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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian institutions & organizations > Christian social thought & activity
Our neighborhoods are literally making us sick. Buildings with mold
trigger asthma and other respiratory conditions. Geographic lack of
access to food and health care increases childhood mortality.
Community violence traumatizes residents. Poverty, unemployment,
inadequate housing, food insecurity, racial injustice, and
oppression cause physical changes in the body, resulting in disease
and death. But there is hope. Loving our neighbor includes creating
social environments in which people can be healthy. While working
in community redevelopment and treating uninsured families,
Veronica Squires and Breanna Lathrop discovered that creating
healthier neighborhoods requires a commitment to health equity.
Jesus' ministry brought healing through dismantling systems of
oppression and overturning social norms that prevented people from
living healthy lives. We can do the same in our communities through
addressing social determinants that facilitate healing in
under-resourced neighborhoods. Everyone deserves the opportunity
for good health. The decisions we make and actions we take can
promote the health of our neighbors.
In the first half of the twentieth century, supporters of the
eugenics movement offered an image of a racially transformed
America by curtailing the reproduction of "unfit" members of
society. Through institutionalization, compulsory sterilization,
the restriction of immigration and marriages, and other methods,
eugenicists promised to improve the population - a policy agenda
that was embraced by many leading intellectuals and public figures.
But Catholic activists and thinkers across the United States
opposed many of these measures, asserting that "every man, even a
lunatic, is an image of God, not a mere animal." In "An Image of
God", Sharon M. Leon examines the efforts of American Catholics to
thwart eugenic policies, illuminating the ways in which Catholic
thought transformed the public conversation about individual
rights, the role of the state, and the intersections of race,
community, and family. Through an examination of the broader
questions raised in this debate, Leon casts new light on major
issues that remain central in American political life today: the
institution of marriage, the role of government, and the separation
of church and state. This is essential reading in the history of
religion, science, politics, and human rights.
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The American way of life pushes people to constantly strive for
more--more money, more stuff, more clout. But how much is enough?
And how do we know when we have too much of a good thing? In this
provocative, paradigm-shifting book, Will Davis Jr. challenges
readers to discover the peace that comes through contentment with
what we have and compassion for those in need. Through surprising
statistics, scriptural insight, and real-life stories, Davis gently
leads readers to consider living with less in order to do more for
the kingdom. Thought-provoking discussion questions and short
chapters make this a perfect study for small groups.
No one will come away from this powerful book unchanged.
This startling study of early Christian attitudes toward sexuality
begins with an account of the different stances adopted by the
Church-from the Early Fathers' view that sex and the female body
were irredeemably unholy, to Augustine's contention that sex was
natural, but lust was evil. While the Church Fathers struggled to
reach consistent theoretical conclusions, the underlying conflation
of 'women' with 'sex' meant that patristic statements on chastity,
virginity and marriage effectively read as ecclesiastical law
governing women's conduct. Joyce Salisbury explains the
relationship between Church doctrine and the position of women by
placing these official views alongside an ascetic tradition which
resisted the constraints imposed by sexual intercourse. Through an
examination of texts of female and popular authorship, and the
extraordinary lives of seven women saints-including the
transvestites Castissima and Pelagia-she presents a markedly
different picture of sexual and social roles. For many of these
women, celibacy became a form of emancipation. Church Fathers,
Independent Virgins bears witness to the entrenched power of the
Church to oppress, the continuing power of women to overcome, and
the enduring effects of medieval sexual attitudes.
The processes of globalisation are reshaping our world dramatically
and rapidly. The great issues of our day emphasise that we are all
in this together: startling inequalities, pressures on the
environment, continuing hunger and poverty, climate change,
economic integration, mass migrations, instant communications and
recurring armed conflicts. How do we ensure that these vast
developments work for the 'common good', promote greater social
equity and better life opportunities, especially for the most
disadvantaged? In this issue of Interface, scholars from the Yarra
Institute for Religion and Social Policy within Melbourne's
University of Divinity tackle key aspects of globalisation.How do
we ensure that these vast developments work for the 'common good',
promote greater social equity and better life opportunities,
especially for the most disadvantaged?
