In a sacramental ecology, divine grace is to be found in the evolutionary emergence of life. The 'Epic of Evolution' is the scientific story that reveals that we live in an approximately 14 billion year old universe on a planet that is approximately 4.6 billion years old and that we are a part of the ongoing process of life that has existed on Earth for roughly 4 billion years. Nature's Sacrament focuses on the religious and ecological significance of the evolutionary epic in an effort to seamlessly connect the ecological value attributed as a part of an understanding of the evolutionary connectedness of life on Earth, with the Divine grace understood to be present in Christian sacramental worship. David C. McDuffie is a faculty member in the Religious Studies Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where his primary teaching schedule includes courses in World Religions, Religion in America, Christian History, Religion and Environment, and Religion and Politics. Broadly, his research and teaching interests involve the subject area of Religion and Culture, which includes but is not limited to the relationships between religion and politics, science, and health care. This is his first book.

Is believer's baptism the clear teaching of the New Testament Scriptures? What are the historical and theological challenges to believer's baptism? What are the practical applications for believer's baptism today? Volume two in the NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY STUDIES IN BIBLE & THEOLOGY (NACSBT) series for pastors, advanced Bible students, and other deeply committed laypersons addresses these compelling questions.

Indeed, "Believer's Baptism "begins with the belief that believer's baptism (as opposed to infant baptism or other faith proclaiming methods) is the clear teaching of the New Testament. Along the way, the argument is supported by written contributions from Andreas Kostenberger, Robert Stein, Thomas Schreiner, Stephen Wellum, Steve McKinion, Jonathan Rainbow, Shawn Wright, and Mark Dever.

Users will find this an excellent extension of the long-respected NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY.

'What Christ Jesus taught is not what is most important, but rather what he has given humanity. His resurrection is the birth of a new faculty within human nature.' -- Rudolf Steiner In this book experienced Christian Community priest and teacher, Michael Debus, helps readers to understand the heart of religious consciousness and practical life -- the sacraments. He does so by exploring the following questions and more: -- Is baptism merely a symbolic act, or is it a reality that affects one's life? -- How should we understand the transformation of bread and wine? -- How can rituals express spiritual realities? Debus makes these complex concepts accessible to anyone who wants to understand the background and sacraments of The Christian Community. He also weaves together a discussion of historical theological developments with the evolution of consciousness. This is an insightful book for readers looking to understand the spiritual foundations of The Christian Community and its place in theological history, and its role in Christianity today.

"The heart of this book is about the ways in which the liturgy of the sacraments has been celebrated and understood in history and the ways in which the liturgy can (and should) influence how we understand the sacraments today." In the first text of its kind, renowned liturgical scholar Kevin W. Irwin offers a thorough explanation of the sacraments in their intimate relationship to liturgy. In Part 1 he traces the historical evolution of sacraments and sacramental practice from their biblical foundations through the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Part 3 concerns a theology of sacraments based on the liturgy as a major and firm foundation for understanding the theology of the sacraments today. Bridging these two main parts are two methodological chapters that describe the sources and method to be applied in Part 3. The Sacraments: Historical Foundations and Liturgical Theology is an indispensable resource for scholars and students who need to understand the sacraments as they should be understood: in their historical and theological relationships to the liturgy.

First published in 1901, this book traces the development of the Sacrament of Confession from the earliest days of Christianity to 1215, when public penance and confession was replaced by the more intimate Auricular format. The text is rigorously annotated with citations from the original sources and in the original languages. Although written primarily for Anglican clergymen, this book will be of value to anyone interested in the implementation and evolution of Sacraments and in Church history more generally.

Having set aside the Catholic liturgical books, the Protestant Church of England then found itself on occasion obliged to recreate certain rites as necessity arose. The volume aims at presenting a considerable number of these from manuscript and printed sources, and is furnished with ample appendices. The complexity of material involved suggests the usefulness of listing the acts and the sources drawn upon. Twenty-nine main texts are printed, together with a large number of other relevant documents.

