Theologians and leaders from many Churches and from the major world religions, including the last four popes, have acknowledged as unique in Christian history the spiritual gifts poured forth through Chiara Lubich. Her spirituality of unity has the ultimate goal of contributing to the unity for which Jesus prayed to his Father: May they all be one (Jn 17:21). This volume gathers her essential writings and for the first time presents them in a systematic fashion. It is a summa of the charism of unity, which will lead readers to ponder, understand and experience a spirituality particularly suited to the era in which we live. The history of the Church has seen many radicalisms of love ... that of Francis of Assisi, of Ignatius of Loyola. There is also Chiaras radicalism ... which seeks to make this love victorious in every circumstance. Pope John Paul II

When the seventeenth-century English Puritan-dominated parliament became embroiled in a conflict with Charles I, the members of the Long Parliament sought military assistance from the Scots. The Scots, however, also desired to see a united Reformation of church and society and proposed a covenant to institute a greater religious uniformity in the three kingdoms. The English parliament established the Westminster Assembly to prepare the documents for that uniformity. One of those documents, the Westminster Confession of Faith, addressed the major theological disputes of the day; one of which centred on whether God still revealed His will outside of the Bible. The book concludes that the Westminster divines believed that God still directed people in all of life, though revelation which come immediately from God had ceased now that the church had the completed Scriptures. In the opening chapter of the Confession, the divines of Westminster included a clause which implied that there would no longer be any special immediate revelation from God. Means by which God had once communicated the divine will, such os dreams, visions, and the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, were said to be no longer available. However, many of the authors of the WCF accepted that 'prophecy' continued in their time, and a number of them apparently believed that disclosure of God's will through dreams, visions, and angelic communication remained possible. How is the 'cessationist' clause of WCF 1:1 to be read in the light of these claims? This book reconciles this paradox in a detailed study of the writings of the authors of the Westminster Confession of Faith. 'Garnet Milne presents us with a much-needed study .... He builds his case by presenting judicious and thorough evidence from a large number of both primary and secondary sources. lt is a fascinating and groundbreaking book ... and clarifies a remarkable amount of profound, theological detail.' Joel R. Beeke, from the Foreword 'Connecting the past to the present is always a difficult but necessary task for the responsible Christian theologian. Dr Milne's work is a good example of how modern questions can be sensitively engaged in a manner which gives due respect to the great formulations of the past without either imposing Procustean criteria on such historic discussions or simply historicising such to the point of irrelevance.' Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, USA 'Scholars in puritan studies are increasingly alert to the variety of the movement's theology and spirituality. Garnet Milne's carefully-argued conclusions will provide a major resource for the reassessment of the most critical of puritan doctrines - the sufficiency of Scripture.' Crawford Gribben, Long Room Hub Senior Lecturer in Early Modern Print Studies, Trinity College, Dublin

Looks at the history of Black theology, discusses its relationship to white and liberation theology, and identifies new directions for Black churches to take in the eighties.

Is Christianity for those who can't get a life? What use is a dying God? Why is the Church so naff? If you've faced questions like these and felt tongue-tied, this is the book for you. It will help you talk more confidently with your friends about the hope that keeps you going. And during those times when you find that you are questioning your faith, the answers and ideas here may help you come to a deeper understanding of what you really believe. The user-friendly format of each chapter begins with a 'What they say' section. The author then identifies the key issue, before suggesting (in reassuring detail) how you might respond. All through the book you will find stories, as well as inspiring, poignant and witty quotes to work into your conversations whenever the opportunity may arise!

With a strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine---what the whole Bible teaches us today about a particular topic; clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum; and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of the Bible is required reading for understanding the relevant passages of Scripture. Topics include Canon of Scripture: the list of all books that belong in the Bible; Authority of Scripture: all words in Scripture are God s words because that is what the Bible claims for itself; Clarity of Scripture: the Bible is written so that its teachings are able to be understood by all who read it; Necessity of Scripture: the Bible is necessary for knowledge of the gospel; and Sufficiency of Scripture: Scripture contains all the words of God he intended his people to have. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of the Bible helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians."

