A must for every Catholic bookshelf, this fresh and inspiring book distils the essential thoughts of Pope John Paul II on matters of belief and conscience into one volume. Throughout his more than two decades as the leader of the world's Catholics, John Paul II has spoken both officially and informally on all aspects of life in the modern world. Whether defining the Church's teachings or passionately espousing the basic human rights of all people, he has always eloquently and clearly stated his hopes for the Church and the world. Collected from his encyclicals, speeches, homilies, and statements to fellow bishops, this book includes the pontiff's thoughts at the beginning of the third millennium of Christianity.

An MBTI book aimed specifically at Christian leaders and ministers

The first year or so of a pastor's tenure in a new congregation is precarious; many pastors stay at a new congregation for fewer than five years. This handbook helps both experienced and new pastors enter a new congregation effectively. Drawing from organizational systems leadership material in religious and secular worlds, it offers nearly 50 tips and tools designed to help new pastors analyze their congregation's system and then to lead leaders within the congregation to affect positive change. Using imagery from Alice in Wonderland to clarify various archetypal roles within the church community, Harris provides concrete suggestions for facilitating communication and dealing with difficult behaviors within the congregation. He provides a coaching approach to ministry, in which the pastor reframes issues and asks provocative questions a powerful strategy to maximize a new pastor s chances for success. Readers will find tools to help them uncover critical information about their new congregation regarding: .congregational norms, particularly regarding the office of pastor, conflict, and holy objects; .their history and sense of God's call; .the true leaders among the congregation; .mutual accountability."

Questioning Authority analyzes current conflicts concerning authority in the Anglican church and offers a new framework for addressing them. It argues that authority in the church is fundamentally relational rather than juridical. All members of the church have authority to engage in discerning the church's identity, direction, and mission. Most of this authority is exercised in personal interactions and group practices of consultation and direction. Formal authority in the church confers power so responsibilities can be fulfilled. Church relations always include conflict, which may be creative and helpful rather than divisive. Conflict arises because persons and groups follow Christ in ways related to their own cultural context while also being in communion with others. Communion in the church requires embracing diversity, recognizing and respecting others' perspectives, and working together to discover and create common ground. Today's church needs more participatory forms of governance and decision-making that are conciliar and synodal.

First published in 1984. The Victorian clergy occupied a uniquely prominent position in English society. Their church generated continual and often rancorous debate and they played an important part in the local provision of education, welfare and justice. Politically, also, they were never negligible. But, while in 1830 the clergy still constituted England's largest and wealthiest professional body, by 1914 their position was increasingly marginal. This title examines these changes and the issues in which the clergy was facing during this transition. The Victorian Clergy will be of particular interest to students of history.

"These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." (Acts 17:6) When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica, they changed the community. How? By collaborating with God to bring his kingdom on earth. Will you collaborate on God's kingdom work in your community? If you're ready to see God move in all areas-business, education, media, arts, healthcare, spiritual growth, and more-this is the book for you. Leadership expert Reggie McNeal offers eight signature practices for leaders who want to partner with God and others for kingdom growth. Readers will gain practical advice to help people experience life as God intends.

Has God Put An Impossible Dream In Your Heart? If God's hand is on your life, you probably feel like an ordinary person with an extraordinary goal. Your God-given dream is way too big for your abilities. Too big for your budget. Too big for your facilities. Too big to be humanly possible. Joyce Meyer knows from a lifetime of experience that nothing is too big for God. A nationally acclaimed teacher and leader- she's walked in your shoes. She knows the frustrations and triumphs you'll experience in your spiritual journey. She's exceptionally qualified to help you discover how to: -Find your unique calling for ministry. -Determine which spiritual gifts you have been given. -Develop your full God-given potential. -Empower your dreams through effective action. -Encourage and build up the people under your authority. -Manage your attitudes and emotions. -Live a balanced life that honors God in every way. -And much more. Practical, honest and thoroughly realistic, Joyce's teaching cuts straight to the heart of the issues that matter most. She'll challenge you to trust God and step out in total obedience to His high calling for your life. If you're ready to make a powerful difference in your world, ready to give God your utmost, then A Leader in the Making has the guidance you need to succeed.

