Modern ecclesiology is too concerned with the ideal church, and pays too little attention to its sinful everyday life. Pluralism and postmodernism are discussed, and the argument made that well-meaning attempts to affirm non-Christian religions make it difficult for them or the church to argue that its convictions are true. The book shows that one can talk about the church and other religious communities in ways that acknowledge their uniqueness and truth claims, but also their problems and mistakes. New disciplines are proposed: theological history, theological sociology and ecclesiological ethnography.

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Anything that presents itself as a force to hurt the souls of men is fair game for the pastor according to the author. An introduction by Dr. Douglas Kelly to the issues of Statism, and Milton's own concern for the pastoral-prophetic voice on matters of public morality and "bringing every thought captive" to the Gospel, make this a particularly relevant book in this season of thinking through politics and faith. The volume is complete with a bibliography on the matter of Christian voices in the public square and an index. It is profitable reading for the classroom, in the office or study, on the back porch, or on a plane.
Endorsements
"God bless Dr. Mike Milton for challenging the conventional wisdom that Christians need to mind their own business and stay out of the public square. He correctly diagnoses the root of our society's problems as spiritual and calls on the church to step up to the plate in an effort to save our culture. There is no inconsistency between spreading the Gospel and being engaged in the culture and in politics in a Christlike way." David Limbaugh, NYT bestselling author, syndicated columnist, constitutional attorney, contributor, FoxNews

Silent No More "is a must read if we are to save our nation. The Church must take the lead in this effort." Michael Reagan, national Radio Talk Show Host, Author, columnist, son of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

"Dr. Michael Milton s book is, among other things, a tribute to the martyrs of atheistic communism, of which there were countless millions. Christians in America today face their own unique challenges. The threats to religious freedom are not as deadly as what Christians endured under communism, but they are serious, and they seem to get worse year by year and they often stem from the same statist impulse. We must, above all, not remain silent. It is indeed true that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." Paul Kengor, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Grove City College; Executive Director, The Center for Vision & Values; Fellow, The Hoover Institute, NY Times best-selling author, and nationally syndicated columnist, contributor to FoxNews, and frequent speaker and recognized leading scholar on the history of the Cold War and Presidential studies of Ronald Reagan.

"In a culture where biblical standards are routinely being ignored or marginalized God's voice needs to be heard loud and clear, however unwelcome it may be. Old Testament prophets provide a powerful paradigm of this, and while biblical prophets have no like-for-like successors today, Christian pastors have a similar responsibility to 'reprove, rebuke and exhort', directly challenging what seems to be the relentless drive towards framing a totally secular society. Michael Milton's book is an urgent, relevant and powerful wake-up call. Every pastor should read it--and encourage his church members to do so." John Blanchard, Internationally known Christian preacher, teacher, apologist, and author
Biographical Information

Michael A. Milton and his family live in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the host of the national Bible teaching television program Faith for Living, a songwriter and recording artist, and the author of numerous books and articles. Previously he was the senior minister of the historic First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, Tennessee and is currently Chancellor and CEO elect of Reformed Theological Seminary and the James M. Baird Jr. Professor of Pastoral Theology, there.

In this book the renowned medievalist G.R. Evans provides a concise introduction to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), a figure of towering importance on the twelfth-century monastic and theological scene. After a brief overview of Bernard's life, Evans focuses on a few major themes in his work, including his theology of spirituality and his theology of the political life of the Church. The only available introduction to Bernard's life and thought, this latest addition to the Great Medieval Thinkers series will appeal to a wide audience of students and scholars of history and theology.

In this book the renowned medievalist G.R. Evans provides a concise introduction to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), a figure of towering importance on the twelfth-century monastic and theological scene. After a brief overview of Bernard's life, Evans focuses on a few major themes in his work, including his theology of spirituality and his theology of the political life of the Church. The only available introduction to Bernard's life and thought, this latest addition to the Great Medieval Thinkers series will appeal to a wide audience of students and scholars of history and theology.

Humans are sexual creatures. Our sexuality can be a beautiful and mysterious expression of what it means to be human. But it can also become distorted and sinful. Perhaps no issue is as urgent for the church today, or confronts it with as many questions, as human sexuality: What does it mean to fulfill God's will through our sexuality? To what extent should our sexuality define who we are? How can we navigate cultural trends around sexuality while being faithful to Scripture? The Center for Pastor Theologians (CPT) seeks to assist pastors in the study and production of biblical and theological scholarship for the theological renewal of the church and the ecclesial renewal of theology. Based on the 2016 annual CPT conference, this volume brings together the reflections of church leaders and academic theologians who seek to answer the urgent questions concerning human sexuality. Contributors engage with Scripture, draw on examples from church history, and delve into current issues in contemporary culture, including embodiment, marriage, homosexuality, pornography, transgenderism, and gender dysphoria. Beauty, Order, and Mystery tackles difficult questions with discernment in order to offer a theological vision of faithful human sexuality for the church. Based on annual CPT conferences, the volumes in the Center for Pastor Theologians series bring together the reflections of pastors and theologians who desire to make ongoing contributions to the wider scholarly community for the renewal of both theology and the church.

