In the first anthology of its kind, Thomas O'Brien and Scott Paeth have gathered unique pieces from across religious perspectives to illustrate the growing influence and contribution of religion to the field of business ethics. Events in the recent past make clear people in business urgently need to focus on the moral dimension of practices and behaviors. Courses in business ethics are increasingly more prevalent in business schools and in departments of philosophy and religious studies, and yet texts for these courses normally pay scant attention to the much-needed religious perspective on what constitutes ethical practice and behavior. O'Brien and Paeth now fill that need with this new text Tackling such wide-ranging subjects as Jewish environmental ethics, Zen in the workplace, and Christian social ethics, this text is a valuable addition to any business ethics course.

In The Roots of Pope Francis's Social and Political Thought Thomas R. Rourke traces the development of Pope Francis's thinking from his time as a Jesuit provincial through today. Meticulously researched, the book draws on decades of previously untranslated writings from Father Jorge Bergoglio, SJ, who went on to become archbishop and cardinal; this volume also references his recent writings as pope. The book explores the deepest roots of Pope Francis's thinking, beginning with the experience of the Jesuit missions in Argentina (1500s - 1700s), showing how both the success and tragedy of the missions profoundly formed his social and political views. Subsequent chapters explore influences from the Second Vatican Council through today regarding culture, politics, and economics. In Pope Francis's understanding, there is a perpetual tension between the attempts to redeem the social order through the Gospel and the never-ending attempts to dominate peoples and their lands through a variety of imperial projects that come from the powerful. What emerges is a profoundly Christian approach to the social, political, and economic problems of our time. The Pope is portrayed as an original thinker, independent of ideological currents, rooted in the Gospels and the tradition of Catholic social thought. In a time of division and violence, the writings of Pope Francis often point to the path of peace and justice.

No matter who wins the next election, Caesar will remain Caesar, doing some good and some bad. But Christians report to a different king. This issue starts with a provocation. In his opening letter, editor Peter Mommsen suggests Christians are too excited about the wrong politics: "Questions of public justice should matter deeply to Christians. We dare not be indifferent about securing healthcare for all and ending interventionist wars; we must seek to reduce abortions and strengthen families. When an election comes, we should pray and then, perhaps, lend our support to a candidate we judge may, on balance, advance social righteousness. But if the early Christians and the Anabaptists are right, this isn't the politics that matters most. And so, as a matter of faithfulness, we should question how much it deserves of our passion and time. Our allegiance belongs elsewhere." In contrast to an election campaign, this politics may feel grittier and less glamorous. This issue of Plough Quarterly explores what this alternate vision of faithful Christian witness in the political sphere might look like. You'll find articles on: What two leading political theorists of left and right agree on What persecution taught Anabaptists about politics The Bruderhof's interactions with the state Tolstoy's case against making war more humane How some Christians read Romans 13 under fascism

Racism is one of the most polarizing conversations in our world and in the church. But it's a topic that the church can and must take part in. In this twelve-session study (DVD/streaming video sold separately), Jemar Tisby will guide you and your group through deeper reflections and concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church. Based on the teachings of his bestselling book, The Color of Compromise, Tisby will take you deeper into the topic, so that you'll: Learn more about the history of racism in America-from the colonial era through the Civil Rights movement. Develop a stronger ability to see the role that the American church has played in that abuse. Consider what gospel-inspired role you and your church can play in the important work of racial healing. The Color of Compromise Study Guide asks that participants acknowledge some challenging truths-about themselves and their nation-but it also makes space for you to articulate how you feel about confronting these truths. Throughout the twelve sessions, you'll take part in a number of activities, including: Video teachings from Jemar (The Color of Compromise Video Study, sold separately). Written responses and personal reflections. Scripture readings and prayers. Group discussion questions. Before you embark, remember that peace among racial and ethnic groups is not something that we have to achieve by our own wisdom and strength. The foundation of all reconciliation was accomplished by Jesus on the cross. Through Christ's power, the church can become a model of racial unity in our country. Designed for use with The Color of Compromise Video Study (9780310102205), sold separately.

