourselves, more clearly and so gain a deep and morally valid happiness. In this "sublime" (The New Yorker), pathbreaking book, Robert Wright shows how taking this promise seriously can change your life-how it can loosen the grip of anxiety, regret, and hatred, and how it can deepen your appreciation of beauty and of other people. He also shows why this transformation works, drawing on the latest in neuroscience and psychology, and armed with an acute understanding of human evolution. This book is the culmination of a personal journey that began with Wright's landmark book on evolutionary psychology, The Moral Animal, and deepened as he immersed himself in meditative practice and conversed with some of the world's most skilled meditators. The result is a story that is "provocative, informative and...deeply rewarding" (The New York Times Book Review), and as entertaining as it is illuminating. Written with the wit, clarity, and grace for which Wright is famous, Why Buddhism Is True lays the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age and shows how, in a time of technological distraction and social division, we can save ourselves from ourselves, both as individuals and as a species.

Waarom glo mense dat die sterre en planete se posisies jou toekoms kan bepaal, of dat gesprekke met dooies moontlik is? Dis die soort vrae wat George Claassen in hierdie boek stel. George Claassen is dosent in wetenskapjoernalistiek aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch en die skrywer van die By-rubriek "Kwakoskoop" waarin hy vreesloos alle vorme van kwaksalwery onder die soeklig plaas. Hierdie teks bestaan uit vyftig hoofstukke waarin ’n verskeidenheid onderwerpe aangeroer word, van evolusie en die kartering van die menslike genoom tot supersnaarteorie en sieninge oor die ontstaan van die heelal.

'Build them a mosque, beta. Build them a mosque.' For years Bilal Hasham and his wife Mariam have lived contented, quiet lives in the sleepy rural village of Babbel's End. Now all that is about to change. On her deathbed, Bilal's mother reaches for his hand. Instead of whispering her final prayers, she gives him a task: build a mosque in his country village. Mariam is horrified by Bilal's plan. His friends and neighbours are unnerved. As outrage sweeps Babbel's End, battle lines are drawn. His mother's dying wish reveals deeper divisions in their village than Bilal had ever imagined. Soon Bilal is forced to choose between community and identity, between faith and friendship, between honouring his beloved mother's last wish and preserving what is held dear in the place that he calls home. 'At the heart of this book lies the simple question: who decides to who and what we belong? This is Malik's best work to date - satirical, controversial, knowing and essential' - Vaseem Khan 'This Green and Pleasant Land, a novel that simmers with tenderness, is a deeply relevant book that is bound to ruffle a fair few feathers, but the right feathers, and for the right reasons' - Caroline O'Donoghue 'Thoughtful, funny, excellently written and deserves to be read by everyone . . . it's the standout book of the year' - Abir Mukherjee

Mans leef in ’n wêreld waar die rolle van manlikheid so verander het dat dit met tye vir hulle moeilik is om te weet wie hulle werklik is en wat van hulle verwag word. Die eise wat ’n gewone dag aan mans stel kan soms selfs die mees ervare individu laat twyfel aan sy bevoegdhede. Die boek skep ’n bewustheid by mense, en nie net mans nie, van die alledaagse en mees algemene lewensuitdagings waarvoor mans te staan kom, en probeer hulle toerus met relevante inligting wat hulle sal help om meer doeltreffende, emosioneel gelukkige en vervulde lewens te lei. Die boek word verdeel in verhoudings- en lewensfase-uitdagings, verslawing, gemoedsprobleme en traumatiese ervarings.

The 1400-year-old schism between Sunnis and Shi`is has rarely been as toxic as it is today, feeding wars and communal strife in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan and many other countries, with tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran escalating. In this richly layered and engrossing account, John McHugo reveals how this great divide occurred. Charting the story of Islam from the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad to the present day, he describes the conflicts that raged over the succession to the Prophet, how Sunnism and Shi`ism evolved as different sects during the Abbasid caliphate, and how the rivalry between the empires of the Sunni Ottomans and Shi`i Safavids contrived to ensure that the split would continue into modern times. Now its full, destructive force has been brought out by the struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran for the soul of the Muslim world. Definitive and insightful, A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi`is shows that there was nothing inevitable about the sectarian conflicts that now disfigure Islam. It is an essential guide to understanding the genesis, development and manipulation of the great schism that has come to define Islam and the Muslim world.