In this new study, James Brenneman confronts the issue of conflicting canons with full force, incorporating insights gained from both literary and biblical disciplines on the question of canon. He begins with an illuminating tour through contemporary literary theory from Hans Robert Jauss to Stanley Fish, and current discussions in theology about the canon. He goes on to a consideration of true and false prophesy, with a detailed examination of the three apparently conflicting versions of the Old Testament "swords into plowshares" prophesy, as found in Isaiah 2:2-4,5; Joel 4:9-12 (Eng. 3:9-12); and Micah 4:1-5. Suggesting that the dynamics controlling the process for negotiating between contradictory readings of prophetic texts are the same as those at work in adjudicating between canons in conflict, Brenneman concludes by pointing the way towards an integrative approach appropriate to the question of canon and authority in a "post-modern" pluralistic context.

Recent years have seen the entry of large numbers of women into the ordained clergy of Protestant churches. Nesbitt here analyses the extent to which the large-scale entry of women into the ministry has affected the occupation.

A prominent and inescapable feature of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate is the importance which has been given to the sacred liturgy, in its actual celebration, as well as in the pope's Magisterium and theological writings. Not only have we witnessed the reappearance of many elements used in older, but recently-abandoned papal liturgies, but also what amounts to be the virtual liberation of the 'Old Latin Mass'. This has come as a great surprise to many people in the Church, some of whom almost regard it, and the pope's liturgical theology, as a betrayal of recent liturgical reforms. On the other hand, others have viewed these liturgical changes, and the emphasis which Pope Benedict places upon the liturgy in the life of the Church, as positive developments, leading to a more correct understanding of the Second Vatican Council within 'the hermeneutic of continuity' and reform, and the notion of 'organic development'. But, in the midst of conflicting interpretations, how are we to understand these developments and Pope Benedict XVI's re-affirmation of what we now call the usus antiquior? In this book Dr Anselm J. Gribbin explores these and other related questions by examining the liturgical theology of Pope Benedict XVI in his magisterial teachings and writings, particularly in the post-synodal exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, and The Spirit of the Liturgy. Gribbin, in an extensive, and detailed analysis, indicates that the liturgical theology of Pope Benedict XVI/Joseph Ratzinger points the way forward for the Church in the field of liturgy. He also addresses the fundamentally important question of the relationship between the liturgical writings of Pope Benedict XVI as a theologian, and his Magisterium as the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, and that the latter is best understood with recourse to the former.

This book offers portraits of twenty of the secondary theologians of the Reformation period. In addition to describing a particular theologian, each portrait explores one problem in 16th-century Christian thought. Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, and Radical thinkers are all represented in this volume, which serves as both an introduction to the field and a handy reference for scholars.

Liturgy is concerned with the worship of God. Yet in spite of that - some might say because of that - it is necessary to have rules. It is sometimes mistakenly thought that these rules are archaic and therefore irrevelant; in fact the rules and their interpretation have changed considerably in recent years, so much so that there is now widespread concern among the clergy and church administrators about the degree to which Liturgical Law is being correctly understood and applied. This book has a straight forward aim which is to describe and analyse a wide range of Ecclesiastical Law topics which are scarcely dealt with in other books on Church Law and Ecclesiastical Law. As such it provides not merely a statement of legal principles but also a discussion in-depth of the relevant law and its developments. The style is precise and easy to read. The authorities and foot-notes are comprehensive. Arguably it presents the most comprehensive coverage of Ecclesiastical Law published in modern times.

There's a ticking time bomb in your ministry. Is it you? The pressures of pastoring are endless, leading many to burnout and depression, sexual misconduct, or substance abuse. But moral failures can be averted and shipwrecked ministries can be repaired. Counselor Michael MacKenzie, a longtime expert in helping pastors at risk, deals with the issues beneath the issues, such as shame, fear, and pain. If we don't address our own weakness and brokenness, we will hurt ourselves and those around us. With vivid pictures of both self-destructive patterns and reconstructive grace, MacKenzie shows how to lay the groundwork for restored identity and service. God can use those exact areas of vulnerability as a catalyst to you becoming the pastor and person he intends you to be. Defuse the bomb before it goes off. Find hope for healing and recovery.

