This is a series of eight essays on diverse public policy concerns that asks the questions: What does racial justice, or environmental protection, or family policy look like when approached from a Christian-democratic perspective? And what about the civil-society questions of welfare, education, and political participation? The author, James W. Skillen, argues that the roots of a Christian-democratic approach are neither liberal nor conservative, but pluralistic, opening the way to a healthy regard for both social complexity and government's responsibility to uphold political community. Published in cooperation with the Center for Public Justice

"Immensely helpful in orienting (around) this important, fast-growing debate on relating the Bible to ecological concerns. I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the current state of discussion It would be easy to adopt this book as a textbook in various courses at college and seminary." - Reviews in Religion and Theology "A perceptive, nuanced and accessible treatment which offers proposals for a constructive reading of the Bible in the light of contemporary ecological concerns, while not underestimating the ambivalence and ambiguity of the texts. It would be a particularly useful textbook for a course on the Bible and ecology." - Journal for the Study of the New Testament Environmental issues have in recent years come to the centre stage of political and ethical debate. Moreover, there has long been the charge, classically formulated by Lynn White Jr, that the biblical and Christian tradition has legitimated and encouraged humanity's aggressive domination of nature to serve human interests. Biblical visions of the future, with destruction for the earth and rescue for the elect, might also seem to discourage any concern for the earths future or the welfare of future generations. In this volume, David Horrell sets out this context for discussion, and illustrates the diverse ways in which the Bible has been interpreted in relation to issues of ecology and the environment. A range of biblical texts are discussed, from Genesis to Revelation, and competing interpretations are contrasted and evaluated. Horrells analysis shows that the Bible provides a thoroughly ambivalent legacy. It cannot straightforwardly provide positive teaching on care for the environment, but nor can it simply be seen as an anti-ecological book. Horrell argues for the explicit development of an ecological hermeneutic. This involves constructing certain interpretative lenses that arise from the engagement between our contemporary context and the biblical text. These lenses help to generate a new reading of the biblical tradition appropriate to face the challenges of the ecological issues that face humanity at the beginning of the third millennium.

Religion and Disability presents three keynote addresses from the national symposium, "Ministry Perspectives on Disability." In the opening essay, noted scripture scholar Donald Senior identifies certain themes often associated with scripture-such as the distinction between clean and unclean, and the notion that sin and guilt somehow cause sickness and disability-that contribute to non-welcoming attitudes to the disabled. In the second essay, John Macquarrie draws upon both theological reasoning and personal experience in reflecting upon the dignity of all persons and how this principle applies especially to our dealings with the disabled. Finally, Stanley Hauerwas invokes the ideals of the Church in calling for a response of love toward persons with mental handicaps. He helps us imagine a church community enriched by members who are disabled.

People are hungry to make a difference in their community, yet most don't know where to start. In fact, 'serving the least' is often one of the most neglected biblical mandates in the church. Barefoot Church shows readers how today's church can be a catalyst for individual, collective, and social renewal in any context. Whether pastors or laypeople, readers will discover practical ideas that end up being as much about the Gospel and personal transformation as they are about serving the poor. Here they will see how the organizational structure of the church can be created or redesigned for mission in any context. Drawing from his own journey, Brandon Hatmaker proves to readers that serving the least is not a trendy act of benevolence but a lifestyle of authentic community and spiritual transformation. As Hatmaker writes, 'My hope is that God would open our eyes more and more to the needs of our community. And that we would see it as the church's responsibility to lead the charge.'

How do we practice reconciliation in a world full of violence? How do we love someone at work who seems hell-bent on sabotaging a successful career? And how do religious people resolve differences when religious interpretations seem to lead to righteous indignation rather than reconciliation? We practice reconciliation, according to Michael Battle, by affirming that God is present and acting on that belief, even in the midst of something that looks more like the devil's work. Battle, who worked with Desmond Tutu in South Africa in the past, draws on his knowledge of biblical texts, as well as contemporary scholarship, to examine the ways in which each of us can practice being reconciling people.

