This book is the first complete and thoroughly commented English translation of Johannes Reuchlin s Augenspiegel (1511). The translation sheds light on the author s motive in appealing to the authorities for the preservation of Jewish books at a stage of great cultural change in Early Modern Europe. It also addresses the question of how the church and state dealt intellectually with Judaism at a time when it was considered a threat to the existence of Christianity. The translation of one of the most politically controversial sixteenth century pamphlets provides a view of the treatment of a minority s culture with perhaps lessons for today s world.

Forces are rapidly reshaping America's morals, social policies, and culture-but how do we stop it? Learn how to make your voice heard and reclaim America's faith and values by reshaping our country's current trajectory. Cultural elites in the media, academia, and politics are daily deceiving millions of Americans into passively supporting policies that are harmful to the nation and their own best interest. Although some Americans can see through the smokescreen, they feel powerless to stop the forces inside and outside government that radically threaten their values and principles. Drawing on her training in political science and law, Dr. Swain thoughtfully examines the religious significance of the founding of our nation and the deceptions that have crept into our daily lives and now threaten traditional families, unborn children, and members of various racial and ethnic groups-as well as national sovereignty itself. Dr. Swain provides encouraging action items for the people of our country to make the political system more responsive. The book is divided into two sections: forsaking what we once knew and re-embracing truth and justice in policy choices. Be the People covers key topics including: The damage caused political correctness and its censoring of traditional Christian expression of thought America's shift to moral relativism and its religious roots Erosion of rule of law, national security, and immigration Abortion's fragile facade and the true toll it takes Racial and ethnic challenges How we can reclaim the future In Be the People, Carol takes a candid look at the problems our country faces but that we're often uncomfortable speaking honestly about, providing hope and actionable solutions to change the direction of America while we still can. "Be the People is a courageous analysis of today's most pressing issues, exposing the deceptions by the cultural elite and urging 'We the People' to restore America's faith and values." -Sean Hannity

There is currently no shared language of vocation among Catholics in the developed, post-modern world of Europe and North America. The decline in practice of the faith and a weakened understanding of Church teaching has led to reduced numbers of people entering into marriage, religious life and priesthood. Uniquely, this book traces the development of vocation from scriptural, patristic roots through Thomism and the Reformation to engage with the modern vocational crisis. How are these two approaches compatible? The universal call to holiness is expressed in Lumen Gentium has been read by some as meaning that any vocational choice has the same value as any other such choice; is some sense of a higher calling part of the Catholic theology of vocation or not? Some claim that the single life is a vocation on a par with marriage and religious life; what kind of a theology of vocation leads to that conclusion? And is the secular use of the word 'vocation' to describe certain profession helpful or misleading in the context of Catholic theology?

Brent Waters examines the historical roots and contemporary implications of the virtual disappearance of the family in late liberal and Christian social and political thought. Waters argues that the principal cause of this disappearance is late liberalism's fixation on individual autonomy, which renders familial bonds unintelligible. He traces the history of this emphasis, from its origin in Hobbes and Locke, through Kant, to such contemporary theorists as Rawls and Okin. In response, Waters offers an alternative normative account of the family's role in social and political ordering, drawing upon the work of Althusius, Grotius, Dooyeweerd, and O'Donovan.

Planetary Solidarity brings together leading Latina, womanist, Asian American, Anglican American, South American, Asian, European, and African woman theologians on the issues of doctrine, women, and climate justice. Because women make up the majority of the world's poor and tend to be more dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods and survival, they are more vulnerable when it comes to climate-related changes and catastrophes. Representing a subfield of feminist theology that uses doctrine as interlocutor, this book ask how Christian doctrine might address the interconnected suffering of women and the earth in an age of climate change. While doctrine has often stifled change, it also forms the thread that weaves Christian communities together. Drawing on postcolonial ecofeminist/womanist analysis and representing different ecclesial and denominational traditions, contributors use doctrine to envision possibilities for a deep solidarity with the earth and one another while addressing the intersection of gender, race, class, and ethnicity. The book is organized around the following doctrines: creation, the triune God, anthropology, sin, incarnation, redemption, the Holy Spirit, ecclesiology, and eschatology.

"Too often the discussion around homosexuality in the Church focuses on sin, when the real question before us should be: How can the Church faithfully minister to and love homosexual Orthodox Christians? Jesus befriended those who were marginalized because he knew it was only in the security of loving, unconditional relationships that hearts and lives are healed. Similarly, we cannot explore the issue of homosexuality without hearing the life, stories, and witness of faithful, Orthodox Christians who happen to be gay." -Justin R. Cannon, Editor "Homosexuality in the Orthodox Church" is a glimpse into the life, witness, history, and struggle of Eastern Orthodox Christians who happen to be gay. Throughout this book you will find... ...first hand accounts by Orthodox Christians and family ...an essay by an Ukrainian Orthodox bishop ...a brief history of Axios, a ministry to LGBT Eastern Orthodox Christians ...a study of the Scriptures often studied and cited in reference to homosexuality ...resources on homosexuality in the Orthodox Church

Does America, as George W. Bush has proclaimed, have a special mission, derived from God, to bring liberty and democracy to the world? How much influence does the Christian right have over U.S. foreign policy? And how should America deal with violent Islamist extremists? Traditionally, politicians have sought to downplay the impact of religious beliefs in international affairs. In this illuminating first-hand account, one of the most renowned figures in American politics argues that understanding the place and power of religion - and knowing how best to respond to it - is essential if America is to lead successfully around the world. Madeleine Albright examines religion and foreign affairs through the lens of American history as well as her own personal experiences in public office. She offers a sharp critique of U.S. policy, condemnation for those who exploit religious fervor for violent ends, and praise for political, cultural, and spiritual leaders who seek to harness the values of faith to bring people together. Often using new and telling examples from her own years in power, Albright has written a thought-provoking work that calls for bold leadership to rein in the many religious rivalries around the globe and lay the groundwork for a new moral consensus.

On July 2, 2007, the federal government seized everything from me, including my reputation. The systematic process of investigation, prosecution, and incarceration, turned me into a mere memory of my former self. I eventually landed in a prison cell, wearing an orange uniform, and facing LIFE in federal prison without parole. Having absolutely no prior criminal activity in my life, I felt that this was an impossibility for anyone. However, the system sometimes knows no redemption. I cried out to God on a daily basis, but I felt like He had abandoned me. I read about Job and the suffering of Paul, but they did little to appease me. One day, I realized that life in general is not fair, and that we as human beings will be judged by the way we play the hand that we are dealt. I see now, that it took losing everything, to gain what the Bible calls, "the peace that passeth understanding." I told God that I would use this experience to glorify HIM. I began counseling other inmates because solving their problems made me, at least for that instant, forget my own. I found myself enjoying sharing my faith and Biblical Principles with everyone. I applied to a Baptist University and I eventually completed a Masters and Ph.D in Psychology and Christian Counseling. I told the university that I wanted to write a dissertation that would minister to both inmates and their families, and not just a paper that would sit in their library. That case study of counseling prisoners, through various entertaining prison engagements, became the precursor to Suicidal Kings: The Road to Redemption. For the prisoner, it provides hope. For those searching for God, it provides understanding. And for the Christian Counselor, it becomes a prescription against the thinking errors of the carnal mind. Enjoy the ride