Ever since its composition in the ninth century, the use of the Veni Creator in the liturgy of Pentecost and in Christian assemblies has been constant, as one continuous, solemn invocation of the Paraclete. Its language, however, is far removed from theological discourse but inspired by symbol, image and song, by poetry and liturgy, by prophecy and living models of holiness. The author is one of the foremost specialists in the theology of the Spirit. He has the master’s art of drawing the reader by communicating his own enthusiasm for the Holy Spirit.

Die bundel bevat artikels oor geloof en kerk in veranderende kontekste. Bydraes is deur teoloë van die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika en die Protestantse Teologiese Universiteit in Nederland gelewer en is die resultaat van samewerking tussen die twee universiteite op die gebied van praktiese en sistematiese teologie.

Die fokus is op die verantwoordelikheid van die kerk teenoor armes, die aard en wese van die kerk, die Christelik Godsbegrip en die wyse waarop oor God in die prediking gedink en gepraat word. Van die boeiende bydraes is ’n vergelyking tussen armoede in Suid-Afrika en Nederland, verhale oor die wyse waarop regstellende aksie en werkloosheid Suid-Afrikaners se geloofsbelewenis raak en besinning oor die proses van kerkvereniging in die NG Kerk-familie.

Daar is ook hoofstukke oor prediking en liturgie as uitdrukking van nadenke oor God en maniere waarop tot God gepraat word. Die wye verskeidenheid invalshoeke en onderwerpe maak van hierdie boek ’n interessante leeservaring vir sowel gewone lidmate as predikante en akademici.

From the Introduction: When I read the Book of Acts, I am embarrassed. Why does our brand of Christianity look so insipid compared to the be-lievers of the First Century? Where has the power gone? Has God changed, or have we? We've all heard the cop out that says, "The Book of Acts represents a different dispensation." What a sad, self-serving attempt to excuse our current state of spiritual impotence When we read Acts, we should yearn to experience a return to their brand of Christianity. Yet, instead of copying them, we seem content with copying other modern churches that are "growing." But why copy a copy, when you can copy the original (the Book of Acts)? In Acts, God was saving people every day. Communities were transformed. People were healed. Demons were cast out. Miracles were commonplace. Churches sprouted up across the Roman Empire. Persecution was faced and overcome. What made them so different? Some say they preached a purer Gospel. I disagree. Modern Evangelicals preach the same Gospel that was proclaimed in the First Century. We preach that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave. We preach that man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation. We preach that God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone, and the moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again. That's the Gospel they preached, and the Gospel we preach. Our lack of spiritual power in Christianity today is not due to the sermons we preach or the songs we sing. Rather, it is due to our lack of prayer. We do not pray like it matters. Jesus and His earliest followers prayed like it was important. We pray like it is inconvenient or inconsequential. Prayer was their priority. It is our postscript. We plan more than we pray. They prayed more than they planned. We gather to minister to one another. They gathered to minister to the Lord in prayer and fasting. Our focus is earthly, horizontal. Theirs was heavenly, vertical. They were wise enough to "pray the price." All of this is why I have written this 12-week Bible Study en-titled, "Pray Like It Matters." I want to demonstrate from Scripture that every prayer we pray is significant. Through our prayers, God changes things. One life dedicated to prayer can do more good than any life dedicated to other so-called "noble," worldly causes. An individual follower of Jesus who is committed to prayer is a fountain of life in a world of death. Likewise, the local church that becomes a house of prayer will be a spiritual powerhouse from which God's mighty miracles will flow exponentially. PRAYER is what modern Christians and churches are missing - frequent, fervent, faithful prayer Most Christians want to pray but don't know how. They are unable to carry on a simple, sustained, satisfying conversation with God. Thus, after a few minutes in prayer, they run out of things to say, get frustrated, and give up. Sound familiar? Just as infants must be taught to talk, Christians must be taught to pray. Once you know how, prayer will be fulfilling, refreshing, and even fun. A growing number of Christians today are aware that some-thing must be wrong. They know there has to be "more" to the Christian life than what they have experienced. That "more" is found through the discipline of prayer. These les-sons are a wakeup call for each individual, family, and church to become a "house of prayer." When we begin to pray like Jesus and His early followers, then we will witness the power they experienced. Today, we embark on what could be the greatest adventure of your life. Before we start, let's pray the prayer of the early disciples: "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).