According to the commonly held view, early Christianity was a time of great harmony, and heresy emerged only at a later stage. To the contrary, Gerd Ludemann argues that the time from the first Christian communities to the end of the second century was defined by struggle by various groups for doctrinal authority. Drawing on a wealth of data, he asserts that the losers in this struggle actually represented Christianity in its more authentic, original form. Orthodoxy has been defined by the victors in this struggle and it is they who subsequently silenced alternative views and labeled them heretical. Ludemann's findings are important as well as liberating for the understanding of both Christianity and the Bible. Readers will gain a new understanding of Jesus and the early church from this compelling and controversial book.

The first and second Presbyterian congregations of Belfast, in Rosemary Street, owned a collection of palls, cloaks and hats which were hired out for funerals. They were used by most of the better-off inhabitants of Belfast, regardless of religion, and many of the gentry, clergy and substantial farmers in the surrounding countryside. This register, which covers the years 1712 to 1736, is a record of the hiring of this funeral gear for about 2,000 funerals which took place in the town, and as far afield as Counties Londonderry and Tyrone. In this period both the population and trade of Belfast were growing rapidly and the town was well established as the social and economic centre of Ulster. Much of the original register has been printed here together with an index of names, making it immediately accessible for research. To this has been added a series of biographical notes on many of the merchants, gentry, clergy and tradesmen whose funerals are noted. The register is the single most important genealogical source for Belfast in this period but this book will fascinate anyone with an interest in local history. Finally, the transcript retains the phonetic spelling of the original enabling, us to hear the authentic voice of eighteenth century Belfast.

Lawrence Kessler uses the Jiangyin mission station in the Shanghai region of China to explore Chinese-American cultural interaction in the first half of the twentieth century. He concludes that the Protestant missionary movement was welcomed by the Chinese not because of the religious message it spread but because of the secular benefits it provided. Like other missions, the Jiangyin Station, which was sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, North Carolina, combined evangelism with social welfare programs and enjoyed a respected position within the local community. By 1930, the station supported a hospital and several schools and engaged in anti-opium campaigns and local peacekeeping efforts. In many ways, however, Christianity was a disruptive force in Chinese society, and Kessler examines Chinese ambivalence toward the mission movement, the relationship between missions and imperialism, and Westerners' response to Chinese nationalism. He also addresses the Jiangyin Station's close ties to, and impact upon, its supporting church in Wilmington. |Western interpretations of the Cold War have erred by exaggerating either the Kremlin's pragmatism or its aggressiveness, argues Vladislav Zubok. Explaining the interests, aspirations, illusions, fears, and misperceptions of the Kremlin leaders and Soviet elites, Zubok offers a Soviet perspective on the greatest standoff of the twentieth century. In a new preface for this edition, the author adds to our understanding of today's events in Russia, including who the new players are and how their policies will affect the state of the world in the twenty-first century.

A newly revised edition of a helpful study guide that assists Presbyterians in understanding the creeds of the church. Updated to include an analysis of A Brief Statement of Faith, which became part of the Book of Confessions in 1991, this book is used in the training program for church officers of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Written by a pastor experienced in officer training, it will help Presbyterian especially current and future church officers, understand more fully the creeds that are part of their faith. This concise easy-to-use guide explains the ten documents now included in the Book of Confessions adopted by the General Assembly in 1983. Harry Eberts presents each document in outline form, discusses its meaning, and provides historical context. The documents are grouped into four chapters: the two creeds from the early church the confessions and catechism from the Reformation church; those from the Westminster Assembly: and the two twentieth century documents.

This volume demonstrates a central conviction of the Reformed tradition--that theology must honor the historic witness of the church as catholic while being faithful to the new tasks of the present-day church. It offers selections from Reformed theology, creeds, confessions, and church documents of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

This excellent resource presents short, meaningful selections from major Reformed theologians of Europe, the British Isles, and America during the classical period, 1519-1799. Arranged thematically according to major doctrines, it identifies significant theological points that illustrate both the distinctiveness and diversity of Reformed thought.

This edited volume discusses the contribution of Thomas Charles of Bala (1755-1814) to the life of Wales on the occasion of the bicentenary of his death. Comprising the latest research by twelve experts in their fields, it covers his work in education, religion, literacy, scholarship, lexicography and culture. Thomas Charles was one of the architects of modern Wales and this book, the most detailed work on the subject to be published for over a century, will be of great interest to cultural historians and literary critics alike.

This book challenges American Presbyterians to remember their calling as Christians. The author believes that Presbyterians are summoned to a character of life that will awaken and address the religious questions of today with powerful and persuasive Christian perspectives and answers. By recognizing again the message of the good news of the gospel and by speaking directly to our world, the authors tell how American Presbyterians can recover their identity as Reformed Christians and continue to make a creative contribution to the witness of the church in the world.

Through its examination of American Presbyterianism, the Presbyterian Presence series illuminates patterns of change in mainstream Protestantism and American religious and cultural life in the twentieth century.

A book about women who have deepened the faith of others. The contributors tell of neighbours, friends, missionaries, deaconesses and others, whose lives have had a profound influence upon them. Not only contemporary women, but women of the past, are remembered for their lives of service in these concise snapshots - Dr Elsie Inglis, the ardent suffragist, Annie Hunter Small, pioneer of the training of missionaries, Mary Slessor, the dedicated missionary of Calabar and St Margaret, the 11th century Queen of Scotland.

This helpful resource provides extensive information about each hymn in The Presbyterian Hymnal (1990)--background detail about hymn origins, publication history, authors, translators, composers, and arrangers. Stories about some of the hymns are also included. An excellent handbook that supplies information useful for a variety of purposes.

