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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian institutions & organizations > Christian social thought & activity
The world is not as God intends it to be. God's heart is to make
things right, and for the world to be just. But complex problems
warrant more sustained attention than quick posts on social media.
How can we actually make a difference? Activist Mae Elise Cannon
takes us beyond the hashtags to serious engagement with real
issues. God calls the church to respond substantively to the needs
of the poor, the realities of racial inequity, and the mistreatment
of women and the marginalized. We can accomplish change through a
range of strategic avenues-spiritually, socially, legally,
politically, and economically. And addressing the domestic and
international injustices of our day takes us on a journey of
spiritual transformation that brings us closer to God and those
around us. Channel your passion to care effectively for your
neighbor and the world. This book will help you understand and put
into action what it means for the church to be a place of peace,
justice, and hope.
One of the most respected and influential Christian leaders of the
last decades, Chuck Colson engaged millions through his books,
public speaking, and radio broadcasts. In My Final Word, longtime
Colson coauthor Anne Morse has selected and arranged pieces Colson
wrote mostly during the last ten years of his life, spotlighting
what he saw as key topics of ongoing importance for Christian
cultural engagement. Some of these issues include: crime and
punishment natural law Islam same-sex marriage the persecution of
Christians and more This paperback edition also contains a new
chapter not in the hardcover, Colson's final thoughts on poverty.
Longtime readers and new readers alike will be struck by the power
and immediacy of Colson's arguments. My Final Word is a fitting end
to Colson's distinguished publishing career, a behind-the-scenes
encounter with an influential thinker, and a needed call to an
ongoing and relevant Christian public witness.
Evangelical Christianity has long been plagued by a dichotomy
between evangelism and social action. The debate about whether
evangelicals should attempt to make this world a better place in
tune with God's will as well as prepare people for life in a better
world is the background to this stimulating volume, which seeks to
demonstrate that there is no tension between the task of evangelism
and the Christian's obligation to care for those in need. The issue
should never have been one of 'either/or' but rather should always
have been voiced in terms of 'both/and'. The Bible's teaching makes
it plain that God's salvific work is both spiritual and physical.
The first seven chapters survey relevant material in the Old and
New Testaments; the second seven explore the theme of world
transformation from the perspective of social ethics, systematic
theology and church history. The clear message is that the
proclamation of God's salvation must address both the desperate
spiritual need of a sinful humanity and the desperate physical need
that is all too apparent in our troubled world - and that there is
theoretical and practical work yet to be done as we think and work
under the dominion of Jesus, who as a result of his death and
resurrection has been given all authority in heaven and earth. The
contributors are David L. Baker, Tim Chester, M. Daniel Carroll R.,
Jamie A. Grant, Peter S. Heslam, Jason Hood, Dewi A. Hughes, I.
Howard Marshall, Rene Padilla, Anna Robbins, David W. Smith, Melvin
Tinker, Alistair I. Wilson and Christopher J. H. Wright.
Can the Hippocratic and Judeo-Christian traditions be synthesized
with contemporary thought about practical reason, virtue and
community to provide real-life answers to the dilemmas of
healthcare today? Bishop Anthony Fisher discusses conscience,
relationships and law in relation to the modern-day controversies
surrounding stem cell research, abortion, transplants, artificial
feeding and euthanasia, using case studies to offer insight and
illumination. What emerges is a reason-based bioethics for the
twenty-first century; a bioethics that treats faith and reason with
equal seriousness, that shows the relevance of ancient wisdom to
the complexities of modern healthcare scenarios and that offers new
suggestions for social policy and regulation. Philosophical
argument is complemented by Catholic theology and analysis of
social and biomedical trends, to make this an auspicious example of
a new generation of Catholic bioethical writing which has relevance
for people of all faiths and none.