America is widely regarded as the ultimate "Christian Nation." Religious language has always been at the forefront of American politics but this has increased since the events of 9/11. 'Myth and the Christian Nation' presents a startling analysis of how and why Christianity and national identity have been woven together in recent American political discourse. Drawing on examples of religious myth-making across the ancient world 'Myth and the Christian Nation' brings the weight of history to bear on America today, a place where myth, monotheism, sovereignty and power can be harnessed together in the service of specific interests. The book invites readers to rethink the role of religion in the construction of social democracy and to see America afresh.

We live in an age of global capitalism and terror. In a climate of consumption and fear the unknown Other is regarded as a threat to our safety, a client to assist, or a competitor to be overcome in the struggle for scarce resources. And yet, the Christian Scriptures explicitly summon us to welcome strangers, to care for the widow and the orphan, and to build relationships with those distant from us. But how, in this world of hostility and commodification, do we practice hospitality? In The Gift of the Other, Andrew Shepherd engages deeply with the influential thought of French thinkers Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, and argues that a true vision of hospitality is ultimately found not in postmodern philosophies but in the Christian narrative. The book offers a compelling Trinitarian account of the God of hospitality - a God of communion who 'makes room' for otherness, who overcomes the hostility of the world though Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and who through the work of the Spirit is forming a new community: the Church - a people of welcome.

Anthropology for Christian Witness serves as a thorough, basic introduction to the study of anthropology that has been designed specifically for those who plan careers in mission or cross-cultural ministry. The work of Charles H. Kraft, author of the classic Christianity in Culture, and widely acknowledged as one of the foremost Evangelical missionary anthropologists, this new work represents the synthesis of a lifetime of teaching and study. Kraft treats the very basics, including theories of culture and society; an assessment of the various anthropological schools; kinship and family structure, and cross-cultural communication.

It's time for everyone who cares about the state of our nation to heed the call and join forces to redeem the soul of America. It's time to come together and renounce the politics of rejection, division, and greed. It's time to lift up the common good, move up to higher ground, and revive the heart of democracy. In a single, rousing sermon, the celebrated Reverend William J. Barber II of the Poor People's Campaign makes an impassioned argument whose message could not be clearer: It's time for change, and the time needs you.

Evangelical Christians are active across all spheres of intellectual and public life today. But a disconnect remains: the work they produce too often fails to inform their broader communities. In the midst of a divisive culture and a related crisis within evangelicalism, public intellectuals speaking from an evangelical perspective have a critical role to play-within the church and beyond. What does it look like to embrace such a vocation out of a commitment to the common good? Public Intellectuals and the Common Good draws together world-class scholars and practitioners to cast a vision for intellectuals who promote human flourishing. Representing various roles in the church, higher education, journalism, and the nonprofit sector, contributors reflect theologically on their work and assess current challenges and opportunities. What historically well-defined qualities of public intellectuals should be adopted now? What qualities should be jettisoned or reimagined? Public intellectuals are mediators-understanding and then articulating truth amid the complex realities of our world. The conversations represented in this book celebrate and provide guidance for those who through careful thinking, writing, speaking, and innovation cultivate the good of their communities. Contributors: Miroslav Volf Amos Yong Linda A. Livingstone Heather Templeton Dill Katelyn Beaty Emmanuel Katongole John M. Perkins and David Wright

Northcott constructs a new political theology of climate change that acknowledges the role of borders in the constitution of the nations, and their providential ordering under God as assemblies of persons who recognise particular duties to each other within those borders.

When four religious leaders walk across the road, it's not the beginning of a joke. It's the start of one of the most important conversations in today's world.
Can you be a committed Christian without having to condemn or convert people of other faiths? Is it possible to affirm other religious traditions without watering down your own?
In his most important book yet, widely acclaimed author and speaker Brian McLaren proposes a new faith alternative, one built on "benevolence and solidarity rather than rivalry and hostility." This way of being Christian is strong but doesn't strong-arm anyone, going beyond mere tolerance to vigorous hospitality toward, interest in, and collaboration with the other.
Blending history, narrative, and brilliant insight, McLaren shows readers step-by-step how to reclaim this strong-benevolent faith, challenging us to stop creating barriers in the name of God and learn how affirming other religions can strengthen our commitment to our own. And in doing so, he invites Christians to become more Christ-like than ever before.