Pope Francis: His Life and Thought paints a compelling picture of a truly remarkable man, showing the evolution of his theological ideas in detail until his election as pope in 2013. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was a highly unusual candidate for the papacy for two main reasons: the 'pope from far away' is the first from the Americas and the first former Jesuit to have been elected. Bergoglio's theological principles have been profoundly shaped by his Argentinean heritage and Jesuit spiritual formation. The author also reveals that his thought was deeply a ected by his simple Argentinean upbringing and fearless work in the slums of Santiago and Buenos Aires as a young Jesuit, and later as a bishop and a cardinal. Bergoglio has consistently emphasised the importance of alleviating the suffering of the poor, following the teaching of Vatican II, and in keeping with his own unflinching morality. This volume reveals Pope Francis as an exceptionally humble and altruistic man, doctrinally conservative, and engaged less in politics than in the struggle to bring the Church to the margins of society. It will be of great interest to any reader who wishes to know more about this inspiring individual. Mario I. Aguilar is a theologian from Chile, now Professor of Religion and Politics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He has written extensively on the Church in Latin America, Africa and Asia, including Cardenal Raul Silva Henriquez: Presencia en la vida de Chile 1907-1999 and A Social History of the Catholic Church in Chile (9 volumes). He is a Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate and has lived in Scotland for the past 20 years. "This reflection draws upon Aguilar's own experiences as a Latin American theologian and it engages directly with many of the Spanish sources that shed light upon the life and thought of Jorge Bergoglio. He] cuts a swath through fact and myth as he charts the new pope's formative experiences in detail. . . . Food for thought for anyone seeking to understand what has made him the pontiff he is." Prof. Gerard Mannion, Amaturo Professor in Catholic Studies, Georgetown University. "Pope Francis has already provided a breath of fresh air, and this welcome and timely book explains why. Anyone who thought God had no surprises up his sleeve will discover here how this new leader has been formed to be a challenging and transforming presence both in his own Church and further afield." Rt Revd Prof. N.T. Wright, Former Bishop of Durham, Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of St Andrews.

William Wykeham was an extraordinary figure whose rapid ascent from peasant to chancellor bucked contemporary trends. Wykeham's administrative talents ensured that he became bishop of Winchester, holder of one of the richest sees in Christendom and Chancellor of England under Edward III and Richard II. "Everything was done by him and nothing was done without him" wrote the contemporary chronicler, Jean Froissart. His lasting contributions to society arose from two passions, architecture and education. He made effective use of the rich revenues of his see to indulge both. He rose in the service of King Edward III having masterminded the royal building works at Windsor Castle. His own building projects included episcopal palaces, colleges, churches and Winchester Cathedral. His interest in education resulted in the foundation of two iconic educational institutions - the public school Winchester College and New College Oxford Much of this has been recognised.Virginia Davis highlights Wykeham's extraordinarily commitment to good governance and his extensive involvement in English politics between c1360-1402. Wykeham has been recognised as a key government figure in Edward III's reign from c. 1360 but his contribution to politics and government throughout the turbulent reign of Richard II and beyond, has not hitherto been fully appreciated. This book offers a fascinating biography of one of the key-figures of late fourteenth-century England, an acquaintance of Chaucer and a man who wielded immense political power. It covers in detail his fall from political power in 1376-77 and his rehabilitation. Wykeham - even when not holding political office - was a figure to whom the decision-makers of late fourteenth century England listened.

The Church, Authority, and Foucault addresses the problem of the Church's enmeshment with sovereign power, which can lead to marginalization. Breaking new ground, Ogden uses Foucault's approach to power and knowledge to interpret the church leader's significance as the guardian of knowledge. This can become privileged knowledge, under the spell of sovereign power, and with the complicity of clergy and laity in search of sovereigns. Inevitably, such a culture leads to a sense of entitlement for leaders and conformity for followers. All in the name of obedience. The Church needs to change in order to fulfil its vocation. Instead of a monarchy, what about Church as an open space of freedom? This book, then, is a theological enterprise which cultivates practices of freedom for the sake of the other. This involves thinking differently by exploring catalysts for change, which include critique, space, imagination, and wisdom. In the process, Ogden uses a range of sources, analysing discourse, gossip, ritual, territory, masculinity, and pastoral power. In all, the work of Michel Foucault sets the tone for a fresh ecclesiological critique that will appeal to theologians and clergy alike.

Online churches are Internet-based Christian communities, pursuing worship, discussion, friendship, support, proselytization, and other key religious goals through computer-mediated communication. The first examples appeared in the mid-1980s, but this genre of online activity has been revolutionized over the last decade by considerable institutional investment and the rise of new low-cost social media platforms. Hundreds of thousands of people are now involved with online congregations, generating new kinds of ritual, leadership, and community as well as new networks of global influence.

Creating Church Online is the first large-scale sociological investigation of this area, offering a significant and timely advance in the study of religion, media, and culture. Five ethnographic case studies are presented, based primarily in the UK, USA, and Australasia, providing levels of detail, scope, and variety previously unexplored by researchers in this field. Comparative analysis of these case studies demonstrates the emergence of intriguing new hybrids of digital, local, and institutional religion, reflecting major shifts in contemporary patterns of religious commitment. Author Tim Hutchings constructs a rich account of the culture and practice of five online churches, emphasizing worship, leadership, and community and the relationship between online and everyday life. Through such in-depth analysis, this book explores the significance and impact of online churchgoing in the religious and social lives of participants, as well as the relationship between online and everyday life, in search of a new theoretical framework to map religious users engagement with new media."

