What is this place we call England? What does it mean to be English? What, indeed, does it mean to be the "Church of England"? Developing the work advanced in his critically acclaimed previous book, Parish: an Anglican Theology of Place, and drawing deeply on his experience of the Wiltshire landscape, English Grounds presents a series of personal essays that explore deep questions around church, place, nature, heritage and Englishness. Written in vividly evocative and lyrical style, these essays by Andrew Rumsey challenge us to think more deeply about the place of the Church in the consciousness of the English, and the place of England in the consciousness of the Church.

"This is the best handbook on Christian loyalty in the market right now " The strength of LOYALTY TO THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST: CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY IN POLITICS AND SOCIETY is in the fact that Sven Pearl Johanson concretely discusses issues of conflict of loyalty facing Christians today in the society and in politics. The author/thinker offers specific ways in which Christians can show their loyalty to Jesus Christ. Particularly helpful is Sven's discussion of the implications of being citizens in the Kingdom of Christ. What does it mean to belong to a Heavenly Kingdom on earth? Does being a Christian have relevance for every-day living? How about voting in elections? Also helpful is Sven's discussion of the concept of a Christian Holy War. There are many questions regarding how Christians view Holy War. LOYALTY TO THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST: CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY IN POLITICS AND SOCIETY is the right book to start answering pressing questions about the concept of Holy War in Christianity. This book is essential reading for all Christian leaders and also other Christians who are serious about their Christian faith and want to apply it in practical ways. This book will be particularly good for discussions in Christian youth group and college Bible studies in Church and Christian School settings. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Campus Crusade for Christ leaders may want to use this book as a springboard for discussions about the place of Christians in society. There is a wealth of information from the Bible, history, theology, philosophy, and social sciences. This is a very intellectual book that is also very readable. This book should be on the shelf of every serious Christian's library.

This book is a wealth of information, which is interestingly written and justified with documents. It is very thorough and informative, whilst also discussing a delicate issue courageously. No matter what you think about the Millennium, you won't be bored with this book In addition, you will learn many facts about the situation in the Middle-East and Israel, which the newspapers refuse for some reason to reveal. The Finnish Christian TV-7, January 2008 One has to admire the author's knowledge of the Middle-East and the people living there; few have such expertise. When we add his knowledge of the Bible, there certainly aren't many people who can boast to know equally much. The book covers the basic Gospel too, and thus is also suitable for anyone who is still seeking. In all, this book is very extensive and it can be warmly recommended to anyone. The Finnish Christian Weekly magazine, December 2007 Reverend, author Pekka J. Sartola is without doubt one of the great literary talents of Finland. He is able to write theology with conviction, and his books can be well compared with those of Hal Lindsey or Tim La Haye. He writes fact with enthusiasm and exciting fiction comparable even with Frederick Forsyth or Tom Clancy and many others. Within the past ten years Sartola has succeeded in establishing himself as a foremost expert on the Israel, the Middle-East and eschatology, reaching an audience which for decades has been familiarized with it. Pekka Sartola is a beloved preacher, author and Bible-school teacher who for three decades has researched the subject. He is one of Finland's most popular lecturers and his literary works up to date by Autumn 2007 consist of ten books covering Israel, Islam, the Middle-East and eschatology. Millennium 1000 years of peace is his tenth book.

Every year, an estimated 1.6 million Americans participate in short-term mission trips, spending over one billion dollars figures that have increased exponentially in the last two decades. About one third of U.S. congregations sponsor such trips each year. While they are referred to as mission trips, many trips focus not on conversion or evangelism, but on service projects building a playground, providing medical care, or serving free meals to the poor. Short-term mission participants have a genuine desire to transform conditions of poverty, yet they don't always know how to go about it; many people involved in short-term mission work virtually reinvent the wheel when they design and plan their service projects. Here is a guide for leaders of such trips presenting clear insight and research from anthropologists and development professionals that will help them have a greater impact on the communities they are serving. The framework for planning short-term mission trips outlined here provides a firm foundation for maximizing their effectiveness. Laurie A. Occhipinti draws in her reader with personal anecdotes, using case studies to illustrate her points, and engages them with thoughtful analysis of the work that is done during short-term missions. Filled with practical suggestions for creating effective volunteer opportunities, this handbook is a vital resource for any potential mission volunteer."