Use your personal faith to spread the health! Health Through Faith and Community is a unique study guide that encourages Christian congregations to enhance the well-being of individual church members as well as society as a whole. Presented as eight study sessions that can be used independently or combined for an in-depth learning process, this notebook-size guide includes unique insights and learning activities from an ecumenical Christian perspective about the physical, mental, social, and environmental aspects of health. This well-referenced book includes more than 50 illustrations, handouts, and figures, as well as numerous resources for prayer, activity, discussion, self-reflection, Bible study, and practical applications that will help connect personal faith with congregations and communities. The study sessions presented in Health Through Faith and Community are arranged in a series that can be easily adapted to adult Sunday school classes, workshops, retreats, and independent study. Sessions focus on individual themes and each builds on the previous one, blending together various learning approaches, including factual information, self-assessment and reflection exercises, small group discussion, and interaction exercises. The book also provides notes and guidelines for a study leader, handouts, overhead projection materials, suggested prayers, and Bible passages, materials for group discussions and exercises, Internet resources, and supplemental activities. Each study session presented in Health Through Faith and Community includes: an opening prayer to reinforce the group's intention to learn together a review of working definitions, concepts, and content, all presented in layperson's terms material from relevant Christian sources-scriptures, personal stories, images, literature, poetry, art introspective activities that can be done in-group settings or privately group interaction-stories, spontaneous dialogue, and interactive exercises a holistic Christian perspective on faith and healing reflections by the session leader on ways to learn more about nurturing well-being in individuals, relationships, and the community The study sessions build to a final session that helps congregations create goals to promote personal and social health in the church community, the local community, and beyond. Health Through Faith and Community is an invaluable resource for pastoral counselors, chaplains, retreat leaders, parish nurses, and faith-based social workers.

In the great tradition of moral argument about the nature of the economic market, Rebecca Blank and William McGurn join to debate the fundamental questionsequality and efficiency, productivity and social justice, individual achievement and personal rights in the workplace, and the costs and benefits of corporate and entrepreneurial capitalism. Their arguments are grounded in both economic sophistication and religious commitment. Rebecca Blank is an economist by training and describes herself as culturally Protestant in the habits of mind and heart. She has also chaired the committee that wrote the statement on Christian faith and economic life adopted by the United Church of Christ. Addressing market failure, for her, requires that sometimes " freedom to choose" give way to other human values. William McGurn, a journalist and a Roman Catholic, uses his expertise in economics to reflect on the teachings of the church concerning the morality of the market. For McGurn, humans reach their fullest potential when they are free from the constraints of others. He writes that " our quarrel is not so much with Adam Smith or Milton Friedman but with the Providence that so clearly designed man to be his most prosperous at his most free." This book grapples with the new imperatives of a global economy while working in the classic tradition of political economy which always treated seriously the questions of morality, justice, productivity, and freedom.

Gods at War illustrates a clear path away from the heartache of our 21st century idolatry back to the heart of God--enabling us to be completely committed followers of Jesus. What do Netflix, our desire for the corner office, and that perfect picture we just posted on Instagram have to do with each other? None of these things is wrong in itself. But when we begin to allow entertainment, success, or social media to control us, we miss out on the joy of God's rule in our hearts. In Gods at War, Pastor Kyle Idleman, bestselling author of Not a Fan, helps every believer recognize there are false gods at war within each of us, and they battle for the place of glory and control in our lives. According to Idleman, idolatry isn't an issue--it is the issue. And he reveals which false gods each of us are allowing on the throne of our lives, by asking insightful questions such as: What do you sacrifice for? What makes you mad? What do you worry about? Whose applause do you long for? We're all wired for worship, but we often end up valuing and honoring the idols of money, sex, food, romance, success, and many others that keep us from the intimate relationship with God that we desire. In this updated edition, Pastor Kyle adds a new introduction as well as new content about the battle many of us face with technology--whether we are tempted to send just one more text, stay online when our bodies need rest, or find ourselves putting email before in-person relationships. How can we seek God with our whole hearts instead? Spanish and student editions also available.