To communicate God??'s Word effectively in the twenty-first
century, you need to know how to connect with and confront an
audience of postmodern listeners. With this book, you???ll learn
how to change your style of preaching without compromising the
substance, take advantage of new opportunities provided by the
cultural shift, and show an inattentive society the relevance of
God??'s truth. "The world has gone through a major shift in
thinking and communication into a postmodern mode, yet much
preaching is still ???pre-modern??? and very out of touch. Graham
Johnston has made a significant contribution in his book, showing
how preaching can be thoroughly biblical, opening up the text of
the Bible but also concerned with the openings in the minds of
contemporary people." Leighton Ford, president, Leighton Ford
Ministries "Communicating God??'s Word is more than just speaking
the truth; it??'s being heard and understood as well. This book is
designed to help Christian leaders better understand their
listeners, so they can communicate biblical truths with
effectiveness and clarity." Josh McDowell, author of Evidence That
Demands a Verdict "Graham Johnston describes the water in which we
exist. . . . Better still, he provides some workable leads on how
to communicate the life-giving Word to men and women swimming in
the currents of the twenty-first century." Haddon W. Robinson,
author of Biblical Preaching "Johnston not only brings a shrewd
analysis of the present changes in our culture, he also contributes
from the perspective of a skilled practitioner. Such a combination
is both rare and valuable." Martin Robinson, director of mission
and theology, British and Foreign Bible Society "Foranyone desiring
a ministry of impact in today??'s postmodern society, Graham
Johnston has provided an understandable and useful focus." Howard
G. Hendricks, chairman, Center for Christian Leadership, Dallas
Theological Seminary
Just in time for the release of Amazing Grace, the movie about the
life of William Wilberforce. This edition of his classic book from
1797, Real Christianity, is paraphrased in modern language and made
more accessible to contemporary readers. This is the book that
helped abolish the slave trade in the United Kingdom and called
Christians to live a more authentic life of faith more than two
hundred years ago. The timeless truths it contains will speak to
readers in fresh ways today. Christians who eschew cultural
Christianity in favor of a real faith in Christ, will find the
principles here thought-provoking and applicable. The social
justice orientation will appeal to readers of Jim Wallis, Os
Guinness, Charles Colson, Shane Claiborne, John Perkins, Bono, and
Nancy Pearcey. Readers will also find the book is a good litmus
test of the authenticity of their own faith.
2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalists -
Multicultural "I am a man torn in two. And the gospel I inherited
is divided." Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove grew up in the Bible Belt in
the American South as a faithful church-going Christian. But he
gradually came to realize that the gospel his Christianity
proclaimed was not good news for everybody. The same Christianity
that sang, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" also perpetuated
racial injustice and white supremacy in the name of Jesus. His
Christianity, he discovered, was the religion of the slaveholder.
Just as Reconstruction after the Civil War worked to repair a
desperately broken society, our compromised Christianity requires a
spiritual reconstruction that undoes the injustices of the past.
Wilson-Hartgrove traces his journey from the religion of the
slaveholder to the Christianity of Christ. Reconstructing the
gospel requires facing the pain of the past and present, from
racial blindness to systemic abuses of power. Grappling seriously
with troubling history and theology, Wilson-Hartgrove recovers the
subversiveness of the gospel that sustained the church through
centuries of slavery and oppression, from the civil rights era to
the Black Lives Matter movement and beyond. When the gospel is
reconstructed, freedom rings for both individuals and society as a
whole. Discover how Jesus continues to save us from ourselves and
each other, to repair the breach and heal our land.
Faith in the Voting Booth by National Association of Evangelicals
leaders Leith Anderson and Galen Carey will help you clarify your
own positions in light of your faith before you enter the voting
booth. Anderson and Carey show that biblical wisdom is surprisingly
relevant to today's complex political issues. Each voting decision
should be thoughtfully and prayerfully approached. This book does
not tell you how to vote. Instead it will help you resist clever
campaign slogans and television ads designed to make you angry or
afraid. Faith in the Voting Booth provides general principles to
guide you in 2016 and for years to come. As informed faith leaders,
Anderson and Carey not only identify the issues but also help you
reflect biblically on how to vote. It is a book that will keep
people of faith up to date and ready to vote with confidence and
wisdom.
In 1991, when he was 13 years old, Lenny Duncan stepped out of his
house in West Philadelphia, walked to the Greyhound station, and
bought a ticket--the start of his great American adventure.Today
Duncan, who inspired and challenged audiences with his breakout
first book, Dear Church, brings us a deeply personal story about
growing up Black and queer in the U.S. In his characteristically
powerful voice he recounts hitchhiking across the country, spending
time in solitary confinement, battling for sobriety, and
discovering a deep faith, examining pressing issues like poverty,
mass incarceration, white supremacy, and LGBTQ inclusion through an
intimate portrayal of his life's struggles and joys. United States
of Grace is a love story about America, revealing the joy and
resilience of those places in this country many call "the margins"
but that Lenny Duncan has called home. This book makes the bold
claim that God is present with us in the most difficult of
circumstances, bringing life out of death.