Leaving Christendom for Good argues that the solution to some of the most troubling tensions in the life of the Catholic Church since Vatican II can be found in the council's document Gaudium et spes. This text's view of the church's mission and social relationships as dialogical has the capacity to liberate. Part One studies the contemporary place of religion-with particular reference to Charles Taylor's groundbreaking work, A Secular Age-and examines Gaudium et spes's dialogical view of the church-world relationship. Part Two explores what true dialogue entails and how it is best understood theologically, engaging critically with Joseph Ratzinger's view of the church-world relationship. The book's final chapter considers two practical implications of its argument: how evangelization can be best understood today, and how the church can best approach issues in the public sphere.

Some scholars believe that Jesus' punitive instructions about possessions and material goods amount to little more than antiquated sayings. By contrast, Jesus Consumer combines modern consumer research with the latest writings on historical Jesus to propose a model for contemporary consumer behavior that pays serious regard to Jesus' "consumption teachings." The author argues that Jesus' consumer teachings possess the greatest potential to help us effect positive change in our personal lives and social relationships. We need to interpret and enact his teachings symbolically, not follow them literally.

Globalization may be the most hotly debated issue surrounding poverty. The benefits and costs of global economic integration are critical and complex. Is a globalized, free-market economy part of the solution to economic injustice or part of the problem? Are the international monetary systems pursuing policies that will reduce poverty or are they serving the interests of the wealthy? What do pro-poor policy reforms look like in the areas of trade and foreign investment? What kinds of immigration restrictions or reforms are consistent with the Christian faith? Should development aid be awarded only to well-governed, democratic countries? Would unrestrained economic growth imply environmental destruction? Economic Justice assembles leading economists to debate these and other issues surrounding globalization's effects on the poor. Writers urge an informed church to help identify the essentials of a Christian perspective on the societal, environmental and economic implications of globalization and to live accordingly.

The issue of human development, and in particular economic development, has been an important challenge for Roman Catholic social teaching in the post-Vatican II period. This challenge is particularly relevant for the Church in sub-Saharan Africa because while the African sub-continent is one of the fastest growing areas of Catholicism today, it is also arguably the poorest region on earth. In light of this situation, African liberation theologians have spoken of the necessity for a greater Church commitment to economic development, while the bishops' conferences have emphasized the intimate link between Christian evangelization and 'human promotion.' Specifically, these liberation theologians and bishops' conferences employ ethical arguments to critique the lingering effects of European colonial policies, the lack of African participation in international markets, and the present-day debt reduction and structural adjustment programs of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. However, in addition to offering these critiques, they also propose foundational principles upon which they believe African economic structures should be based. With these issues in mind, the specific question this study addresses is what contribution can the African Catholic Church make toward the articulation of a truly African theology of development, a contribution that takes into consideration the realities of both present-day African life as well as the social teaching of the universal Church?

The stress and culture of today's college scene does not seem to lend itself to the peace of a traditional church-but this collection of essays illustrates how spirituality not only survives, but thrives in such circumstances. For the twenty-one young adults who contribute to this volume, educational and spiritual development are intertwined; faith was crucial to their college experience. Through deeply reflective personal narratives, these essays uphold the spirit of wrestling with faith as a means for growth, as each author shares how they confronted the role of religion in college and emerged with a profound understanding of how it fundamentally shaped them. Kissing in the Chapel, Praying in the Frathouse covers the extremes of the college experience-the hilarious, the troubling, and everything in between-as told by emerging young voices at a time when writing about college students comes largely from generalized, external points of view. The stories contained within dispel the myth that members of the Millennial Generation are universally lazy and apathetic; they clearly demonstrate the self-awareness and empathy of their authors as they embark on the path of lifelong spiritual growth. Not ones to live life halfway, these essays open up new possibilities to those struggling with faith in any context, and are certain to encourage reflection and introspection in any reader.

This is a major contribution to scholarly debates on the chronology and nature of secularization in modern Britain. Combining historical and social scientific insights, it analyses a range of statistical evidence for the 'long 1950s', testing (and largely rejecting) Callum Brown's claims that there was a religious resurgence during this period.

In Roman Catholic Political Philosophy author James V. Schall tries to demonstrate that Roman Catholicism and political philosophy---revelation and reason--are not contradictory. It is his contention that political philosophy, the primary focus of the book, asks certain questions about human purpose and destiny that it cannot, by itself, answer. Revelation is the natural complement to these important questions about God, human being, and the world. Schall manages to avoid polemicism or triumphalism as he shows that revelation and political thought contribute to a fuller understanding of each other.