Stay up-to-date with the latest innovative methods of meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications examines current state-of-the-art efforts in the development and implementation of spiritual interventions for older adults. Academics and practitioners working in social work, social welfare, medicine, and mental health and aging present innovative approaches to meeting major challenges in the field of gerontology, including elder abuse, dementia, care giving, palliative care, and intergenerational relationships. The book provides practical methods for dealing with the problems and pitfalls of starting and evaluating interventions of a spiritual nature in a variety of community-based and institutional settings. Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications provides you with an overview of current and future methods and means of providing spiritual support to the elderly as they struggle with the problems and possibilities of aging in today's complex world.Growing interest in the positive effects that religiousness and spirituality can have on life stress has created a growing need for research and practice models that strengthen, reinforce, or promote the spiritual well-being of older adults. This collection first presented in 2003 at the 56th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America addresses the important care giving and practice issues involving the physical and psychological health of older adults.Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications examines: how older adults use narrative therapy to manage adversity and maintain self-efficacy how faith-based communities can be enlisted as important social resources a pilot government-funded project to raise awareness of elder abuse in faith communities an intergenerational project involving a preschool and a retirement community spiritual activities for adults with Alzheimer's disease the Creating Alternative Relaxing Environment (CARE) Cabinet intervention Spiritual Assessment and Intervention: Current Directions and Applications is an essential resource for gerontological practitioners from the biological, clinical (including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and dentists), behavioral and social sciences (including anthropologists, psychologists, social workers, sociologists, and researchers), and for health care administrators.

Gain an understanding of the increased role religious congregations now play in providing social support to the elderly Religious congregations and faith-based organizations (FBO) from the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions have worked on behalf of older adults for centuries. But the initiation of President Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives has raised many questions from both the traditional secular and sectarian services as well as many nontraditional services found in each community. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services addresses the issues of the separation of church and state, the concerns involved in developing social services in religious congregations, and the larger public policy implications of this office. This unique book offers perspectives from traditional and nontraditional faith-based groups, as well as experts in volunteerism. The enactment by Congress of the Charitable Choice section of the federal welfare reform law combined with the creation of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the United States Department of Health and Human Services to signal a high-level of interest in supporting faith-based organizations. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services focuses on the specific applications of services provided by religious congregations. Editors F. Ellen Netting and James W. Ellor conducted an in-depth interview with Elizabeth Seal-Scott, then Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (an edited transcript of the interview is included in the book) to help promote understanding of the development and implementation of faith-based, grass roots programs. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services examines: the separation of church and state Baptist perspectives on faith-based initiatives and religious liberty managing older volunteers faith organizations and ethnically diverse elders the heritage of religion and spirituality in the field of gerontology faith-related agencies and their implications for aging services the role of religious congregations in the social service system Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services is an essential resource for anyone interested in developing programs for older adults in religious congregations, for human services staffs seeking to work with faith-based initiatives, and for government workers in need of a better understanding of faith-based services in their community.

The alleged or the wrongly conceived teaching that 'it is God's will that human beings exploit nature for their proper ends' has largely contributed to the present global environmental predicament. Environmentally speaking, Africa as a continent is today experiencing one epidemic after another. Poverty (material and mental), population pollution, sinful structures, economic disaster, drastic climatic changes, unequal distribution of land, ethnic conflicts, squalor and the degradation of ecosystems are among the most pressing issues undermining lasting sustainable development in Africa. This work deals with the cultural and the biblical roots of these ecological crises; ex-rays the historical development of this impasse in Africa, and finally proffers recommendations

