In today's postmodern world many widely held liberal myths continue to thrive unchecked. When young students go off to college they will inevitably face a barrage of Marxist leaning professors, with a fanatical hatred towards God and country. Lacking solid knowledge of the facts, our teens are quickly falling prey to these intellectual and political fads. In UNVEILING THE LEFT Why Christian Conservatism Works Where Liberalism Fails author Alex Locay challenges the assumptions found in thirty six of today's most popular left leaning topics. With clear and accessible logic the author exposes the many fallacies advocated by our intellectual establishments, which include: * Relativism is intellectually tenable * Modern feminism advances womens rights * The scientific evidence supports Darwinian evolution * Our Founding Fathers were deist * Secular humanism is rational and harmless The Constitution is a secular document * The sexual revolution liberated Americans * Christians are bigots, liberals are tolerant * Religion is the cause of most wars * The Bible discriminates against women * The United Nations furthers our interests * Welfare reduces poverty * The Bible is a book of myths * Gays dont have equal rights * Rap music is artistic and harmless * Our courts always uphold the Constitution * Republicans favor the rich, Democrats the poor * The trade deficit hurts American jobs * Our public schools need more funding * The First Amendment limits religious speech. Using extensive research the author anticipates the liberal argument and subsequently exposes its inherent flaws. From Atheism to Socialism and everything in between, Locay methodically takes them all apart. Divided into six chapters which include; Culture, Politics, Economics, American History, Science and The Bible, this book was designed to unveil common misconceptions and thus help readers understand the broad spectrum of the conservative worldview. Families, activists, teachers and students will find it an essential resource and a first step in reestablishing our Christian heritage.

Evangelicals are increasingly turning their attention toward issues such as the environment, international human rights, economic development, racial reconciliation, and urban renewal. This marks an expansion of the social agenda advanced by the Religious Right over the past few decades. For outsiders to evangelical culture, this trend complicates simplistic stereotypes. For insiders, it brings contention over what "true" evangelicalism means today. The New Evangelical Social Engagement brings together an impressive interdisciplinary team of scholars to map this new religious terrain and spell out its significance. The volume's introduction describes the broad outlines of this "new evangelicalism." The editors identify its key elements, trace its historical lineage, account for the recent changes taking place within evangelicalism, and highlight the implications of these changes for politics, civic engagement, and American religion. Part One of the book discusses important groups and trends: emerging evangelicals, the New Monastics, an emphasis on social justice, Catholic influences, gender dynamics and the desire to rehabilitate the evangelical identity, and evangelical attitudes toward the new social agenda. Part Two focuses on specific issues: the environment, racial reconciliation, abortion, international human rights, and global poverty. Part Three contains reflections on the new evangelical social engagement by three leading scholars in the fields of American religious history, sociology of religion, and Christian ethics.

As Dr. Wenham states early in his introduction, "The story of Jesus' resurrection is told by five different writers, whose accounts differ from each other to an astonishing degree." Wenham begins by setting the scene of Jerusalem and its environs, going on to describe the main actors in the events with particular attention to Mary Magdalene and the five writers themselves, and then examining in detail all the biblical narratives from Good Friday through Easter Day to the Ascension. He concludes that the various accounts as they stand can be satisfactorily reconciled to provide a trustworthy record for the church. Valuable appendices elucidate Wenham's response to the technicalities of gospel criticism.

Passing the Plate shows that few American Christians donate generously to religious and charitable causes -- a parsimony that seriously undermines the work of churches and ministries. Far from the 10 percent of one's income that tithing requires, American Christians' financial giving typically amounts, by some measures, to less than one percent of annual earnings. And a startling one out of five self-identified Christians gives nothing at all.
This eye-opening book explores the reasons behind such ungenerous giving, the potential world-changing benefits of greater financial giving, and what can be done to improve matters. If American Christians gave more generously, say the authors, any number of worthy projects -- from the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS to the promotion of inter-religious understanding to the upgrading of world missions -- could be funded at astounding levels. Analyzing a wide range of social surveys and government and denominational statistical datasets and drawing on in-depth interviews with Christian pastors and church members in seven different states, the book identifies a crucial set of factors that appear to depress religious financial support -- among them the powerful allure of a mass-consumerist culture and its impact on Americans' priorities, parishioners' suspicions of waste and abuse by nonprofit administrators, clergy's hesitations to boldly ask for money, and the lack of structure and routine in the way most American Christians give away money. In their conclusion, the authors suggest practical steps that clergy and lay leaders might take to counteract these tendencies and better educate their congregations about the transformative effects of generous giving.
By illuminating the social and psychological forces that shape charitable giving, Passing the Plate is sure to spark a much-needed debate on a critical issue that is of much interest to church-goers, religious leaders, philanthropists, and social scientists.

