An all-encompassing account of Christian attitudes and sources of attitudes to marriage, traced through Near Eastern, Classical and Biblical histories, suitable for the student or lay trainer wishing to know more than an Alpha course. It covers all aspects of marriage- including the on going debate surrounding same sex unions. Peter Coleman, was the author of 'Christian attitudes to Homosexuality', 'A christian attitude towards televsion', and 'experiments with prayer'. Following his tragic death in 2001, when this work was left incomplete, 'Christian attitudes to marriage', is brought to us by the hard work of his family and close friends, particularly Dr Michael Langfor

This guide to the Christian faith is ideal for those preparing for confirmation. Arranged in three parts: "Becoming a Christian", "Belonging to God" and "Belonging to the Church", it is appropriate for personal reading and as a basis for a confirmation course. In uncomplicated language it takes the reader from the first step of making a choice for God and lays a solid foundation of teaching that will hold good for the whole of life.

The authors provide an overview of Reformed faith and spirituality, revealing how it constantly merges tradition with the ever-changing culture of the church community. Outlining the history, theology and rationale of the faith in detail, the book also includes practical discussions of the Church sacraments and ordinances, providing helpful suggestions and resources for their renewed relevance in services today. The book is a useful resource for all who are seriously seeking to understand the Reformed heritage and its value for present-day worship.

The sacraments were a major factor in the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Ever since, they have been an important part of Protestant church life. Major changes have occurred in our time as most traditions have revised their sacramental rites and experienced many changes in sacramental practices. This book traces the most significant practices in the past five centuries, explains how they often led to controversies, and examines the faith that was expressed and experienced in the sacraments. James F. White attempts to depict the whole sweep of Protestant sacramental life, so that an overall picture is possible. And he outlines the possibilities for future developments.

Sidney Batts encourages ministers to work with engaged couples to create unique, individual services that will be meaningful to the pair on their wedding day. The couple is able to give a personal touch to their ceremony by having many options from which to choose. The end result of the minister's and couple's efforts is a service that retains what is best of traditional form and language, but does not include unnecessarily archaic or sexist terms.

A Guide For Godparents is an aid for pastors who deal with ministering to a parade in our constantly moving parish populations. Often godparents arrive from out of town or state. The parents themselves move more often today than ever before in our society.With this book you will cover the theological basics of baptism and the spiritual life in a way that is simple and friendly without being simplistic or condescending.The spiritual basis of the book is suited to the busy couples that the church sees coming for their spiritual nurture and the baptism of their children. The content of this book will not scare off these couples -- parents and godparents -- returning to their church.Peter C. Garrison is pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Burlingame, California. His previously published CSS books are Pastoral Pitfalls and Witnesses To The Cross.

Poet, novelist, dramatist, polemicist, and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini continues to be one of the most influential intellectuals of post-war Italy. In Pasolini: The Sacred Flesh, Stefania Benini examines his corporeal vision of the sacred, focusing on his immanent interpretation of the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation and the "sacred flesh" of Christ in both Passion and Death as the subproletarian flesh of the outcast at the margins of capitalism. By investigating the many crucifixions within Pasolini's poems, novels, films, cinematic scripts and treatments, as well as his subversive hagiographies of criminal or crazed saints, Benini illuminates the radical politics embedded within Pasolini's adoption of Christian themes. Drawing on the work of theorists such as Ernesto De Martino, Mircea Eliade, Jean-Luc Nancy, Alain Badiou, Giorgio Agamben, and Slavoj Zizek, she shows how Pasolini's meditation on the disappearance of the sacred in our times and its return as a haunting revenant, a threatening disruption of capitalist society, foreshadows current debates on the status of the sacred in our postmodern world.

Building on his previous work on embodied liturgy, Frank C. Senn explores the relationship between the sacramental body and blood of Christ, the ecclesial body of Christ, and the body of the communicant. Drawing on the richness of the eucharistic traditions and his own life experiences, this book expands our understandings of the Eucharist to include pilgrimage to the altar (ad altare Dei), a life of gratitude (anaphora), cosmology and praise (preface and Sanctus), body and memory (anamnesis), Spirit and community (epiclesis), Trinitarian orthodoxy and world view (doxology), presence and union with Christ (communion), and initiation and reconciliation (fencing the table). It argues for use of a full eucharistic prayer to express a wider understanding of the Eucharist, including creation themes, an emphasis on the passion of Christ to connect the Eucharist to suffering humanity, an expansion of the fellowship dimension of the Eucharist to embrace the church in heaven and around the world, a recovery of Trinitarian praise, an ecumenical exploration of how we understand theologically the presence of Christ received bodily, and a reconsideration of the value of initiation in sacramental discipline and in the life of faith.

Is there a secret to a successful marriage? Derek Prince believed so, and that this secret is found in the pages of the Bible. Prince discusses the "mystery" of marriage as God established it at creation, and as Jesus restored it through the New Covenant. His exposition combines the profound and the simple in a way that brings God's highest within the reach of every sincere seeker. He goes on to show how the basic principles also make true spiritual union possible between each believer and God, and between fellow believers.

