Throughout history, Christians have prayed for the dead - both for continual growth of the faithful and for their advancement from purgatory, and sometimes, even, for the deliverance of the unsaved from hell. Understanding Prayer for the Dead defends all three kinds of prayer. It challenges Protestants, who seldom pray for the dead, to begin doing so - and Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, who pray only for the Christian dead, to include the unsaved as well. James B. Gould addresses the biblical credentials of prayer for the dead and provides a historical overview of such prayers from ancient Christianity to the current practice of the three main branches of the Church. He also discusses the logical assumptions prayer for the dead requires - that prayer is effective, that the dead are conscious, and that the afterlife involves change - and lays out a theological framework for such prayers. Prayer for the departed raises the most basic of theological questions, matters that go to the centre of God's purpose in creating spiritual beings and redeeming sinful humankind. The argument, while revisionary in some respects, is orthodox, ecumenical, and integrative, engaging a range of academic disciplines so as to be biblically accurate, historically informed, and philosophically reasoned.

Magnificent insight into the miracles surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. Why was there a tremendous earthquake? What was the meaning of the three hours of thick darkness? Why was the temple veil torn in two? Why did graves open, and corpses come to life, and Christ's graveclothes remain undisturbed following His resurrection? Dan Schaeffer has skillfully updated William Nicholson's 1927 classic for today's seeking audience.

What would a church magazine letters page look like if the locals just wrote what they actually thought-and what does it tell us about how we think of our church? In Writes of the Church, the locals bicker, complain and wonder; the vicar is overworked and occasionally lets them know they're pushing him over the edge. But through it all, we learn something valuable about ourselves. It's an unusual and loving angle on the Church of England. The characters are odd, aggressive, frustrated or sometimes just plain stupid. But the depth of their love for the church comes through the threats to boycott the church over a tea towel, the obsession over saving money and the complaints that children are allowed into the church during an act of worship. Through laughing at ourselves, we learn about what really makes us tick. Through learning, we might change.

* Reflections follow the practices of The Way of Love-Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, Rest * Each devotion includes a passage of scripture, a story, and reflection questions * Perfect during Lent or any time of year "Living the Way of Love" offers forty brief reflections about the seven Jesus-centered practices identified by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in "The Way of Love" initiative. Sullivan tells stories from her own and others' experiences as a starting point for discussion about how to seek and find a deeper connection to God. Rotating through each practice so that each is covered once a week, going deeper into the practice throughout the forty days, each reflection ends with questions designed to spur further discussion and assist readers in making the practices their own. Perfect for using as a Lenten devotional or at any time of the year, the book includes a guide for creating a personal rule of life, and a downloadable Facilitator's Guide.

"Bible-Based Prayer Power" features a new technique for talking to God that's as old as the Bible. Ken Anderson teaches readers the unique STEPS approach to prayer and gives them a topically arranged resource for incorporating the approach into their prayer lives. STEPS is an acronym for "Scripture Teaches Effective Prayer Strategy," a principle based on John 15:7 ("If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.") "Bible-Based Prayer Power" moves readers into a more vibrant prayer life by making Bible promises practical and personal.

Christian churches and groups within Anglo-American contexts have increasingly used popular music as a way to connect with young people. This book investigates the relationships between evangelical Christianity and popular music, focusing particularly on electronic dance music in the last twenty years. Author Stella Lau illustrates how electronic dance music is legitimized in evangelical activities by Christians' discourses, and how the discourses challenge the divide between the 'secular' and the 'sacred' in the Western culture. Unlike other existing books on the relationships between music cultures and religion, which predominantly discuss the cultural implications of such phenomenon, Popular Music in Evangelical Youth Culture examines the notion of 'spirituality' in contemporary popular electronic dance music. Lau's emphasis on the sonic qualities of electronic dance music opens the door for future research about the relationships between aural properties of electronic dance music and religious discourses. With three case studies conducted in the cultural hubs of electronic dance music - Bristol, Ibiza and New York - the monograph can also be used as a guidebook for ethnographic research in popular music.

Finding God in all things, hearing God's voice for ourselves and others... the Quiet Spaces Prayer Journal will help you to develop and maintain a life of creative prayer. With space to write, quotations drawn from Christian tradition and BRF's Quiet Spaces publication to aid reflection, this is ideal to buy for yourself or as a gift for anyone wanting to deepen their prayer life. It features quotations to inspire, allowing plenty of space to write.