What does it mean to be a Christian citizen of the United States today? This book challenges the argument that the United States is a Christian nation, and that the American founding and the American Constitution can be linked to a Christian understanding of the state and society. Vincent Rougeau argues that the United States has become an economic empire of consumer citizens, led by elites who seek to secure American political and economic dominance around the world. Freedom and democracy for the oppressed are the public themes put forward to justify this dominance, but the driving force behind American hegemony is the need to sustain economic growth and maintain social peace in the United States.
This state of affairs raises important questions for Christians. In recent times, religious voices in American politics have taken on a moralistic stridency. Individual issues like abortion and same-sex marriage have been used to "guilt" many Christians into voting Republican or to discourage them from voting at all. Using Catholic social teaching as a point of departure, Rougeau argues that conservative American politics is driven by views of the individual and the state that are inconsistent with mainstream Catholic social thought. Without thinking more broadly about their religious traditions and how those traditions should inform their engagement with the modern world, it is unwise for Christians to think that pressing single issues is an appropriate way to actualize their faith commitments in the public realm.
Rougeau offers concerned Christians new tools for a critical assessment of legal, political and social questions. He proceeds from the fundamental Christian premise ofthe God-given dignity of the human person, a dignity that can only be realized fully in community with others. This means that the Christian cannot simply focus on individual empowerment as 'freedom' but must also seek to nurture community participation and solidarity for all citizens. Rougeau demonstrates what happens when these ideas are applied to a variety of specific contemporary issues involving the family, economics, and race. He concludes by offering a new model of public engagement for Christians in the American Empire.

In a post-9/11 world, Christian. Muslim. Friend. lays out a path toward authentic friendship between Christians and Muslims. Most similar books either teach Christians to evangelize Muslims or else downplay their Christian commitments. The author, who has lived and worked among and befriended Muslims for more than fifty years, offers readers a third way: holding onto the Christ-centered commitments of their faith while cultivating peaceful friendship with Muslims.

The tyranny of the urgent is a by-product of our fast-paced world. It affects many people, but when it impacts pastors they are often tempted to ignore the critical needs of the pastoral disciplines that ensure the effectiveness of ministry.

In Thinking, Listening, and Being: Wesleyan Pastoral Disciplines, Jeren Rowell offers theological reflections on what it means to live and work as a pastor. He examines different aspects of

pastoral thinking, practice, and work, and challenges pastors to continually pursue prayer, the study of Scriptures, and theological reflection. "Working in this way," he writes, "could not only be a gift of love for the church but also an important model for parish pastors who are tempted to surrender first things to the urgencies and temptations of contemporary life."

Why are so many 20- and 30-something Christians disappearing from the church?They are told how much the church wants young people, yet there is growing suspicion among young believers about who is in and who is out of the scope of Christian orthodoxy. Through this suspicion, a rift between the generations has emerged. In the face of frustration, of being cut out because they don't seem to fit, young believers often take their gifts and leave the church.This book helps those who feel displaced by this generational collision to find a sense of place and welcome with a church that is still becoming all that God wants it to be. If you are a young person who wonders if there is a place in the church for someone like you, or if you want to know if your own church can be the kind of body in which young people are welcome, A Seat at the Table will give you a new personal and kingdom perspective. Embrace the challenge to re-imagine your relationship with the church in light of this generational collision, not seeing it as an unredeemable rift, but as an opportunity to give and receive hospitality.

What does God want to say and do in your worship service?As a pastor or worship leader, planning a meaningful, relevant, and theologically rich worship experience for your church is of the upmost importance. How do you meet the demands of the modern congregation without getting in the way of what God is doing through worship?Created to Worship: God's Invitation to Become Fully Human is a resource that provides a theology of worship in the Wesleyan tradition. This book will help you plan for a worship service in a discerning manner, while answering the question, 'What does God want to say and do today?'