Jong Hun Joo offers a model of how both solid biblical understanding and effective practice of worship can be realised in churches today by exploring the theology and practice of Matthew Henry (1662-1714). Matthew Henry is one of the most famous biblical commentators in the English-speaking world. He was, however, also a pastor who was liturgical in negotiating the political and religious landmines of his day. This all but overlooked aspect of Henry's biography and writings is both a window into his life and times, and an insightful view into the pastoral dimensions of Christian rituals and practices in the home and church. Joo discerns how Henry understood and practised English Presbyterian worship as an example of Reformed worship in his context and suggests how contemporary churches can appropriately develop and articulate their own worship in their own contexts, making the case for worship renewal.

This book examines the potential of conducting studies in comparative hagiology, through parallel literary and historical analyses of spiritual life writings pertaining to distinct religious contexts. In particular, it focuses on a comparative analysis of the early sources on the medieval Christian Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) and the Tibetan Buddhist Milarepa (c. 1052-1135), up to and including the so-called 'standard versions' of their life stories written by Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1221-1274) and Tsangnyoen Heruka (1452-1507) respectively. The book thus demonstrates how in the social and religious contexts of both 1200s Italy and 1400s Tibet, narratives of the lives, deeds and teachings of two individuals recognized as spiritual champions were seen as the most effective means to promote spiritual, doctrinal and political agendas. Therefore, as well being highly relevant to those studying hagiographical sources, this book will be of interest to scholars working across the fields of religion and the comparative study of religious phenomena, as well as history and literature in the pre-modern period.

Draws on examples of 'entrepreneurs' from the Bible and Christian history to help readers imagine how such an approach could work in their own context Addresses the problems some have with the word 'entrepreneur' and sets out a positive and informed alternative understanding Full of informative and inspiring case-studies of entrepreneurial ministry in action

Missio Alliance Essential Reading List of 2016 In our quest to renew the church, Christians have walked through seeker-friendly, emergent, missional, and other movements to develop new expressions of the body of Christ. Now in the post-Christian world in North America we're asking the question again: Is there a way to be the church that engages the world, not by judgment nor accommodation but by becoming the good news in our culture? In Faithful Presence, noted pastor and scholar David Fitch offers a new vision for the witness of the church in the world. He argues that we have lost the intent and practice of the sacramental ways of the historic church, and he recovers seven disciplines that have been with us since the birth of the church. Through numerous examples and stories, he demonstrates how these revolutionary disciplines can help the church take shape in and among our neighborhoods, transform our way of life in the world, and advance the kingdom. This book will help you re-envision church, what you do in the name of church, and the way you lead a church. It recovers a future for the church that takes us beyond Christendom. Embrace the call to reimagine the church as the living embodiment of Christ, dwelling in and reflecting God's faithful presence to a world that desperately needs more of it.

First published in 1980, but then out of print for several years, this collection, together with The History of Ideas and Doctrines of Canon Law in the Middle Ages, presents a series of fundamental articles by the acknowledged master of medieval canon law studies. For this second edition they have been provided with extensive sections of new notes and references and the detailed indexes have been wholly revised and expanded. The volumes therefore now constitute essential works of reference for all those interested in the study of the medieval Church and its law. Ces deux collections, tout d'abord publiees en 1980, mais actuellement hors impression depuis plusieurs annees, presentent une serie de textes fondamentaux du mAcitre inconteste de l'etude du droit canon medieval. Pour cette seconde edition, elles ont ete enrichies de sections importantes de nouvelles notes et references et les index detailles ont ete entierement revises et approfondis. De ce fait, ces ouvrages constituent aujourd'hui des travaux essentiels de reference pour tous ceux interesses par l'etude de l'Eglise medievale et de son droit.

* Inviting and engaging, with cartoons throughout

When first published in 1958, The Canons of the Council of Sardica, AD 343 at once became the standard account of the canons passed by the Western bishops assembled at Serdica in 343 and the thinking on Church matters that lay behind them. In this new edition Hamilton Hess has updated his account in the light of recent literature, included new material and the full texts of the canons, and translated all quotations into English to reach a wider audience. Three new opening chapters make a fresh contribution to the study of early church history in giving a comprehensive analysis of the rise of the conciliar movement from its earliest beginnings to the fourth-century establishments of councils as exclusively episcopal legislative assemblies. It is also shown that the emergence of canon law was a gradual evolutionary process leading towards the sixth-century organization of canonical collections as juridical ecclesiastical codes parallel with and complementary to the contemporary civil codes of the Roman empire.