GREEN WITNESS is a work in theological ethics, addressed to theologians and seminarians, but also to clergy and church study groups. Yordy approaches the topic of Christian environmental work not from the perspective of a global crisis that must be solved, but from the perspective of God's promise of the Kingdom. She argues that Christians can and should work for the wholeness of the biophysical environment whether or not their efforts bear immediate visible fruit, because God always welcomes and makes good use of faithful discipleship. This is good news to religious environmentalists who have grown weary of struggling to "make a difference" amid ever-louder announcements of environmental destruction. The eschaton is clearly a realm of interspecies peace, abundance, and diversity, and part of the church's mission is to demonstrate these aspects of God's plan for the world, although only God can and will consummate the Kingdom. LAURA RUTH YORDY is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Bridgewater College in Virginia. "Often confronted by the so-called 'environmental crisis, ' many are led to despair that nothing can be done. Drawing on profound theological insights, Laura Yordy helps us see that something can be done because Christ's redemption is sure and good. Hopefully this book will find its way into many congregational discussions of how we can better live as witnesses to God's glorious creation." STANLEY HAUERWAS, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School, Duke University "Yordy encourages us to think the meaning of creation in terms of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. With this eschatological reading of our environmental troubles she invites us to a more exacting and merciful discipleship that is patterned on the Trinitarian God who brings all creation into being and sustains it until its final redemption in Christ. Yordy's views will challenge established patterns of thinking, and inspire churches to be more faithful witnesses to the healing presence of God in our world." NORMAN WIRZBA, Author of The Paradise of God: Renewing Religion in an Ecological Age

"His Hiding Place is Darkness" explores the uncertainties of faith and love in a pluralistic age. In keeping with his conviction that studying multiple religious traditions intensifies rather than attenuates religious devotion, Francis Clooney's latest work of comparative theology seeks a way beyond today's religious and interreligious uncertainty by pairing a fresh reading of the absence of the beloved in the Biblical Song of Songs with a pioneering study of the same theme in the Holy Word of Mouth (9th century CE), a classic of Hindu mystical poetry rarely studied in the West.
Remarkably, the pairing of these texts is grounded not in a general theory of religion, but in an engagement with two unexpected sources: the theopoetics, theodramatics, and theology of the 20th-century Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, and the intensely perceived and written poetry of Pulitzer Prize winner Jorie Graham. How we read and write on religious matters is transformed by this rare combination of voices in what is surely a unique and important contribution to comparative studies and religious hermeneutics.

Will future generations find a church worth fighting for? A great reckoning is underway in the church today: a naming and exposing of the exclusivity, abuse, racism, patriarchy, and unchecked power that have marked evangelical Christianity for far too long. What kind of church will emerge on the other side? Like many families, the Beaches have been wrestling with this question. Together, Nancy and Samantha represent two generations: Nancy, a boomer, was a key player in the megachurch movement that revolutionized global ministry during the '80s and '90s, while Samantha, a millennial, is willing to abandon those massive buildings and celebrity cultures and find out whether the foundation holds. Each chapter offers their individual experiences and perspectives on a challenge facing the church and considers the way forward. Filled with deep introspection and keen insight, Next Sunday is a vulnerable conversation about what the church has been-and what it can be.

This book is my story about growing up in a Black girl's body. It's about surviving in a world not made for me.

Austin Channing Brown's first encounter with a racialized America came at age seven, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools and churches, Austin writes, 'I had to learn what it means to love Blackness,' a journey that led to a lifetime spent navigating America's racial divide as a writer, speaker and expert helping organisations practice genuine inclusion. In a time when nearly every institution (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claims to value diversity in its mission statement, Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice.

Her stories bear witness to the complexity of America's social fabric and invite the reader to confront apathy, recognise God's ongoing work in the world and discover how Blackness-if we let it-can save us all.

Completely revised and updated for the postmodern age, So What's the Difference? gives you easy-to-understand, nonjudgmental answers to the question, "How does orthodox biblical Christianity differ from other faiths?" Here Fritz Ridenour explains the basic tenets of Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, New Age, Mormonism, and other religions and belief systems of the world. You will also learn why relative thinking--the idea that there is no objective, absolute truth--has become the predominant mindset in our culture, and how you can respond. This bestselling guide will help you recognize the real differences between the Christian faith and other viewpoints and make it easier for you to explain and share your faith with others.

"Creating Success from the Inside Out" shares the inspiring and motivational story of Ephren Taylor, one of the world's youngest-ever CEOs of a publicly traded company. A millionaire by the young age of sixteen, Taylor tells you what it takes to succeed in life by following your own path and refusing to be defeated. When you ignore the voices of negativity and follow our own true passions, there are no obstacles you can't overcome.