The outlines for this book have been chosen from some of the most
respected preachers in history. Each book in the Bryant Sermon
Outlines Series contains thirty or more outlines focusing on one
theme. These outlines for funerals and other special services are
designed to spark an idea, provide an initial structure, and/or
furnish a fitting illustration.
There are around 8,000 people incarcerated in Scotland. For 40
years, Prison Fellowship Scotland has been working with prisoners
and their families, providing practical help and care, and sharing
the good news about Jesus. 40 Years Behind Bars tells the stories
of the work of Prison Fellowship Scotland, from the perspective of
the people closest to the work - prisoners, volunteers and prison
workers, amongst others. These uplifting first-hand accounts give
voices to many who are unheard, and an insight into the real
difference God makes in the lives of those trapped in cycles of
addiction and abuse. From weekly groups where anyone and everyone
is welcomed, to the Sycamore Tree course, encouraging victim
awareness and restorative justice Prison Fellowship Scotland, and
other Prison Fellowships around the world, show the love of God in
a tangible way to prisoners and their families. Learn more about
the impact this incredible organisation has had in 40 Years Behind
Bars.
This book explores the relation between agape (or Christian
charity) and social justice. Timothy Jackson defines agape as the
central virtue in Christian ethical thought and action and applies
his insights to three concrete issues: political violence,
forgiveness, and abortion. Taking his primary cue from the New
Testament while drawing extensively from contemporary theology and
philosophy, Jackson identifies three features of Christian charity:
unconditional commitment to the good of others, equal regard for
others' well-being, and passionate service open to self-sacrifice
for the sake of others.
Charity, prescribed by Jesus for his disciples and named by
Saint Paul as the "greatest" theological virtue, is contrasted with
various accounts of justice. Jackson argues that "agape" is not
trumped by justice or other goods. Rather, "agape" precedes
justice: without the work of love, society would not produce
persons capable of merit, demerit, and contract, the elements of
most modern conceptions of justice. Jackson then considers the
implications of his ideas for several questions: the nature of God,
the relation between Christian love and political violence, the
place of forgiveness, and the morality of abortion. Arguing that
agapic love is to be construed as a gift of grace as well as a
divine commandment, Jackson concludes that love is the "eternal
life" that makes temporal existence possible and thus the "first"
Christian virtue. Though foremost a contribution to Christian
ethics, Jackson's arguments and the issues he takes up will find a
broader readership.
Safest Place in Iraq tells the stories of men and women who
experienced God during the war in Iraq, demonstrating the truth
that Christian military chaplains are still allowed to openly share
Christ and provide pastoral ministry, if they do it right. Even on
good days, living for Christ is a challenging, risk-laden endeavor.
One way to make the task a bit easier is to see how other
Christians have successfully navigated their temptations and
struggles. Safest Place in Iraq aims to do just that, by peering
behind the curtain and showing how one military chaplain handled
the various dangers, people, and circumstances he encountered
during his war-time deployment in South Central Iraq. The result is
a story that ranges from death and destruction to friendship and
faith, and from temptation and torment to redemption and revival.
Colonel Paul Linzey US Army Chaplain (Ret.) identifies the broad
themes that everyone-both Christian and non-Christian-has to deal
with when the going gets tough. He also shows by example what it
takes to overcome life's obstacles, whether dodging mortars in the
desert, or fighting fear, loneliness, and temptation at home or at
work. And in the process, Safest Place in Iraq shows that it is
possible to remain true to one's values and calling as a person of
faith in a hostile world.
A must-read for Christians struggling with the present political
conversation Citizen helps Christians find our place in the
politics of the world. In these pages, Bishop Andy Doyle offers a
Christian virtue ethic grounded in fresh anthropology. He offers a
vision of the individual Christian within the reign of God and the
life of the broader community. He adds to the conversation in both
church and culture by offering a renewed theological underpinning
to the complex nature of Christianity in a post-modern world. How
did we get here? Is this the way it has to be? Are there
implications for conversations about politics within the church?