In this thorough and well-documented study of the sacrament of Holy Baptism, G.R. Beasley-Murray presents a critical defense of the doctrine of believers' baptism on the basis of the New Testament evidences. The author--one of the leading New Testament scholars in England--is himself a Baptist; but his discussion transcends denominational lines. Beasley-Murray begins by discussing various rites that precede Christian baptism historically, and analyzes the relationship between these earlier rites and baptism. From these antecedents--Old Testament ritual washings, Jewish proselyte baptism, the lustrations practiced at Qumran, and the baptism of John the Baptist--the author proceeds to the foundations of Christian baptism in the career of Jesus, its emergence as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, and its development in the New Testament epistolary literature. In his consideration of the doctrine of Christian baptism as articulated in the New Testament, Beasley-Murray focuses his attention on the necessity of baptism and its relationship to grace, faith, the Spirit, the church, ethics, and hope. A careful examination of the rise and significance of infant baptism follows, and the study concludes with a selected bibliography and several indices.

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.

The wellspring of Thomas Hardy and Religion is the recognition that Thomas Hardys two late great novels, Tess of the dUrbervilles and Jude the Obscure, are dominated, respectively, by two religious traditions of nineteenth-century Anglicanism: Evangelicalism and Anglo-Catholicism. Placing those movements in their historical context alongside other Victorian religious traditions, the author explores the development of Hardys religious beliefs and ideas up till the 1880s. Evangelicalism in Tess is discussed through an analysis of the principal characters, Angel Clare and his father, Parson Clare, Alec dUrberville and Tess herself, leading to a consideration of why this form of Christianity looms so large in that novel. Not unexpectedly, the reasons for this are linked to Hardys personal and intellectual biography, especially his religious upbringing and experience of and involvement in these religious traditions. This applies to both novels. The sources of Jude the Obscure in Hardys life and thought, and their links to Anglo-Catholicism, are revealed in the context of the influence of that tradition on the narrative and characters, in particular Judes sense of vocation, the importance of the university town of Christminster and issues associated with marriage, divorce and sexuality. Throughout his analysis of both novels the author demonstrates how Hardy lambasts the way in which these religious traditions and the conventional Victorian morality they bolstered undermine human flourishing. Thomas Hardy and Religion concludes by considering the place these two novels have in the continuing trajectory of Hardys theological ideas, underlining the critical importance of understanding his religious concerns and reflecting on the way in which his critique of religion is important to people of faith.

What did Jesus think of himself? How did he face death? What were his expectations of the future? In this volume, now in paperback, internationally renowned Jesus scholar Dale Allison Jr. addresses such perennially fascinating questions about Jesus. The acclaimed hardcover edition received the Biblical Archaeology Society's "Best Book Relating to the New Testament" award in 2011.
Representing the fruit of several decades of research, this major work questions standard approaches to Jesus studies and rethinks our knowledge of the historical Jesus in light of recent progress in the scientific study of memory. Allison's groundbreaking alternative strategy calls for applying what we know about the function of human memory to our reading of the Gospels in order to "construct Jesus" more soundly.

Everyone has gifts and talents, but do you know what

gift is the foundation of your God-given purpose

in life?

In Know Your Ministry: Spiritual Gifts for Every

Believer, renowned Bible teacher Marilyn Hickey presents

an enlightening overview of the seven foundational gifts

of the Holy Spirit from Romans 12 and shows you how to

discover your specific foundational gift.

Through Marilyn's personal and ministry examples,

biblical illustrations, and practical application, you will

discover the one gift that you identify with most closely

and through which you will obtain the most success.

That gift whether it is prophecy, serving, teaching,

exhortation, giving, organization, or mercy is your

foundational gift.

Once you have identified your core gift, you will see how

it relates to your other abilities and how it flows throughout

all your spiritual activity in the body of Christ.