How can Christians today interact with those around them in a way that shows respect to those whose beliefs are radically different but that also remains faithful to the gospel? Join bestselling author Timothy Keller and legal scholar John Inazu as they bring together illuminating stories to answer this vital question. In Uncommon Ground, Keller and Inazu bring together a thrilling range of artists, thinkers, and leaders to provide a guide to living faithfully in a divided world, including: Lecrae, a recording artist, songwriter, and record producer Claude Richard Alexander Jr., senior pastor of The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina Rudy Carrasco, a program officer for the Murdock Charitable Trust Sara Groves, a singer and songwriter Shirley V. Hoogstra, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Kristen Deede Johnson, a professor of theology and Christian formation at Western Theological Seminary Warren Kinghorn, a professor of psychiatry and theology at Duke University Tom Lin, president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Trillia Newbell, director of community outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention Tish Harrison Warren, an Anglican priest at the Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania With varied and enlightening approaches to reaching faithfully across deep and often painful differences, Uncommon Ground shows us how to live with confidence, joy, and hope in a complex and fragmented age. Praise for Uncommon Ground: "For anyone struggling to engage well with others in an era of toxic conflict, this book provides a framework, steeped in humility, that is not only insightful but is readily actionable. I'm grateful for the vulnerability and wisdom offered by each of the twelve leaders who contributed to this book. The task of learning to love well--neighbors and enemies alike--is long and urgent, and it can be costly. And yet, as this book shows us because it is the work of Jesus, we can pursue this love with great hope." --Gary A. Haugen, founder and CEO, International Justice Mission

Academy of Parish Clergy Top Ten List Immigration is one of the most complicated issues of our time. Voices on all sides argue strongly for action and change. Christians find themselves torn between the desire to uphold laws and the call to minister to the vulnerable. In this book World Relief immigration experts Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang move beyond the rhetoric to offer a Christian response to immigration. They put a human face on the issue and tell stories of immigrants' experiences in and out of the system. With careful historical understanding and thoughtful policy analysis, they debunk myths and misconceptions about immigration and show the limitations of the current immigration system. Ultimately they point toward immigration reform that is compassionate, sensible, and just as they offer concrete ways for you and your church to welcome and minister to your immigrant neighbors. This revised edition includes new material on refugees and updates in light of changes in political realities.

Explores the history of American left-wing Christians who discovered the convergence between radical politics and Christian faith. This book examines the histories of individuals, movements, and organizations that encompass more than a century of American history, and discusses the role of religious activism in movements of social transformation.

What does God think of human technology? Tony Reinke explores how the Bible unseats 12 common myths Christians hold about life in this age of innovation.

An impressive study that prompts the reader toward philosophical reflection on the hermeneutics of melancholy in its relation to maturing theological understanding and cultivation of a profound self-consciousness. Melancholy has been interpreted as a deadly sin or demonic temptation to non-being, yet its history of interpretation reveals a progressive coming to terms with the dark mood that ultimately unveils it as the self's own ground and a trace of the abysmal nature of God. The book advances two provocative claims: that far from being a contingent condition, melancholy has been progressively acknowledged as constitutive of subjectivity as such, a trace of divine otherness and pathos, and that the effort to transcend melancholy-like Perseus vanquishing Medusa-is a necessary labor of maturing self-consciousness. Reductive attempts to eliminate it, besides being dangerously utopian, risk overcoming the labor of the soul that makes us human. This study sets forth a rigorous scholarly argument that spans several disciplines, including philosophy, theology, psychology, and literary studies.

Extinction Rebellion are inspiring a whole generation to take action on climate breakdown

Volatile social dissonance in America's urban landscape is the backdrop as Valerie Miles-Tribble examines tensions in ecclesiology and public theology, focusing on theoethical dilemmas that complicate churches' public justice witness as prophetic change agents. She attributes churches' reticence to confront unjust disparities to conflicting views, for example, of Black Lives Matter protests as "mere politics," and disparities in leader and congregant preparation for public justice roles. As a practical theologian with experience in organizational leadership, Miles-Tribble applies adaptive change theory, public justice theory, and a womanist communitarian perspective, engaging Emilie Townes' construct of cultural evil as she presents a model of social reform activism re-envisioned as public discipleship. She contends that urban churches are urgently needed to embrace active prophetic roles and thus increase public justice witness. "Black Lives Matter times" compel churches to connect faith with public roles as spiritual catalysts of change.

Americans search for identity through a paradoxical pair of passions: spirituality and consumerism. On the one hand, we participate in religion or practice spirituality and on the other hand we are keen consumers. But, as Tom Beaudoin's Consuming Faith makes clear, if we truly seek to put our spirituality into practice, we must integrate who we are with what we buy. How are we linked to the rest of the world through our purchases? What does faith have to do with what we buy? With a new updated preface by the author, this paperback edition invites us to think about how our purchases affect who we are as individuals and as members of a global community.