In our world, stories matter. Methods and systems are beneficial because they provide structure and help keep us on the right road; but the motivation and courage to keep walking the road, come from the stories we hear and see and experience-stories that inspire hope and bring us face-to-face with God. For ministers, the call to preach is a call into a story that forms and shapes us. It's about stumbling into revelation as life unwinds and scripture unfolds. It's about listening to God's voice and then sharing it with others. It's about recognizing that when people gather to hear a sermon, God speaks. And it's about understanding that when He speaks, He speaks through you. Preaching the Story That Shapes Us is more than a textbook on preaching. It's an empowering call for preachers to present a picture of the kingdom of God already at work among us, recognizing that the work of preaching is not just about arranging words--it's about people. With elegant prose and crafted reason, Dan Boone weaves together scripture, personal narrative, structure, and theological reflection to provide a satisfying, efficient guide to narrative preaching. From exploring the importance of biography to walking readers through creative processes that shape the sermon, Boone shows preachers how to awaken lives and share the stories of God that reveal who we are and lead us to who we will be.

What does it mean to make Christlike disciples? Discipleship is a common word in churches today. Pastors and leaders are continually looking for resources to help their members develop a deeper understanding of the Christian faith and a closer relationship with Christ. But there's more to discipleship than studying and following Christ's teachings. True discipleship is an invitation to become like Christ; to absorb His passions, behaviors, and wisdom by spending significant time with Him; to engage in a relationship with Him that shapes you into His likeness and in turn, inspires others to do the same. Walk with Me calls pastors, church leaders, teachers, and parents to go beyond basic discipleship and begin to intentionally teach others to be disciplemakers. It explores the importance of teaching mature disciples how their Christ-influenced responses to everyday situations can be used to show others who Jesus is and what it means to be His disciple. With biblical insight, author Hal Perkins explores the call to 'go and make disciples of all nations' and demonstrates how changing the way we act, think, and serve will not only help us fulfill the Great Commission, but also answer the call to love God with all our hearts and minds, and our neighbor as ourselves.

The Bible, the Bullet, and the Ballot provides a balanced account of the role of Christians, Christian organisations, and churches in sociopolitical transformation over the bedrock of colonial and nationalist politics in the past century in Zimbabwe. Fabulous Moyo explores the broader social and political impact of prominent African Christian clergy who were sociopolitical activists such as Ndabaningi Sithole, Abel Muzorewa, and Canaan Banana. It also highlights the role of missionaries who contributed to the African struggle for independence such as Ralph Edward Dodge, Donal Lamont, and Garfield Todd. He examines the contributions of African nationalist parties and prominent politicians with Christian roots, such as Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe, in the struggle for independence, and their contribution in the postcolonial era in light of their Christian heritage and the collective pre-independence nationalist ideals on nation-building and national unity.

Between Heaven and Earth grew out one of Thielicke's visits to the United States in 1963, during which he travelled across the country preaching and lecturing. The conversations recorded here are the fruit of his more informal discussions with small groups of clergy, students and lay people. "You have disturbed our peace and upset our doubts," said one pastor. "You have freed the fettered and bound the wandering spirits," said another. The questions that American Christians asked of Thielicke are direct and wide-ranging, concerned not only with the fundamental problems of faith but with its bearing on issues of social and political morality. Thielicke's answers, though equally direct, are neither simplistic nor dogmatic. His approach is refreshingly open and his conclusions emerge from a reasoned consideration of the evidence and alternative possibilities. Above all, Thielicke's answers reveal the warmth and deep concern for humanity's spiritual welfare that is at the root of his teaching and writing.

One of the most powerful forces in the twenty-first century is the increasing phenomenon of globalization. In nearly every realm of human activity, traditional boundaries are disappearing and people worldwide are more interconnected than ever. Christianity has also become more aware of global realities and the important role of the church in non-Western countries. Church leaders must grapple with the implications for theology and ministry in an ever-shrinking world.
"Globalizing Theology" is a groundbreaking book that addresses these issues of vital importance to the church. It contains articles from leading scholars, including Tite Tienou, Kevin Vanhoozer, Charles Van Engen, M. Daniel Carroll R., Andrew Walls, Vinoth Ramachandra, and Paul Hiebert. Topics covered include the challenges that globalization brings to theology, how we can incorporate global perspectives into our thinking, and the effect a more global theology has on a variety of important issues.

