We seem to be obsessed with perfection. It's everywhere, permeating our conversations, our language, our advertising, our films and our religion. It's not only widespread across our culture; it has roots deep in the beginning of our civilization. For the sake of our well-being and our faith we need to be liberated from this pre-occupation. Past Perfect unravels some of the confusion surrounding our use of the word in many different contexts, and shapes an understanding of God that is free of this notion. 'Stephen Mitchell's lively, original and sometimes brilliant book is a sustained attack on that idea of absolute perfection. It is also part of the process by which modern Christianity is struggling to renew itself.' Don Cupitt, author of The Sea of Faith

'Recorrer el camino de otros predicadores sobre textos o pasajes de la Escritura abre la propia mente a nuevas sugerencias (...) alimento concentrado, que necesita la debida elaboracion en la mente de otro predicador para llegar al publico con la amenidad propia de la oratoria'; explicaba alla por los anos 60 el Dr. Samuel Vila a sus alumnos, jovenes predicadores en Espana. Los 13 tomos en los que compilara a lo largo de su vida los bosquejos de sus mejores sermones, junto con otros bosquejos de grandes predicadores, apreciados y utilizados por miles de pastores en todo el mundo hispano, han cumplido con creces esta finalidad. Y el hecho de que todavia hoy sigan siendo solicitados demuestra que su necesidad es perenne. Por ello, Editorial CLIE ha tomado la determinacion de hacerlos asequibles de nuevo y, en su empeno, ha ido aun mas alla: los ha editado en un solo volumen. De este modo, el predicador interesado puede tenerlos juntos, en un formato manejable y a un precio asequible. El resultado ha sido redondo: 1000 Bosquejos para predicadores, como el titulo indica. Esta vez, los bosquejos han sido ordenados y presentados por temas y subtemas. A saber, seis secciones principales: Estudio Biblico, Edificacion Cristiana, Evangelizacion, Doctrinales, Ocasiones Especiales y Devocionales; las cuales, estructuradas en multiples subdivisiones tematicas, facilitan al predicador la busqueda de un bosquejo determinado, concerniente a un aspecto concreto o a una ocasion especial. Incluye tambien indices: de Titulos, de Autores y un Indice Escritural, que recoge por orden biblico los versiculos claves que introducen cada uno de los bosquejos. En definitiva, este libro constituye un tesoro para el predicador dispuesto a exprimir y extraer todo el alimento posible de la Palabra de Dios y transmitirlo a sus oyentes."

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 on Paul's letter to the Romans are designed to spark an idea, provide an initial structure, and/or furnish a fitting illustration.

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.

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.