A translation that uses traditional English of the marriage service as celebrated in the Orthodox Church. This consists of three parts: the betrothal, the crowning, and the removal of the crowns. This booklet has the texts for all the participants: priest, deacon, and chanter. It will also allow wedding guests who are unfamiliar with the service to follow it and will be particularly helpful when the service is celebrated in a language other than English. It does not contain any musical settings for the sung parts of the service.

En esta guia para el instructor encontraras elementos utiles para explicar a papas y a padrinos todos los elementos relacionados con el sacramento del bautismo. Incluye tambien elementos pedagogicos, tips practicos y citas de la Sagrada Escritura y del Catecismo que ayudan a contextualizar mejor cada idea en el conjunto de la ensenanza catolica. Por ultimo, tambien encontraras concordancias entre este manual y el DVD complementario "El bautismo de tu bebe," de tal manera que cuentes con apoyo audiovisual que te sirva para afianzar la explicacion de los distintos textos de este manual. En resumen, este manual esta pensado para ayudar a papas y a padrinos a que vivan el bautismo de su bebe con la mas profunda de las conciencias y a que obtengan el mayor provecho espiritual. This guide for coordinators and leaders of baptismal preparation classes follows its companion piece, Your Baby's Baptism for parents, page by page, providing references, tips, and resources along the way. It also gives instructions on how to prepare parents and godparents for the sacrament, facilitate meetings, and use the coordinating Your Baby's Baptism DVD in conjunction with the parent's booklet.

The Bible and the sacraments go together as the cornerstone of Christian identity. Wherever Christianity is practised in traditional ways, converts are baptised and bread is broken together. Countless books have been written about the theological significance these events, but their strictly human meaning and value as ways of helping people to make sense of themselves and enjoy their lives together has sometimes been overlooked. The sacraments are first and foremost signs of belonging, to God and with one another. They are sacramental not only because of the circumstances surrounding their origin, but also because of their function in incorporating the personal belonging to which they point. Roger Grainger explores the human side of sacrament -- the emotional hunger which it addresses, and what this means from a theological point of view; and what it still means for us today, despite all the changes which have taken place over the ages in the world in which we live. By looking at the way human beings relate to one another we can begin to see the amazing relevance of these traditional ceremonies -- their God given ability to heal our personal woundedness and bring to the forefront the reality of belonging together in community. The significance of sacramental worship for human growth and development is examined in some depth, using the insights to be gained from the anthropological study of religion, while its contribution to psychological health and the establishment of individual identity through personal relationship is identified as the basis of our sense of belonging. This book proceeds from its author's conviction that a better understanding of the dynamics of our belonging would contribute to the Church's mission within a fragmented society.

Catechesis for Infant Baptism will help parishes design a catechetical process for the formation of a ministry team to share "our common treasure" of faith with parents preparing for their infant's baptism. This book is for pastors, pastoral staff, liturgists, DREs, and all those who prepare catechists to engage in this ministry. Ellen Marie Collins employs primary symbols, the Lectionary and prayer texts for infant baptism to offer a process for deepening the catechists' understanding of the Rite of Infant Baptism and to help them as they share their faith as a baptismal ministry team.

This premier work considers the development of the doctrine of baptism in the Reformed tradition. John Riggs studies the major early Reformers, concentrating on Calvin's views, and then traces the development of the doctrine through the Reformed Confessions, Reformed Orthodoxy, and into Schleiermacher's thought. Twentieth-century debates are discussed as they illuminate earlier tensions and differing views from the past.

For a new Christian, or even someone who has followed the Lord for years, the Lord's Supper can feel somewhat mysterious. In this short booklet, pastor Aubrey Sequeira unpacks what the Bible says about the Lord's Supper, exploring 5 ways the Lord's Supper is important for the local church.