In religious studies, theory and method research has long been embroiled in a polarized debate over scientific versus theological perspectives. Ronald L. Grimes shows that this debate has stagnated, due in part to a manner of theorizing too far removed from the study of actual religious practices. A worthwhile theory, according to Grimes, must be practice-oriented, and practices are most effectively studied by field research methods. The Craft of Ritual Studies melds together a systematic theory and method capable of underwriting the cross-cultural, interdisciplinary study of ritual enactments. Grimes first exposes the limitations that disable many theories of ritual-for example, defining ritual as essentially religious, assuming that ritual's only function is to generate group solidarity, or treating ritual as a mirror of the status quo. He proposes strategies and offers guidelines for conducting field research on the public performance of rites, providing a guide for fieldwork on complex ritual enactments, particularly those characterized by social conflict or cultural creativity. The volume also provides a section on case study, focusing on a single complex event: the Santa Fe Fiesta, a New Mexico celebration marked by protracted ethnic conflict and ongoing dramatic creativity. Grimes explains how rites interact creatively and critically with their social surroundings, developing such themes as the relation of ritual to media, theater, and film, the dynamics of ritual creativity, the negotiation of ritual criticism, and the impact of ritual on cultural and physical environments. This important and influential book will be the capstone work of Grimes's three decades of leadership in the field of ritual studies. It is accompanied by twenty online appendices illustrating key aspects of ritual study.

At the age of twenty-one, Charlene’s sister, Andrea, along with two other college students were tragically killed in a terrible highway accident that made national news. Working through her grief beside her bereaved parents, tragedy struck again when her mother received a devastating cancer diagnosis.
In Brazen Bravery, Charlene tells the story of how she discovered the strength of her family’s rich heritage and deeply rooted Christian faith as she braved the tumultuous waters of grief.
Charlene, a natural and captivating storyteller, invites us into her journey, “telling it like it is” with humor, compassion, and an unflappable and inspiring faith. Through journal pages from her sister and mother, along with song lyrics, Bible verses and poignant quotes from favorite authors, her words will remind you that there is always a way through. The truths she holds onto fiercely helped her transcend the pain and made it possible to “believe that life was not just worth living, but worth living well.”
Brazen Bravery will not only beckon you to embrace the lessons of loss and ignite your overcomer spirit, but it unwraps biblical truth showing us that the sovereignty of God transcends all brokenness and doubt. And reminds us, once again, that love always wins and life never ends.

A unique and validating look at the tension you feel between disillusionment and a desire for truth, Searching for Enough helps you see your doubt not as an emotion to fear but as an invitation to be followed. Do you ever find yourself thinking, "I'm not enough, and I'm never going to be. And I know I'm not supposed to say this, but God's not enough for me either." Whether or not we attend church, deep down we wonder if the biblical story of faith is really enough for the complexity of the world in which we live. We fill our lives with other things, hoping that maybe the next experience or accomplishment will complete us. Yet with every goal we reach, we still feel discouraged and anxious. In Searching for Enough, Pastor Tyler Staton draws on ancient and modern insights to introduce us, as if for the first time, to Jesus' disciple Thomas: history's most notorious skeptic. Like Thomas, we are caught between two unsatisfying stories: We want to believe in God but can't reconcile his presence with our circumstances and internal struggles. But what if there's a better story than shame? What if there's redemption so complete that there's nothing left to hide? What if there is a God who can heal your resentments, fears, and loneliness in such a profound way that you feel whole? From a place of spiritual companionship and deep authenticity, Tyler shows us that it is not an empty tomb that will change our lives, but the presence of the living God. Whether you are a distant skeptic, an involved doubter, or a busy but bored Christian, Searching for Enough invites you to find enough in a God who offers the only promises that never disappoint.

A readable and powerful call, by a leading Old Testament scholar, to pray with and through the Psalms. Walter Brueggemann pushes his readers to recognize the full gamut of passions reflected in the Psalms: joy and exultation but also disappointment, sorrow, anger, resentment, even the desire for vengeance. We are invited into a daring relationship with the God who calls us to pray with honesty. In the spiritual classic readers are guided into a thoughtful and prayerful encounter with God through the Psalms. This new edition includes a thoroughly revised text, new notes and new bibliography. In Praying the Psalms, Brueggemann carefully guides us away from the bland colours of contemporary culture and into the ancient and extreme world of praise and lament. This is essential reading. Ian Stackhouse Senior Pastor, Guildford Baptist Church

Belief in the Jesuit Conspiracy is one of the most important and enduring conspiracy theories in modern European history, and France was one of its major focuses. In this scholarly and detailed survey, Geoffrey Cubitt examines the range of polemical literature through which the prevalent conviction of Jesuitical plots was expressed, and explores political attitudes both within and outside the Catholic church. Cubitt uses the available evidence to contrast perceptions and reality, and to trace the development of a widespread and powerful myth. The Jesuit Myth offers valuable insights into the political and religious climate of nineteenth-century France.