How you eat affects the planet - and everyone else on it. What you eat might literally cost the earth. It also has implications for your health, for the grower or producer, and for the way you think about the world. What in God's Name Are You Eating? faces what many of us choose to ignore in the Western world: we, as adults, have allowed a childlike innocence to mask the real cost of the environment in which we are cocooned, while thousands elsewhere find themselves drought-stricken and starving. 'What in God's name are they not eating?' 'Enough' is the simple answer and we are part of the reason why. The price of 'life', as we know it, is high. To those of us who have 'life', there is a moral imperative to enable others to share it rather than suppress them. With its advocacy of a globally responsibly discipleship, What in God's Name Are You Eating? enables us to see how the world's peoples can have life and a long future. While the reflection is rooted in radical Mennonite Christianity, the challenge is to those of faith - and those of none.

What meaning does my life have? What hope is there for the Church? How can I see beyond the media hype and false images I am bombarded with every day? Where can I find God in all this noise and turmoil? Combining moving stories from the inner city with a fresh approach to the Gospel, Faith in Dark Places explores the revolutionary idea that the good news of God's love is being spoken to a tired and damaged world by those rejected as worthless: the homeless and the poor. This radically revised edition, incorporating powerful new insights and reflections, draws on recent theological research and the author's own experience of urban poverty. It examines key biblical texts, such as the Lord's Prayer as a prayer for the poor (in particular the implications of kingdom, bread and trespasses); the Magnificat; and the causes of the crucifixion.

Some people have called epilepsy the disability towards which Christianity has been most antagonistic, partly because of the Church's tendency to attribute demon possession to the condition. Drawing on the very latest thinking in this area, Roy McCloughry, who is committed to supporting the increasing participation of people with disabilities in Christian communities and in society at large, reveals how people's lives are still being blighted by such attitudes, though there is much to celebrate too. This engaging book aims to encourage people to become involved with people with disabilities, as friendship is one of keys to breaking down the barriers which lead to stereotypes and fear.

What does God think about children? What does this tell us about how we should view and treat children today? In re-examining what the Bible says about children, mission theologian Anne Richards argues that God finds children worthy of call, commission, blessing, healing and salvation. She argues that children are not only deeply woven into God's purposes but are also makers of God's story, 'providers to us of a language through which God's will for the creation is revealed.' Interweaving analysis of the Biblical material with stories about contemporary children and childhood, Anne Richards also touches on issues of infertility, consumerism and neglect.

Amidst the many voices clamoring to interpret the environmental crisis, some of the most important are the voices of religious traditions. Long before modernity's industrialism began the rape of Earth, premodern religious and philosophical traditions mediated to untold generations the wisdom of living as a part of nature. These traditions can illuminate and empower wiser ways of postmodern living. The original writings of Worldviews and Ecology creatively present and interpret worldviews of major religious and philosophical traditions on how humans can live more sustainably on a fragile planet. Contributors include Charlene Spretnak, Larry Rasmussen, Noel Brown, Jay McDaniel, Tu Wei-Ming, Thomas Berry, David Ray Griffin, J. Baird Callicott, Eric Katz, Roger E. Timm, Robert A. White, Christopher Key Chapple, Brian Swimme, Brian Brown, Michael Tobias, Ralph Metzner, George Sessions, and Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim. Insights from traditions as diverse as Jain, Jewish, ecofeminist, deep ecology, Christian, Hindu, Bahai, and Whiteheadian will interest all who seek an honest analysis of what religious and philosophical traditions have to say to a modernity whose consciousness and conscience seems tragically narrow, the source of attitudes that imperil the biosphere.

Key selling points: Issues surrounding euthanasia and assisted dying continue to hit the headlines with strong feelings on both sides Makes a significant and controversial contribution to an important and current debate Endorsements from Mary Warnock, Hans Kung and John Polkinghorne Paul Badham is a Patron of Dignity in Dying and Vice-President of the Modern Churchpeople's Union and often speaks to the media on this topic.