Who were Catholicism's greatest orators? What was the key to their effectiveness? Was it mere scholastic ability or spiritual inspiration? The answer is "both." In this follow-up work, Father Ray E. Atwood examines the lives, theologies, and preaching examples of the Church's greatest preachers. This book tells the story, in biographical form, of Catholic preaching from the Old Testament through today, concluding with the homilies of Benedict XVI. Masters of Preaching takes the reader around the world in search of homiletic gems. Readers will learn about the stories of familiar figures, such as Saint Gregory the Great, and less familiar figures, such as Monsignor Francis Friedl. Readers will also discover how these men moved their congregations to deeper faith and greater understanding of the mysteries of salvation. Two appendices at the end of the book serve as a terrific resource for those looking for practical illustrations of lectionary themes. This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the subjects of public speaking and Church history.

Die religionstheologische Hermeneutik der Gegenwartskultur ist zu einem grundlegenden Forschungsfeld einer sich als Theorie der Religionspraxis verstehenden Praktischen Theologie geworden. Das AEsthetische ist als eine zentrale Dimension des Kulturellen deshalb neu in den Mittelpunkt der Aufmerksamkeit geruckt. Die Erforschung der Zusammenhange von AEsthetik und Religion steht jedoch erst am Anfang. Mit dem Band kann ein teilweiser UEberblick uber den Stand der Diskussion zum Thema Identitat und Differenz von asthetischer und religioeser Erfahrung gegeben werden. Er bietet eine Zusammenschau unterschiedlicher Zugange zu den Phanomenen bzw. differenter Theoriestrategien und weist Perspektiven fur den interdisziplinaren Diskurs auf, in denen die theoretischen Voraussetzungen und methodischen Massgaben fur die Verhaltnisbestimmung von religioeser und asthetischer Erfahrung zu klaren sind.

What does it mean to engage in ethical, anti-racist pastoral care with women with mental illness, particularly if these women are residents of an inpatient psychiatric hospital? This book draws on interviews with eighteen chaplains in three psychiatric facilities to examine psychiatric chaplaincy with women in the context of a state psychiatric hospital. It combines the voices of the chaplains with the disciplines of Christian social ethics and feminist, womanist, and intercultural pastoral care to create Just Care, an approach to pastoral care that accounts for both personal and societal-systemic factors in its practice of ministry. Just Care proposes that pastoral care that addresses the entirety of the person necessitates a commitment to justice and an attention to cultural dynamics as foundational for ethical pastoral care. It argues that psychiatric pastoral care must honor the communal and individual nature of care-both the particularity of the caregiver and care seeker as well as intersections of culture, gender, race, and class.

"Freedom begins in the ear before it reaches the mouth." Every once in a while a book comes along that profoundly makes the most original thoughts immediately familiar. The Divine Voice is such a book. Stephen Webb challenges readers to take sound seriously. Not only did God's first "sounds" speak the world into being, but sound and voice have also played an undeniably central role in biblical revelation, prophetic proclamation, and the New Testament call to verbal witness. Webb goes on to make the surprising claim that the obligation of all Christians to witness to their faith is "inseparable from the need to acquire and practice the rhetorical skills of public speaking." While the very words "public speaking" might strike terror in many readers' hearts, Webb confronts the issues of stage fright and speaking disabilities head-on, pointing his readers to the biblical narratives concerning difficult speaking. The Divine Voice performs its own significant insight: the life of the pilgrim is not just a spatial journey, but is an audition of sorts, in which we take the Bible's words as our own. As Webb points out, the good news is that we've already been cast in the play. Now, we can embrace a life of witness by rehearsing and "inhabiting the sounds of faith." An indispensable book for preachers, students of homiletics, and all concerned to see (and hear) sound in new ways.

Christianity Expanding - Into Universal Spirituality takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the areas that need updating if Christianity is to flourish in the 21st Century. New science, ecological concern and the need for new theology are all converging into a maelstrom of change. With broad brushstrokes on a big canvas, a path of personal transformation is charted, drawing on the mysterious Perennial Wisdom teachings that have survived down the ages. Pulling no punches, Don MacGregor delves into typically taboo subjects such as reincarnation, drawing a distinction between Jesus and the Christ. This dynamic first volume of The Wisdom Series is an initial outline of areas that demand ongoing exploration.