This book examines the partnerships and power struggles between American missionaries and Korean Protestant leaders in both nations from the late 19th century to the aftermath of the Korean War. Yoo analyzes American and Korean sources, including a plethora of unpublished archival materials, to uncover the complicated histories of cooperation and contestation behind the evolving relationships between Americans and Koreans at the same time the majority of the world Christian population shifted from the Global North to the Global South. American and Korean Protestants cultivated deep bonds with one another, but they also clashed over essential matters of ecclesial authority, cultural difference, geopolitics, and women's leadership. This multifaceted approach - incorporating the perspectives of missionaries, migrants, ministers, diplomats, and interracial couples - casts new light on American and Korean Christianities and captures American and Korean Protestants mutually engaged in a global movement that helped give birth to new Christian traditions in Korea, created new transnational religious and humanitarian partnerships such as the World Vision organization, and transformed global Christian traditions ranging from Pentecostalism to Presbyterianism.

This is an important book written by Pete Beck Jr. for the perilous times in which we Christians find ourselves. The maturing of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is what is happening and is absolutely paramount to the Holy Spirit. It will not happen without mature and spiritual leaders. He wants to make it a truly apostolic church going forward with apostolic doctrine to win the nations. Apostles in the other five-fold ministry gifts, prophets, evangelistics, pastors and teachers are being raised up as never before across the world. They are being raised up as a team. The Bible is clear that satan will attempt to produce false apostles to weaken or mislead the church. Many do not seem to even understand the principles of God laid out in the Scriptures. Ambition and a love for money and recognition dominate some who claim to be apostles. When speaking to the church at Ephesus, the risen Christ commended them for discerning those who were true apostles and rejecting those who proved false.

This short book has a dual purpose and is aimed at two audiences: Through practical instruction and guidance, it equips bishops to minister effectively as the chief pastor in the diocese, while helping clergy and congregations reduce the eternal anxiety around the words, "The bishop is coming." Realizing that ceremonial custom varies among dioceses and congregations, the author lays out some normative principles that should be followed in all liturgies at which the bishop presides or is present. His clear, engaging, and often humorous style will put the reader at ease when dealing with ceremonial material.

CONTENTS

1. Bearings: Each Congregation's "Usual Thing"

2. Brief Survival Guides for the Bishop

3. The Parish Visitation, with a note on Eucharists at which the Bishop does not preside

4. The Cathedral Ordination of Presbyters with the Reception of the Orders of one Previously Ordained; A brief note on the Ordination of Deacons

5. Vows and Oils: Redefining the "Chrism Mass," with a note on Restoration to the Ministry

6. Solemn Evensong

7. Passages: Institutions, Weddings, and Funerals

8. Through the Liturgical Year

9. Sample Customaries and Documents, Select Bibliography

Church leaders live and work in complex systems, including their church, their staff, their congregation, their community, and society itself. How a leader navigates those systems, and how those systems operate, can have a huge impact on how church leaders achieve their goals. The Whole Church is an authoritative view of how clergy leadership can greatly benefit from understanding how systems theory is an essential learning tool to becoming an effective leader. The reader will learn how to diagnose symptoms of issue(s) that affect the church, how to overcome change and conflict, and ultimately emphasizes the significance of one's own spirituality and faith in guiding the congregation's pilgrimage.

William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury 1828-1848, led the Church of England during the beginning and expansion of the Oxford Movement, at a time when the precursor to the Church Commissioners was established, and during the momentous debates and decisions in Parliament which saw the final retreat from the myth of an all Anglican legislature. Howley's chairmanship of the commissions of the 1830s and 1840s which began the gargantuan task of reforming the Church's practices and re-arranging its finances, made him an object of fury and scorn to some of those who benefited from things as they were, most especially in the cathedrals. Exploring the central events and debates within the Church of England in the first half of the nineteenth century, this book draws on primary and secondary evidence about Howley's career and influence. A section of original sources, including his Charges and other public documents, correspondence and speeches in the House of Lords, places Howley's achievements in proper context and illustrates his prevailing concerns in education, the establishment and political reform, relationships with the Tractarians, and in the early stages of Church reform. Dealing thematically with many of the issues faced by Howley, and exploring his own High Church theological views in historical context, James Garrard offers a fruitful re-appraisal of the intellectual, spiritual and 'party' context in which Howley moved.

This informative handbook offers easy-to-follow guidance on all aspects of the work of the PCC, from understanding budgets and reports to what to do during a vacancy. It answers the following questions and more: * What is a PCC? * What jobs does it have to do? * Who will I meet on a PCC? * How does it fit in to the bigger picture? * How do the meetings run? * Who decides the agenda? * What does a PCC member's year look like? * What will my role be and how should I prepare? What else am I letting myself in for? * What about legal aspects: money, faculties, administration, and other technical things?