Theologians and leaders from many Churches and from the major world religions, including the last four popes, have acknowledged as unique in Christian history the spiritual gifts poured forth through Chiara Lubich. Her spirituality of unity has the ultimate goal of contributing to the unity for which Jesus prayed to his Father: May they all be one (Jn 17:21). This volume gathers her essential writings and for the first time presents them in a systematic fashion. It is a summa of the charism of unity, which will lead readers to ponder, understand and experience a spirituality particularly suited to the era in which we live. The history of the Church has seen many radicalisms of love ... that of Francis of Assisi, of Ignatius of Loyola. There is also Chiaras radicalism ... which seeks to make this love victorious in every circumstance. Pope John Paul II

This is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called his struggle. An interesting combination of words, but when we realize that we have a purpose that is worth the struggle, it does indeed become majestic. Bill Wiesman has compiled essays from strong church leaders that know the meaning of our holy purpose.Dan Boone, Stan Toler, Tom Noble, and Marilyn McCool join us--along with many other writers--to reveal five strategies towards developing intentional leadership, renewing a vibrant church, identifying clear and coherent theology, achieving mission outreach, and cultivating a multifaceted church.Join us on this journey. Though it may be a struggle sometimes, God has given us a majestic mission to revitalize His Church and make Christ-like disciples.

The end of Christendom, where the Christian story was known and the church was central, invites Christians in western culture to embrace marginality and discover fresh ways of being church and engaging in mission. While the transition from modernity to postmodernity has received a huge amount of attention, the shift from Christendom to post-Christendom has not yet been fully explored. This book is an introduction; a journey into the past, an interpretation of the present and an invitation to ask what following Jesus might mean in the strange new world of post-Christendom. Drawing on insights from the early Christians, dissident movements and the world church, this book challenges conventional ways of thinking. For those who dare to imagine new ways of following Jesus on the margins, it invites a realistic and hopeful response to challenges and opportunities awaiting us in the 21st century.

Today pastors and church leaders have an unparalleled opportunity to shape a biblical vision for Kingdom giving. Based on the foundational premise that stewardship is the management of time, talents, and treasure, authors Stan Toler and Elmer Towns set forth a vision for pastors and church leaders to shape the thinking in the pews. Developing a Giving Church provides guidance for shaping a giving environment, suggestions for developing committed steward leaders, and counsel on biblical strategies. This vital stewardship resource merges insightful principles with proven methods for creating a climate for giving through stewardship education.

Homosexuality, social drinking, and politics . . .Why is it so hard to talk about these topics and others like them in the church? What keeps us from having open and honest conversations about complex and controversial issues? The silence in the pews about these matters can be deafening. Often members say little, fearing disagreement and rebuttal, others strongly assert half-truths and biases. Nothing gets truly discussed, and many, especially the youth, become discouraged and leave.A Charitable Discourse insightfully explores why this happens, looking closely at the ways people avoid and prevent authentic dialog, from labeling and grandstanding to religious abuse. Seven controversial issues are discussed with understanding, sincerity, and compassion.

Brahana Selassie is a priest in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and here gives an account of Ethiopia's national Church from its origins in biblical times to the present century. Drawing extensively on both biblical and academic sources, 'Towards a Fuller Vision' describes the controversies that have raged within the Church, and its constant struggle for the independent existence it has now achieved.

John Wesley's most representative collection on Christian Perfection. ' Now let this perfection appear in its native form, and who can speak one word against it? Will any dare to speak against loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves? Against a renewal of heart, not only in part, but in the whole image of God? Who is he that will open his mouth against being cleansed from all pollution both of flesh and spirit; or against having all the mind that was in Christ, and walking in all things as Christ walked? What man, who calls himself a Christian, has the hardiness to object to the devoting, not a part, but all our soul, body, and substance to God?'

Practicing faithful discipleship means focusing on the daily aspects of Christian education in the local church, within its structures, and through faithful ministry.

Through Bible-based truths and helpful insights, Discovering Discipleship identifies principles that provide the Christian educator with an overview of the significant aspects of faithful discipleship. Effectively organized into four areasdefinitions, dynamics, design, and practiceauthors Dean Blevins and Mark Maddix offer readers an approach to discipleship that seeks to honor God, understand our role in the contemporary world, and guide persons and communities according to Kingdom principles.

In this honest exploration, readers will find a new perspective on discipleship that will help them dig deeper and develop a long-lasting and effective practice of community formation and faithful discipleship.

One of the principal buzzwords of the Second Vatican Council (1963-65), along with collegiality, co-responsibility, full participation, and aggiornamento, was dialogue. This is a history of how the practices of dialogue have actually worked or failed to work at every level of the church over the past forty years. Beginning at the most basic level, that of the parish, the book moves up the ecclesiastical ladder from parish councils, to diocesan synods, to the (Roman) synod of bishops. The book moves laterally as well to include ecumenical and interreligious dialogues. A chapter is devoted to the fractious Call to Action Conference, initiated by the U.S. bishops in 1976; another to the new inclusive style of drafting pastoral letters by the U.S. bishops - "The Challenge of Peace" (1983), "Economic Justice for All" (1986), and the never approved pastoral on women ("Partners in the Mystery of Redemption"). A further chapter is devoted to Cardinal Bernardin's Catholic Common Ground Initiative, which is still going on, though it was initially publicly attacked by four U.S. cardinals. Finally, there is a chapter on what was perhaps the most radical and far-reaching exercise of dialogue of all, namely, the dialogical and democratic processes by which women religious revised their constitutions. This is a cautionary tale, filled with thick description of advances and retreats. In a curious way, the book is a sequel to the multi-volume "History of the Second Vatican Council", edited by Giuseppe Alberigo and Joseph Komonchak If those volumes tell us what transpired at the council, Hinze's volume tells us what happened when the council fathers went home and all the good ideas of the council were either put into effect or left to gather dust in the dead-letter bin. Vatican Council II is an ongoing experiment, and "Practices of Dialogue" is a series of reports from the labs.

Responsibility is routinely overlooked, manipulated, and oversimplified. In Scandalous Obligation, Eric Severson explores the scope of Christian responsibility. This book delves into the slippery nature of obligation, the dilemma of competing calls for justice, and the perilous temptation to dismiss or avoid responsibility. Using examples from popular culture Severson casts an expansive and often daunting vision of responsibility that challenges the status quo.This book presses readers to consider the many complications that arise when Christians begin to understand the extent of their responsibility for the suffering that abounds in the world. It explores how Christians are to turn this approach to responsibility toward the clouds of injustice and pain that hang over our world today. With a brilliant use of Scripture, illustrations, and insights from classical literature and philosophy, Eric Severson makes us aware in this book that sin is not simply the breaking of rules, but is living with indifference to the needs of others when confronted by those needs.'--Tony CampoloProfessor Emeritus of Sociology, Eastern UniversityAuthor, Adventures in Missing the Point, Red Letter Christians In an era when so many Christians confuse their ethics with their politics, Severson summons the followers of Christ to once again take note of the 'alien at the gate.' Scandalous Obligation is a disturbing wake-up call to a church grown self-absorbed and complacent.'--Karl GibersonVice President, BioLogos FoundationCo-author, The Language of Faith and Science

A compelling memoir by an urban minister and community development practitioner with more than thirty years of experience in the field.