Existing books on Christian ritual and the sacraments tend to presuppose a good acquaintance with Roman Catholic thought and practice. Today, however, even at Catholic institutions students tend to lack even a basic knowledge of Christian ritual. Moreover, for many modern people the word "ritual" carries negative connotations of rigidity and boredom. In this accessibly-written book two noted authors offer an engaging introduction to this important topic. Their goal is first to demonstrate that celebration, ritual and symbol are already central to the readers' lives, even though most do not see their actions as symbolic or ritualistic. Once this point has been made, the book connects central Christian symbols to the symbols and rituals already present in the readers' lives. The Christian theology of symbol, ritual, and sacrament is thus placed in the context of everyday life. The authors go on to discuss such questions as how rituals establish and maintain power relationships, how "official" rituals are different from other "popular" Christian rituals and devotions, and how Christian rituals function in the process of human "salvation." Their lively yet solidly grounded work will appeal to intelligent lay readers and discussion groups, as well as being useful for courses in ritual and the sacraments at the undergraduate and seminary level.

Thomas G. Long, one of America's most trusted and thoughtful pulpit voices, provides a much needed theological and cultural critique of today's Christian funeral. Long begins by describing how the Christian funeral developed historically, theologically, and liturgically and then discusses recent cultural trends in funeral practices, including the rise in number of cremations and memorial services. He describes the basic pattern for a funeral service, details options in funeral planning, identifies characteristics of a "good funeral," and provides thoughtful guidance for preaching at a funeral.

But Long also notes a disturbing trend toward funeral services that seem theologically right and pastorally caring but actually depart from the primary aims of the Christian funeral. Long argues that the proper Christian funeral should be constructed around the metaphor of the deceased as a saint traveling on a baptismal journey toward God, accompanied by the community of faith on "the last mile of the way." He cautions that the cultural conditions for maintaining this view are under stress and a new, less theological and less satisfying metaphor that focuses on the mourner has begun to erode the Christian view. He contrasts the ancient grand community drama with today's trend toward body-less memorial services that focus primarily on the living and grief management, arguing that this is a loss for the church and calling for the church to reclaim the classic metaphor.

Of the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, matrimony is the most discussed, debated, disputed, and adjudicated in all of canon law. In this book, Brendan Killeen employs the fundamental question "What brings a marriage into existence?" as the legal and scholarly means to explore the very nature of marriage within the framework of the canon law of the Catholic Church. Killeen conducts his exploration in two phases. First he scrutinizes the canon law's primary sources--texts dating as far back as the Roman Empire--and gives readers a fresh perspective of the law's historical progression. He then examines the papers from the Second Vatican Council and offers both an objective evaluation of the law at present and some possible amendments for its future. Noteworthy for its diligent research and in-depth analysis, "What Brings a Marriage into Existence?" will be useful to both newcomers to the canon law of marriage as well as seasoned scholars.

Most Christians would say that baptism is the one sacrament Christians of al denominations share, that it is the source of ecumenical unity among al Christian churches. But how true is that? Is there really one baptism," as we profess in the Nicene Creed? If we disagree about what baptism does, can we really say that baptism unites us?

To address this central question Susan Wood brings together the history and theology of baptism (systematic, sacramental, and liturgical), focusing especially on the divergent paths taken in the understanding of the sacrament since the Reformation. Founded not only in her study of theology but also in her years of participation in ecumenical dialogues, her perspective will illuminate this problem for readers and point the way toward deeper understanding.

"Susan K. Wood, SCL, is professor of theology at Marquette University. Active in ecumenical work, she serves on the U.S. Lutheran 'Roman Catholic dialogue, the U.S. Roman Catholic 'Orthodox Theological Consultation, the conversation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Baptist World alliance, and the international Lutheran 'Roman Catholic Dialogue. She is an associate editor of Pro Ecclesia and serves on the editorial advisory board of the journal Ecclesiology. In addition to numerous articles, she has published "Spiritual Exegesis and the Church in the Theology of Henri de Lubac "(Eerdmans, 1998), "Sacramental Orders" (Liturgical Press, 2000), and is the editor of "Ordering the Baptismal Priesthood" (Liturgical Press, 2003).""

John Chryssavgis explores the sacred dimension of the natural environment, and the significance of creation in the rich theological history and spiritual classics of the Orthodox Church, through the lens of its unique ascetical, liturgical and mystical experience. The global ecological crisis affecting humanity's air, water, and land, as well as the planet's flora and fauna, has resulted in manifest fissures on the image of God in creation. Chryssavgis examines, from an Orthodox Christian perspective, the possibility of restoring that shattered image through the sacramental lenses of cosmic transfiguration, cosmic interconnection, and cosmic reconciliation. The viewpoints of early theologians and contemporary thinkers are extensively explored from a theological and spiritual perspective, including countering those who deny that God's creation is in crisis. Presenting a worldview advanced and championed by the Orthodox Church in the modern world, this book encourages personal and societal transformation in making ethical and economic choices that respect creation as sacrament.

Miracles wait at the communion table.

For centuries, the Church has observed the Lord’s Supper as part of corporate worship, instituted by Jesus Himself. But for many Christians today, this tradition can be a confusing ritual. Are we missing something in this ancient sacrament?

Beni and Bill Johnson—bestselling authors and senior leaders of Bethel Church in Redding, California—had a miraculous revelation while celebrating communion. In The Power of Communion, they reveal how this sacred practice is an often overlooked opportunity to release God’s power in your life!

Don’t settle for a lifeless routine. God is supernaturally present in the sacrament of Communion! Learn to embrace this prophetic act of remembrance, worship, warfare, and healing as it was always meant to be!

Discover practical keys for…

- Healing: release the healing testimony of Jesus’ blood and body over sickness.

- Deliverance: announce the eternal victory of Jesus over torment, addiction and bondage.

- Warfare: shift spiritual atmospheres over you, your family and even world events.

- Presence: experience new dimensions of God’s glory as you apply Jesus’ victory over your life.

There are miracles just waiting to be released that Jesus' atonement already paid for! Discover The Power of Communion today!