The Rapture is coming - and it is coming soon. How can we be sure of this? A J Scott illustrates how prophecy is being fulfilled, indicating that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is imminent. As we are now living in the end time, the author, drawing extensively on the King James Version of the Bible, provides you with the tools and preparation to be ready for the day when the Son of God returns. Instructional and celebratory, A J Scott's book is essential reading for millenarians. You will learn about how God's love and understanding can be harnessed in the portentous days to come. The Rapture is coming - be ready!

An international team of scholars address the theology and practice of peacebuilding.

"Peacebuilding" refers to a range of topics, ranging from conflict prevention to post-conflict reconciliation. In this volume a strong cast of Catholic theologians, ethicists, and scholar-practitioners join to examine the challenge of peacebuilding in theory and practice. While many of the essays deal with general themes of reconciliation, forgiveness, interreligious dialogue, and human rights, there are also case studies of peacebuilding in such diverse contexts as Colombia, the Philippines, the Great Lakes region of Africa, Indonesia, and South Africa. This volume will be of interest to all scholars engaged in developing a theology and ethic of just peace, as well as students seeking to understand the interaction between theology, ethics, and lived Christianity.

Contributors include: John Paul Lederach; Maryann Cusimano Love; Daniel Philpott; William Headley and Reina Neufeldt; Todd Whitmore; Peter-John Pearson; Thomas Michel; Kenneth Himes; Lisa Sowle Cahill; Peter Phan; and David O'Brien.

Before offering a prayer at the inauguration of President George W. Bush, Franklin Graham was asked by a fellow participant if he intended to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Graham assured him that he would and encouraged this pastor to do the same. As Graham reminded him, "That's the only thing we've got." In days of religious confusion and cultural relativism, Franklin Graham reminds us that there are absolutes in the kingdom of God. "The Name" explains the significance of names in the Hebrew culture, centering on the meaningfulness of the name "Jesus." Chapters focus on the different aspects of power in the Lord's name, such as "Healing in the Name" and "Salvation in the Name."

The papacy is clearly the greatest difficulty facing ecumenical dialogue today, and particularly the dialogue between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Yet there is a doorway of hope. In his encyclical, Ut unum sint, John Paul II expressed a desire for common reflection on the exercise of papal primacy. In You Are Peter the great Orthodox theologian Olivier Clement brilliantly responds to this request. He emphasizes the history and experience of the undivided Church, before recalling the contrasting developments of eastern and western Christianity and concluding with the tasks that call us to unity. Professor Clements response to John Paul II is] solidly rooted in the Orthodox tradition, and] represents the cordial and open mentality characteristic of the theologians of Saint Sergius. I would judge that it is almost exactly the kind of response for which Pope John Paul II was hoping. It is a pleasure to be able to present to English-speaking readers this concise, learned, and articulate presentation.... Professor Clements contribution ... is a sign of the progress in ecumenism] thus far made and a beacon of hope for the future. From the Foreword by Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. Laurence J. McGinley Professor Fordham University, New York

The church engages in mission as it is formed and transformed by the triune God whose nature is missional. If the church is not motivated by foundational, theological convictions, the church can blindly run toward 'cool' trends instead of focusing on God's purposes. In Missio Dei, the authors guide their readers through reflections on a biblical and theological understanding of God's mission, while pointing out ways in which we can participate in the mission of God.Missio Dei contains essays by several church leaders, including Ron Benefiel, Thomas A. Noble, Douglas S. Hardy, and Roger L. Hahn. Edited by Keith Schwanz and Joseph Coleson, this book reveals a clear understanding of what it means to be the missional church and participants in the Missio Dei.