Doyle contends that our current debates are not about one partisan
narrative winning, but communities of diversity being unified by a
relationship with God's grand narrative. Crafting a deep
theological conversation with a unified approach to the Old and New
Testament, Citizen asks, what does it truly mean to live in
community?
What is a knowledgeable, faithfully biblical response to
transgenderism? In Affirming God's Image, J. Alan Branch takes a
fair, respectful, and factual tone in addressing this complex issue
through a biblical lens. You'll learn: Scientific research around
the transgender experience An Overview of the history of
transgenderism Important terminology surrounding gender issues Why
people pursue gender reassignment surgery, and what happens after
How to navigate conversations around this topic The book ends with
two practical chapters for families and churches, giving you
guiding principles for how to address this issue in a loving,
Christ--honoring way. The first step to responding well to any
situation is understanding it. Affirming God's Image equips you
with the biblical, scientific, and practical knowledge you need for
a wise response.
Climate Church, Climate World argues that climate change is the
greatest moral challenge humanity has ever faced. Hunger, refugees,
poverty, inequality, deadly viruses, war-climate change multiplies
all forms of global social injustice. Environmental leader Reverend
Jim Antal presents a compelling case that it's time for the church
to meet this moral challenge, just as the church addressed previous
moral challenges. Antal calls for the church to embrace a new
vocation so that future generations might live in harmony with
God's creation. After describing how we have created the dangers
our planet now faces, Antal urges the church to embrace a new
vocation, one focused on collective salvation and an expanded
understanding of the Golden Rule (Golden Rule 2.0). He suggests
ways people of faith can reorient what they prize through new
approaches to worship, preaching, witnessing and other spiritual
practices that honor creation and cultivate hope.
The first centuries of Christianity are like a far country. But
despite their foreignness, they hold a treasury of wisdom for
living. Early Christians struggled and flourished in a culture that
was in love with empire and military power, infatuated with sex and
entertainment, tolerant of all gods but hostile to the One. And
from this crucible of discipleship they extracted lessons of
virtue, faithfulness, and joy in Christ. Christopher Hall takes us
to the ancient Mediterranean world, inquiring Christian leaders how
to live a good life as a Christ follower. The menu of topics wends
its way through wealth and poverty, war and violence, marriage and
sexuality, theater and the arena, as well as the harsh realities of
persecution and martyrdom. Gathering around Basil or Chrysostom or
Augustine, we are instructed anew in the way of discipleship. And
as they grapple with issues surprisingly resonant with our own,
this cloud of ancient witnesses both surprises and challenges us in
the life of faith.
Born into one of the wealthiest families in Philadelphia and raised
and educated in that vital center of eighteenth-century American
Quakerism, Anne Emlen Mifflin was a progressive force in early
America. This detailed and engaging biography, which features
Anne's collected writings and selected correspondence, revives her
legacy. Anne grew up directly across the street from the
Pennsylvania statehouse, where the Continental Congress was leading
the War of Independence. A Quaker minister whose busy pen, agile
mind, and untiring moral energy produced an extensive corpus of
writings, Anne was an ardent abolitionist and social reformer
decades before the establishment of women's anti-slavery societies.
And at a time when most Americans never ventured beyond their own
village, hamlet, or farm, Anne journeyed thousands of miles. She
traveled to settlements of Friends on the frontier and met with
Native Americans in the rough country of northwestern Pennsylvania,
New York, and Canada. Our Beloved Friend provides a unique window
onto the lives of Quakers during the pre-Revolutionary era, the
establishment of the New Republic, and the War of 1812.
WARNING! Don't read this book-if you are satisfied with the status
quo and don't like to be challenged! However, if you yearn to
expand your knowledge, to deepen your faith, and to strengthen your
ability to answer tough questions from skeptical friends and
family, keep turning these pages, absorbing the truths, and
pondering the questions at the end of each chapter. If you
understand and apply what you read, you are in for the thrill of
your life! Especially, remember to pray daily, "Lord, please fill
me with your Holy Spirit and put me in the right place at the right
time with the right words to honor you." You will be amazed how God
answers this prayer and uses you!
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