Dr. Ronald D. Ramsey draws on his experiences as an organization development consultant, his knowledge of the behavioral sciences and theological studies, and his own unforgiveness challenges to lead readers on a forgiveness journey in this book.
The book is composed of short readings that draw upon Dr. Ramsey's work as a counselor and chaplain; worksheets that engage the reader's experiences, thoughts and emotions; chapter summaries; and devotionals based on Scripture.
Dr. Ramsey explores how to recover from experiencing interpersonal offenses and transgressions to reach emotional peace. Taking an interactive and practical approach, he reveals how to:

The acclaimed author of "Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates" investigates pets' afterlife--for the truth about their existence in Heaven--in a moving, inspirational, and comforting message of hope.

Official badge / pin of the Women's Manyano organisation pack of 25

The NIV Giant Print Bibles, with their modern and bright linen textured (PU) cover style and luxurious design, are a timeless choice for any Bible reader.

The giant, 14-point font size reduces strain on the eyes and is perfect for spending many hours reading the Word of God. A thumb index provides an easy reference to the Books of the Holy Bible. The durable PU cover is soft to the touch and the Bible lays flat when open.

The New International Version (NIV) is the world’s most widely read contemporary English Bible translation.

Features:

• Luxurious linen textured PU cover
• Silver text foiling on cover
• Silver gilded edge
• Giant 14-point text size
• Size: 239 x 154 mm
• 1920 pages
• Thumb index
• Footnotes

In recent years the term "religious pluralism" has come to be used not only in a descriptive sociological sense but also as theologically prescriptive. Within this new paradigm traditional Christian understandings of Christ, conversion, evangelism, and mission have been radically reinterpreted. The Recovery of Mission explores the pluralist paradigm through the work of three of its most influential Asian exponents - Stanley Samartha Aloysius Pieris, and Raimundo Panikkar - subjecting each to a theological and philosophical critique. On the basis of biblical, patristic, and contemporary theological writings Vinoth Ramachandra argues for the uniqueness and decisiveness of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Ramachandra seeks to show that many of the valid concerns of pluralist theologians can best be met by reappropriating the missionary thrust at the heart of the gospel. The book ends with suggestions, challenging to pluralists and conservatives alike, as to how the gospel needs to be communicated in a multi-faith world.

While bathing baby and very young children, enjoy three popular stories that Jesus told three popular Bible stories with its splashes and sounds to make. This simple and colourful bath book is perfect for sharing during bath time to encourage chatting about the finding of the lost sheep, the return of the lost son and the good Samaritan. An exciting book for bath time for little hands to spot things and explore. The Bubbles series of bath books are water-proof, non-toxic, completely baby safe and they float.

The Russian school of modern Orthodox theology has made an immense but undervalued contribution to Christian thought. Neglected in Western theology, and viewed with suspicion by some other schools of Orthodox theology, its three greatest thinkers have laid the foundations for a new ecumenism and a recovery of the cosmic dimension of Christianity. This ground-breaking study includes biographical sketches of Aleksandr Bukharev (Archimandrite Feodor), Vladimir Soloviev and Sergii Bulgakov, together with the necessary historical background. Professor Valliere then examines the creative ideas they devised or adapted, including the ?humanity of God?, sophiology, panhumanity, free theocracy, church-and-world dogmatics and prophetic ecumenism.

Have interactive fun with baby and very young children introducing three popular Bible stories with its rustling and sounds to make. This simple and colourful tactile cloth book is perfect for sharing during storytime to encourage chatting about all the stars, plants, and animals that God has made, Adam and Eve, and God saving Noah and the ark full of animals. An exciting book for story time for little hands to spot things and explore. The Crinkles series of cloth books have an irresistible crinkling sound to stimulate active senses in the developmental steps from birth.

Divine healing is the essential marker of the global phenomenon of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity. But although we know that healing is central in these movements, we know surprisingly little about how divine healing beliefs and practices reflect the interplay of local and global patterns of cultural development. The essays in this collection seek to discover what is the same and what is different about such beliefs and practices in diverse contexts, trace formal and informal lines of cultural influence across geographic and national boundaries, and ask how healing both reflects and contributes to larger processes of globalization. The collection will not only flesh out a picture of how and why spiritual healing is practiced in diverse cultural contexts and how healing practices reflect and shape the transnational spread of Christianity; it will also provide insight into the nature of globalization. The authors will attend to a wide range of issues, including the theological rationales for divine healing; the symbolic objects and ritual enactments employed; the cultural controversies surrounding these practices; the relationship between Christian healing and local or indigenous healing traditions; whether an emphasis on financial prosperity is always present; and the extent to which Pentecostal and charismatic churches are networked and the role of healing in such networks. All the essays are new to this volume.

Augustine's City of God, written in the aftermath of the Gothic sack of Rome in AD 410, is one of the key works in the formation of Western culture. This book provides a detailed running commentary on the text, with chapters on the political, social, literary, and religious background. Through a close reading of Augustine's masterpiece the author provides an accessible guide to the cosmology, political thought, theory of history, and biblical interpretation of the greatest Christian Latin writer of late antiquity.