No other mainstream theologian has so consistently and trenchantly taken a stand with and for people with developmental disabilities.John Swinton Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology examines the influential writings of one of the most important contemporary theologians. Over the past thirty years, Time magazine Theologian of the Year (2001) Dr. Stanley Hauerwas has consistently presented a theological position which values the deep theological significance of people with developmental disabilities, as well as their importance to the life and the faithfulness of the church. Ten key Hauerwas essays on disability are brought together in a single volumeessays which reflect and illustrate his thinking on the theology of disability, along with responses to each essay from multidisciplinary authoritative sources including Jean Vanier, Michael Berube, John O'Brien and Ray S. Anderson. Dr. Hauerwas has always been a fearless voice in the field of theology. Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology presents his work on the true meaning of disability and provides critical multidisciplinary discussions about his challenging ideas and their validity. In his essays, Hauerwas discusses his views on issues such as the social construction of developmental disabilities, the experience of profound developmental disabilities in relation to liberal society, and the community as the hermeneutic of the gospel. Included is a new essay by Dr. Hauerwas responding to the contributors to the book. Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology explores Hauerwas' thoughts on: the political nature of disability in liberal society the creation of a society where there is more love the dimensions of what is normal the key role of those treated as outsiders in building community the theological understanding of parenting which places responsibility for the individual child firmly within the Christian community using the model of the church as a social ethic developmental disability being equated with suffering the concept of the person in the theology of disability the developmentally disabled and the criteria for humanhood the importance of family in the process of caring for people with developmental disabilities Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology is a fascinating exploration of contemporary theological reflection on disability and is essential reading for students and teachers of practical theology, pastoral counselors, clergy, chaplains, and social and health care students.

How can we love our neighbors amid so much division and hurt? Loving your neighbor as yourself would be easy if your neighbors were all people you understood, people you agreed with, people like you. But what about playground bullies, colleagues, refugees, online adversaries? They're all our neighbors, and Jesus said to love them. Every one. But how? Lauren Casper believes the key is the lost art of empathy, stepping into other people's shoes and asking what if?-what if it were my child? What if it were me? Casper helps us discover how to identify our blind spots and tune our hearts to the stories around us; seek and extend forgiveness with grace and humility; and engage in diverse and meaningful relationships. Following these steps will enable us to connect in simple but life-altering ways, to respond to conflict with grace, bring about needed change, and shine God's unconditional love into a dark world.

In Creation, Power and Truth, Tom Wright invites readers to consider the crucial ways in which the Christian gospel challenges and subverts the intellectual, moral and political values that pervade contemporary culture. In doing so, he asks searching questions about three defining characteristics of our time: neo-gnosticism, neo-imperialism and postmodernity. Employing a robust Trinitarian framework, Wright looks afresh at key elements of the biblical story while drawing out new and unexpected connections between ancient and modern world-views. The result is a vigorous critique of common cultural assumptions and controlling narratives, past and present, and a compelling read for all who want to hear, speak and live the gospel of Christ in a world of cultural confusion.

This volume addresses the current scholarly controversies that have crupted in the last 20 or so years over the implications of the judaism of Jesus. Since the early 1970s, a number of historical Jesus scholars have claimed that Jesus was a Jew, and that this fact has significant implications for how one reconstructs the figure of Jesus from the portraits in ancient Christian literature. This book explores the anti-Jewish legacy of past scholarship, shows that the Judaism of Jesus is a more complex issue than sometimes acknowledged, and explores the subterranean cultural implications of the recent insistence on the Judaism of Jesus.

Many Catholic priests, nuns, and brothers in the United States take a strong interest in US policies that affect their "brothers and sisters" abroad. In fact, when the policies of their native government pose significant dangers to their people internationally, these US citizens engage actively in a variety of political processes in order to protect and advance the interests of the transnational religious communities to which they belong. In this provocative examination of the place of religion in world politics, Timothy A. Byrnes focuses on three Catholic communities -- Jesuit, Maryknoll, and Benedictine -- and how they seek to shape US policy in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Based on years of fieldwork and on-the-ground interviews, "Reverse Mission" details the transnational bonds that drive the political activities of these Catholic orders.

This fascinating book reveals how the men and women of these orders became politically active in complex and sometimes controversial causes and how, ultimately, they exert a unique influence on foreign policy that is derived from their communal loyalties rather than any ethnic or national origin.

From the creator of the bestseller Simpler Living, Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective comes Food & Faith. Food is itself a joyful gift recall how the gift of food so often mediates the sanctity and preciousness of life. This new collection of reflections by Wendell Berry, Bill McKibben, Elizabeth Johnson, Alan Durning and others helps you start thinking about the moral, spiritual and economic implications of eating. Readings focus on the enjoyment and spirituality of good food, ways in which eating connects us to the land and to each other, and on the economic, environmental and cultural impacts of daily food choices. Food & Faith includes an eight-week study guide for groups or individuals, which leads to action: setting a table that is healthy, joyful and just. "