It is nine hundred years since the death at Canterbury of the great mediaeval Archbishop and thinker Anselm. This meticulously researched and immensely engaging book brings to life the man and his times, the depth of Anselm's thought, and his career in the arena of politics in church and state. It explores his place among the saints, in his life and after his death, especially in the light of his profound understanding of heaven which was a central theme throughout his life from childhood onwards. Accounts from Anselm's friends and enemies, his own letters, prayers and meditations are combined with the author's in-depth knowledge of the times to present a rounded picture of a unique Christian figure who speaks to us today, challenging many of our assumptions about his world and ours.

Adultery, fornication, breach of marriage contract, sexual slander - these, along with religious offences of various kinds, were typical of the cases dealt with by the ecclesiastical courts in Elizabethan and early Stuart England. What was it like to live in a society in which personal morality was regulated by law in this fashion? How far-reaching was such surveillance in actual practice? How did ordinary people view the courts - as useful institutions upholding accepted standards, or as an alien system purveying unwanted values? How effective were the church courts in influencing attitudes and behaviour? Previous assessments of ecclesiastical justice, coloured by contemporary puritan and common law criticisms, have mostly been unfavourable. This in-depth, richly documented study of the sex and marriage business dealt with under church law, based on the records of the courts in Wiltshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and West Sussex in the period 1570-1640, presents a more balanced and more positive view.

New England theologian Jonathan Edwards came to prominence at the culmination of a dramatic paradigm shift in millennialism that had begun in the sixteenth century, declaring that a thousand-year earthly kingdom would arrive in the future. For Edwards, the land of Israel would be the ideal location of the millennial kingdom, and the people of Israel, after their restoration, would play critical and decisive roles in the millennium's commencement. Edwards's millennial vision was also cosmic, however, and included both Europe and China. Unlike his Protestant predecessors and his Puritan contemporaries, Edwards's millennialism de-centralized England and New England. Contrary to what many have argued, Edwards neither originated nor advocated the notion of the American redeemer nation. In America's Theologian Beyond America, Victor Zhu establishes the coherence of Edwards's Judeo-centric and cosmic vision of the millennial kingdom and argues that this vision is an indispensable part of Edwards's theological system. He highlights three theological loci in Edwards's millennialism: the greatness of God's divine sovereignty, the magnificence of His glory, and the capaciousness of His kingdom. Zhu demonstrates Edwards's conviction of the progressive realization of the kingdom, refuting the prevailing misinterpretation that Edwards thought the millennium was imminent. He explores Edwards's cosmic vision of the millennial kingdom, which extended from New England and Israel to China and other parts of the "heathen" world. In conclusion, Zhu examines the contemporary relevance of Edwards's millennialism in Chinese millennial movements.

Jeff Tacklind, pastor of Church by the Sea-a quirky, diverse congregation in Laguna Beach, California-knows from decades of ministry experience that sometimes effective leadership looks like standing in the middle of conflict, holding the tension. In The Winding Path of Transformation, Tacklind describes spiritual transformation as an invitation to paradox. By entering into suffering, he says, we find joy. By embracing the downward path of humility, we find glory. And by remaining small, sometimes we grow to great heights. Any leaders who have wondered if God really called them to lead a congregation will resonate with Tacklind's vulnerability in this honest and meditative account. So will readers who have found their own spiritual journey to be winding and halting rather than a constant ascent of growth. Tacklind draws from the natural world-trees, waves, mountains, and canyons-to bring to life the lessons that he has picked up along the way. C. S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Soren Kierkegaard and others all serve as guides who light the way on the winding path of following God.

Despite its physical comforts, Jennie's life under the critical eye of her tyrannical mother is hard, and she grows up desperate for a love she has been denied. As she blossoms into a young woman World War II breaks out. Life is turned upside down by the vagaries of war, and the charming, urbane Charles comes into her life - and he loves her ... doesn't he? ... On the other side of the scarred mountain, in the wake of a disaster that tears through his family and their tight-knit mining community, Harry finds the burden of manhood abruptly thrust upon his young shoulders. He bears it through the turmoil of the Depression years, sustained only by his love for Megan. But his life too takes many unexpected turns, and the onset of war brings unimaginable changes. ... Nothing is as it was, or as it seems ... Blaenavon and Abergavenny surge to life in this vibrant, haunting, joyful masterpiece - a celebration of the Welsh people from the 1920s to the 1940s. It's the saga of two families and their communities, and the story of two young people who should have found each other much sooner. It's the story of the people of the mountains and the valleys who formed the beating heart of Wales. The Mountains Between immediately became a regional best-seller. Now in its 3rd edition, it was author Julie McGowan's first book, and is based in her much-loved homeland of Wales. Her second book, Just One More Summer, is a wonderfully intricate read based in Cornwall, while her newly-released third book, Don't Pass Me By, is also a Welsh spectacular.