Pregnancy and new parenthood are some of the most exciting and challenging times of life. They seem to last an age and yet are over so quickly! This unique book forms a gentle devotional guide for that journey. Providing undated Bible reflections and prayers, and space for personal journalling, it can be read chronologically or thematically, making an attractive gift for an expectant mother and an easy-to-use resource for couples to use together as they prepare for parenthood.

Exploring the unity of the practice of prayer and the practice of theology, this book draws together insights from world-class theologians including Rowan Williams, Andrew Louth, Frances Young, Margaret R. Miles, Sebastian Brock, and Nicholai Sakharov. Offering glimpses of the prayer-life and witness that undergirds theological endeavour, some authors approach the topic in a deeply personal way while others express the unity of prayer and the theologian in a traditionally scholarly manner. No matter what the denomination of the Christian theologian - Greek or Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist - authors demonstrate that the discipline of theology cannot properly be practiced apart from the prayer life of the theologian. The prayer of the theologian shapes her or his approach to theology. Whether it be preaching, teaching, writing or research, the deep soundings of prayer inform and embrace all.

Every Sunday, the Lord's Prayer echoes in churches around the world.

It is an indisputable principle of Christian faith. It is the way Jesus taught his followers to pray and distills the most essential beliefs required of every one of the world's 2.5 billion Christians. In "The Greatest Prayer," our foremost Jesus scholar explores this foundational prayer line by line for the richest and fullest understanding of a prayer every Christian knows by heart.

An expert on the historical Jesus, Crossan provides just the right amount of history, scholarship, and detail for us to rediscover why this seemingly simple prayer sparked a revolution. Addressing issues of God's will for us and our response, our responsibilities to one another and to the earth, the theology of our daily bread, the moral responsibilities that come with money, our nation-states, and God's kingdom, Crossan reveals the enduring meaning and universal significance of the only prayer Jesus ever taught.

Since the beginning of the anthropology of pilgrimage, scant attention has been paid to pilgrimage and pilgrim places in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe. Seeking to address such a deficit, this book brings together scholars from central, eastern and south-eastern Europe to explore the crossing of borders in terms of the relationship between pilgrimage and politics, and the role which this plays in the process of both sacred and secular place-making. With contributions from a range of established and new academics, including anthropologists, historians and ethnologists, Pilgrimage, Politics and Place-Making in Eastern Europe presents a fascinating collection of case studies and discussions of religious, political and secular pilgrimage across the region.

Confirmation was an important part of the life of the eighteenth-century church which consumed a significant part of the time of bishops, of clergy in their preparation of candidates, and of the candidates themselves in terms of a transition in their Christian life. Yet it has been almost entirely overlooked by scholars. This book aims to fill this void in our understanding, and offers an important contribution and correction of our understanding of the life of the church during the long eighteenth-century in both Britain and North America. Tovey addresses two important historical debates: the 'pessimist/optimist' debate on the character and condition of the Church of England in the eighteenth century; and the debate on the 're-enchantment' of the eighteenth century which challenges the secular nature of society in the age of the 'enlightenment'. Drawing on new developments of the study of visitation returns and episcopal life and on primary research in historical records, Anglican Confirmation goes behind the traditional Tractarian interpretations to uncover the understanding and confidence of the eighteenth-century church in the rite of confirmation. The book will be of interest to eighteenth-century church historians, theologians and liturgists alike.

Prayer is foundational to the Christian life, but many people donaEURO (TM)t understand it. What is it for? How does it work? Why do we do it? This short and accessible book explains what prayer is, why it exists and how it can encourage us in our life of faith. Written by a pastor with years of teaching and counselling experience, Why We Pray doesnaEURO (TM)t simply tell readers why they should pray, but instead focuses on four blessing-filled reasons that will help us want to pray. Rather than feeling discouraged and disheartened by our inconsistency in prayer, we feel reinvigorated to approach God with confidence and joy, delighted by the privilege of talking directly to our heavenly Father.

Here is a gentle way of walking through the busy days leading up to Christmas. Here is encouragement to slow down and savour the words of one of the best-loved of seasonal Bible readings. Here is refreshment for heart and soul as well as inspiration for sharing the good news of Jesus' birth with others. Here is refreshment for heart and soul as well as inspiration for sharing the Good News of Jesus' birth with others.

This book explores the part played by music, especially group singing, in the Protestant reforms in Strasbourg. It considers both ecclesiastical and 'popular' songs in the city, how both genres fitted into people's lives during this time of strife and how the provision and dissemination of music affected the new ecclesiastical arrangement.

First major study in English of the Japanese 'hidden' Christians - the Kakure Kirishitan, who chose to remain separate from the Catholic Church when religious toleration was granted in 1873 - and the development of the faith and rituals from the 16th century to the present day.