Since its first appearance in 1960 and revision in 1970, Documents of the Baptismal Liturgy has been widely praised both for its value as a source book and for the light it sheds on contemporary discussion of Christian initiation. The texts are in English, and a glossary of technical terms and a brief introduction to each document help to make them accessible to both the general and the specialist reader. This revised and expanded edition: retains all the sources previously included, many of which have been corrected and replaced with newer translations; incorporates Eastern Christian texts from the great East Syrian Church Fathers, Aphrahat and Ephrem, as well as selections from The Rite of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Maronite Rite; includes additional Western texts such as the famous Pentecost Homily attributed to Faustus of Riez, Letter 26 to Januarius from Pope Gregory 1, and the Rite of Confirmation from the Pontifical of William Durandus; Places individual councils in their respective geographic locales; lists sources and related publications in a variety of languages for each document studied or for each locale. "This is a most useful addition to liturgical study." Journal of Ecclesiastical History

C. S. Lewis here offers wisdom and lessons that illuminate our private dialogue with God―prayer―in this collection drawn from the breadth of his writings.

The revered teacher and bestselling author of such classic Christian works as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis here offers wisdom and lessons that illuminate our private dialogue with God―prayer―in this collection drawn from the breadth of his writings.

C. S. Lewis’s insights on Christianity and his reflections on Christian life continue to guide us more than fifty years after his death. How to Pray showcases Lewis’s enduring wisdom on prayer and its place in our daily lives.

Cultivated from his many essays, articles, and letters, as well as his classic works, How to Pray provides practical wisdom and instruction to help readers nurture their spiritual beliefs and embrace prayer in all its forms. While many people would like to speak to God, they often don’t know how to begin. Lewis guides them through the practice, illuminating the significance of prayer and why it is central to faith.

A welcome addition to the C. S. Lewis canon, How to Pray offers a deeper understanding of our personal tradition of prayer, our faith, and what is means to be a Christian.

New Testament I and II represents Vol. I/15 and I/16 in the Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century. The present volume contains the translations of four works, all of which are exegetical treatises of one sort or another: The Lord's Sermon on the Mount, Agreement among the Evangelists, Questions on the Gospels and Seventeen Questions on Matthew. Each of the four works are accompanied by its own introduction, general index, and scripture index. The Lord's Sermon on the Mount (translated by Michael Campbell, OSA) is an exegesis of chapters five through seven of Matthew's Gospel, but Augustine's explanation of the Sermon is more a charter of Christian morality and spirituality than mere exegesis of the text and brings a unity to the lengthy discourse that goes far beyond an account of what the text says. Augustine wrote Agreement among the Evangelists in 400, contemporaneously with the composition of his Confessions (397 - 401).The treatise, translated by Kim Paffenroth, is an attempt to defend the veracity of the four evangelists in the face of seeming incompatibilities in their record of the gospel events, especially against some pagan philosophers who raised objections to the gospel narratives based on alleged inconsistencies. Questions on the Gospels and Seventeen Questions on Matthew are translated by Roland Teske, SJ. Questions on the Gospels is a record of questions that arose when Augustine was reading the Gospels of Matthew and Luke with a disciple. The answers to the questions are not intended to be commentaries on the Gospels in their entirety but merely represent the answers to the questions that arose for the student at the time. Seventeen Questions on Matthew is similarly in the question-and-answer genre and is most likely by Augustine, but it includes some paragraphs at the end that are certainly not his. For all those who are interested in the greatest classics of Christian antiquity, Augustine's works are indispensable. This long-awaited translation makes Augustine's monumental work approachable.ABOUT THE AUTHOR Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is one of the greatest thinkers and writers of the Western world. After he converted to Christianity he became bishop of Hippo in North Africa, where he was influential in civil and church affairs. His writings have had a lasting impact on Western philosophy and culture.

There is an increased interest in spirituality in our world lately. People have a deep hunger and thirst towards something that transcends them.In Spiritual Formation, Maddix and LeClerc provide a definition of Christian spiritual formation within the Wesleyan paradigm and how faithful disciples can grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. In simple terms, this book explains that Spiritual formation refers to the transformation of people into, what C.S. Lewis calls, 'little Christs.' The book focuses on how people can grow in Christlikeness by participating in reading of Scripture, the means of grace, the sacraments, and spiritual disciplines. It also provides guidance in matter of self-care, spiritual direction, and mentoring, while displaying practical guidelines for adolescents, families, and college students.