In this insightful commentary, John Mulder explores the meaning and message behind the seal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Mulder explains the parts of the seal in a way that connects the symbol to the theological foundations of the church. Pastors, church officers, and the lay reader will find this commentary fascinating and enlightening.

This volume considers three issues in the Presbyterian Church that have proved to be perplexing to the witness of faith: outreach, ecumenism, and pluralism. The first four essays illustrate that troubling questions about the church's witness arose in this century and divided Presbyterian opinion in the midst of American social problems. Thus, verbal and physical outreach became competing priorities. The final five essays examine racial/ethnic Presbyterian experiences. Examples of the interlocking and sometimes interfering interplay of outreach, ecumenism, and pluralism in the quest for distinctive Presbyterian discipleship are discussed.

Through its examination of American Presbyterianism, the "Presbyterian Presence" series illuminates patterns of change in mainstream Protestantism and American religious and cultural life in the twentieth century.

The meaning of the declining membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been hotly contested since the 1960s. Drawing on statistical analysis of membership trends, congregational surveys, individual interviews, research on disaffiliation, and case studies of congregations and presbyteries, this volume examines patterns and causes of congregational growth and decline in the Presbyterian church.

Through its examination of American Presbyterianism, the "Presbyterian Presence" series illuminates patterns of change in mainstream Protestantism and American religious and cultural life in the twentieth century.

Designed for clergy and lay people in congregations, this book makes an excellent resource for exploring the question of why and how the church can, should, and may confess its faith today, in a pluralistic world and in an ecumenical context. Also, it provides a basis for considering certain theological issues that have emerged as significant for a contemporary confession.

This book addresses the organizational character of American religious history and points to a tentative but significant conclusion: The Presbyterian Church has been undergoing an organizational revolution, and the roots of this revolution seem to have preceded the dramatic membership decline that began in the mid-1960s.

Through its examination of American Presbyterianism, the Presbyterian Presence series illuminates patterns of change in mainstream Protestantism and American religious and cultural life in the twentieth century.

Part of the Presbyterian Supplemental Liturgical Resource series, this volume contains prayers and other worship elements for the Christian Year.

The Presbyterian Supplemental Liturgical Resource (SLT) series includes liturgies that were used on a trial basis in preparation for the development of the "Book of Common Worship." Though superseded by the "Book of Common Worship," SLR resources remain valuable, both for the variety of liturgical texts they contain and for the commentary on the text, which contains rich historical, theological, and practical background.

This practical resource will assist individuals and adult groups in church school classes, sessions, and retreats by clarifying some of the major themes of each chapter in "The Re-forming Tradition: Presbyterians and Mainstream Protestantism." Study helps for the other volumes of The Presbyterian Presence: The Twentieth-Century Experience series are also included. The writers offer excellent suggestions to spur discussion and list additional resources for further study.

Through its examination of American Presbyterianism, the "Presbyterian Presence" series illuminates patterns of change in mainstream Protestantism and American religious and cultural life in the twentieth century.

This section-by-section, line-by-line commentary reflects on the meaning of "A Brief Statement of Faith" and its relevance for today. It will help Presbyterians think about who they are and what they believe, and will interest others concerned with the relationship between the Christian tradition and contemporary issues.

In this book Richard J. Mouw, one of the foremost thinkers in the field of Christian ethics, develops a constructive theological ethic, employing primarily Calvinist themes. Exploring issues that are at the intersection of philosophical and theological discussions, he sets forth an ethical perspective in which obedience to divine commands occupies a central place. After responding to some secularist objections to divine command theory, Mouw looks at the ways in which treatments of divine authority relate to contemporary philosophical discussions of moral justification. He then discusses the divine command perspective, turning to a specific examination of the Reformation emphasis on "naked selfhood." He defends Reformational selfhood against critiques of Protestantism and explores the differences and similarities between the conceptions of moral selfhood portrayed in classical Calvinism and recent existentialism. Examining Protestant, and especially Calvinist, emphases on divine command, Mouw argues that a divine command perspective need not be viewed as antithetical to the claims made by recent defenders of "narrativist" ethics. He explores the ways in which differing intratrinitarian emphases influence Christian moral experience, and he argues that a strong God-the-Father emphasis needs to be supplemented by perspectives that attend more to divine "nearness," as in contemporary feminism and Pentecostalism. He concludes with some reflections on the way in which a divine command ethical perspective speaks in positive ways to the contemporary moral quest.

Using twelve biblical passages, Louis B. Weeks helps adult study groups, Bible study groups, and individuals study the Bible as they reflect on who they are as Presbyterians. He explores the Presbyterian tradition, which has used the Bible as a guide, remaining faithful to both the Old and New Testaments.

"Presbyterians and Pensions" traces the historical development of the modern Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor organizations from colonial times to the present. It is a critical work that examines the Board of Pensions in its broad historical, social, economic, and theological context. Utilizing the case study approach, the authors show how a major Protestant denomination produced its present retirement and protection program for church employees. This is an insightful historical presentation of a vital part of the church's mission and provides very interesting and critical reading for those interested in the history of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The coherence of this volume arises from the way in which John Calvin serves as the centering focus of various disciplines and scholarly approaches that touch on the life of the church. Its five sections convey a wide range of interests among the contributors: Calvin and his times, theology, ecclesiology, interpretation of Holy Scripture, and worship and preaching.

With the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, and the Ten Commandments as his outline, Albert Winn offers plain talk about the basics of Christian faith. From these familiar sources which constitute the backbone of Luther's Catechism, Calvin's Catechism, and the Heidelberg Catechism, Winn fashions a primer to help renew faith. His book initiates a realm of Christian learning that remains important for a lifetime.