A compellingly honest look at what the Bible really says about
environmental stewardship
Did God instruct the human race to be His caretakers over
nature? If so, is environmental exploitation disobedience to God?
Is it true, as many critics claim, that Christianity is the root
cause of today's environmental problems--or are all religions and
cultures responsible? How should the church respond?
"Should Christians Be Environmentalists?" systematically tackles
these tough questions and more by exploring what the Bible says
about the environment and our stewardship of creation. Looking at
three dimensions of environmentalism as a movement, a Bible-based
theology of nature, and the role the church has in environmental
ethics, Dan Story examines each through a theological, apologetic,
and practical lens.
Writing with easy-to-understand, nontechnical language, the
author provides a powerful rebuttal to critics who claim
Christianity is anti-environmental. He urges Christians--especially
high school and college students--to embrace the tremendous
evangelistic opportunities that exist in the environment
debate.
In a time when Christians are becoming increasingly aware of
the seriousness of today's environmental and ecological problems
and want the church to become more informed and engaged in
confronting these issues, this book is the perfect introduction to
this timely topic.
17th Annual Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year - Church There's
an urgent need for Christian ministry in our cities-but we need a
guide. Known around Oakland, California, as "OG Rev.," Reverend
Harry Williams's calling is to the streets: to the hungry,
homeless, addicted, incarcerated, and vulnerable. In Taking It to
the Streets, he invites us into his world, bringing us face-to-face
with both the injustices that plague our cities and the gospel of
compassion that offers hope to the downtrodden. Rev. Williams takes
on racism, the plight of children in the inner city,
gentrification, urban violence, the prosperity gospel, and more,
all from the perspective of someone who understands these phenomena
from the inside. Whether we ourselves are from the city or not, we
need a deep understanding of its social, political, and spiritual
realities if we're to minister effectively. Taking It to the
Streets offers firsthand accounts of urban life alongside
large-scale considerations of its systemic challenges, all in the
context of the life-giving good news of Jesus. This is the
introduction to urban ministry we need. Filled with both sober
truths and the hope of Jesus, it will inspire and equip a new
generation of ministers to our cities.
We know the bedrock themes upon which the Christian faith stands:
creation, fall, redemption, restoration. As Christians, we live
within these great moments of God's plan for humanity and all of
his creation. In other words, our lives are part of Christian
theology-every part of our lives, even surgery.As a part of
Zondervan's Ordinary Theology series, The Scalpel and the Cross
recounts New Testament professor Gene Green's encounter with
open-heart surgery and carefully examines the many ways in which
Christian doctrine spoke into the experience. The result is a short
book that avoids shallow explanations and glib promises, instead
guiding readers to deeper understanding and enduring hope in the
face of one of modern life's necessary traumas.
Archbishop Sheen shows you how to win a lasting victory over vice.
Fulton Sheen claims that since all seven deadly sins led
Christ's enemies to nail Him to the Cross, you and I can find in
the example of His suffering and death on the cross sure means to
overcome each one of those sins, plus the key to understanding -
and to nurturing in our own souls each correspond virtue.
Each day, the world's urban population swells by almost 200,000.
With every passing week, more than a million people new to cities
face unexpected realities and challenges of urban life. Just like
the sheer volume of people in the city, these challenges can be
staggering. As with the height and breadth of our metropolises, the
wonders of urban life can be breathtaking. Like the city itself,
the questions and challenges of urban life are both sprawling and
pulsing with vitality. As part of Zondervan's Ordinary Theology
series, this volume offers a series of Christian reflections on
some of the most basic and universal challenges of 21st century
urban life. It takes one important dimension of what it means to be
human-that human beings are made to be for God, for others, and for
creation-and asks, "What are the implications of who God made us to
be for how we ought to live in our cities?" This book is intended
for Christians facing the riddle of urban creation care, discerning
the shape of community life, struggling with the challenges of
wealth and poverty, and wondering at the global influence of
cities. It is meant for those whose lives and livelihoods are
inextricably bound up in the flourishing of their neighborhood and
also for those who live in the shadow of cities. Most of all, it is
meant for those grappling with the relationship between the cities
of tomorrow and the glorious city to come.
These sermon outlines were chosen on various topics for their
strong scriptural support and solid expository structure. These
sermon outlines will enhance pulpit ministry and encourage those in
the pew.
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