Research into the field of religious leadership in relation to Christian identity is highly complex. What is meant by religious leadership? What do we really mean if we talk about Christian identity? And most of all, what is the implied relationship between religious leadership and Christian identity? Is there a necessary substantial relation between both? If so, how has leadership contributed in the past to Christian identity and how will it in the contemporary context stimulate a Christian identity? This book explores and addresses such questions.
"Doris Nauer" teaches theology at the University of Tbingen, Germany. "Rein Nauta" is professor of psychology of religion at the Tilburg University, The Netherlands. "Henk Witte" teaches theology at the Tilburg University, The Netherlands.

A design-thinking book for planting or redesigning churches and incubating a new generation of leaders.

Written by Linda Bergquist and Allan Karr, two experienced church planters and mentors, the book is full of wisdom, practical advice, and creative counsel. Instead of a business-model-as-usual approach, the authors challenge readers to begin with the raw materials of beliefs, values, individuals, teams, and culture, and to then move outwards to draw from a rich palette of real and potential church paradigms. This book is meant to provoke church leaders to think outside of the box and to imagine how their churches might better reflect the image and the mission of God in the world. Contains a wealth of illustrative examples, charts, and other visual aidesOffers a creative practical perspective and a multi-disciplinary approach to establishing a new church or leading an existing oneShows how to honor a church's purpose while embracing its unique cultureIncludes important lessons for nurturing church leadership skills

Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, also known as Gregory the Theologian, lived an illustrious life as an orator, poet, priest, and bishop. Until his death, he wrote scores of letters to friends and colleagues, clergy members and philosophers, teachers of rhetoric and literature, and high-ranking officials at the provincial and imperial levels, many of which are preserved in his self-designed letter collection. Here, for the first time in English, Bradley K. Storin has translated the complete collection, offering readers a fresh view on Gregory's life, social and cultural engagement, leadership in the church, and literary talents. Accompanying the translation are an introduction, a prosopography, and annotations that situate Gregory's letters in their biographical, literary, and historical contexts. This translation is an essential resource for scholars and students of late antiquity and early Christianity.

In his nearly four decades of pastoral, parachurch and nonprofit ministry leadership Steve Macchia has come to understand his own brokenness. He writes: "I've experienced great success and a few embarrassing failures. . . . In essence, as much as I like to view myself as a good or even a very good leader, I'm more truthfully a blessed and broken leader, one who is daily in need of being . . . redeemed by the Spirit of God who resides in me." In these pages Steve offers the gifts of love found in 1 Corinthians 13 as the antidote to our brokenness. He writes with personal transparency from his own experience. Each chapter concludes with a powerful spiritual assessment tool to use in reflecting on our own leadership strengths and weaknesses. By embracing and befriending our own brokenness we can find true wholeness in God's strength. In these pages you will discover a new way to live in freedom and joy.

Called to Serve is for people with questions about creating and maintaining a successful nonprofit board. How can the board of a nonprofit organization work best? Now that I'm on such a board, what should I do? How can we find the best trustees? How should I think about my work for nonprofits? What kind of relationship between a board and the staff will work best? How can we organize and develop the service of busy, committed people? Internationally renowned CEO and best-selling author Max De Pree packs his many years of experience on nonprofit boards into these short letters directed to busy folks active in nonprofit life. Brief, clear, and -- above all -- useful, Called to Serve notes the marks of an effective board, lays out the proper work of boards, gives choices for structuring a nonprofit board, and covers the roles and relationships of board chairpersons, trustees, and presidents. Today there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in America, with 109 million people working in this important sector of society. In spite of this surprising fact, very little training exists for this kind of service. Called to Serve is valuable not only because it fills this need but also because it comes from the pen of one of America's most experienced and respected business leaders.

What does it mean to provide leadership for the church in an increasingly secular context? When religion is privatized and secularism reigns in the public square, Christians are often drawn toward either individualist escapism or constant cultural warfare. But might this context instead offer a fresh invitation for the church to adapt and thrive? Gordon Smith is passionate about the need for capable, mature leaders to navigate and respond to a changing society. In this book, he draws on his extensive experience as a university president, pastor, and international speaker to open a multidisciplinary conversation about the competencies and capacities essential for today's leaders. After analyzing the phenomenon of secularization in the West and charting common Christian responses, Smith introduces four sources of wisdom to help guide us through this new terrain: the people and prophets of Judah during the Babylonian exile, the early church in its pagan environment, contemporary churches across the Global South, and Christian thinkers in post-Christian Europe. From these resources he identifies practices and strategies-from liturgy and catechesis to mission and hospitality-that can give shape to faithful, alternative communities in such a time as this. In cultures fraught with fear and division, Smith calls for leaders who can effect change from the margins, promote unity and maturity among Christians, and provide a non-anxious presence grounded in the presence of Christ. Educators, church leaders, and those seeking to understand the times will find this book to be an indispensable resource for cultivating distinctively Christian leadership.