This is a collection of writings on the Eucharist by one of the most important theological thinkers of our time. The theology of John Zizioulas presents a beautiful vision of the Church as Eucharistic communion, in which human persons both are gathered into Jesus Christ and are sent back into the world. In his previous books, Zizioulas focused on the way this communion is related to the communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which calls us to understand being as communion and provides the only foundation for otherness and identity. With its sustained attention directly to the Eucharistic communion, this volume provides the context for those discussions. Zizioulas here explores the biblical dimensions and eschatological foundation of the Eucharist, the celebration of the Eucharist by the Church, and the ethos of the Eucharistic community. These essays are provocatively concrete and practical, showing once again that Zizioulas' teaching on persons, communion and otherness has radical implications for the life of the Church and its relationship to the world.

Description: By all accounts, the modern ecumenical movement is not moving much these days. Despite dramatic breakthroughs in the past few decades, the quest for a visibly united church--in which there is common confession of the apostolic faith, full Eucharistic communion, and mutual recognition of members and ministers--now meets with indifference by many, impatience by some, and outright hostility by others. In part, this is because the movement has not given enough attention to grassroots ecumenical engagement. This book is written to convince ordinary Christians, especially young Christian adults, that they too have a stake in the future of the ecumenical movement as its most indispensable participants. Ecumenism Means You, Too draws on the music of Irish rock band U2 to cast artistic light on various aspects of the quest for Christian unity. Whether one is a U2 fan or not, and whether one thinks the ecumenical movement is a good thing or a bad thing for the church, everyone who reads this book will learn something about the Christian theological framework apart from which neither the modern ecumenical movement nor the meaning of U2's music can be understood. The book includes an annotated bibliography of resources for ecumenical engagement and a glossary of key ecumenical terms for readers who want to learn more about the Christian practice of seeking the unity of the church. Endorsements: ."" . . at once profound and straightforward, deeply reflected yet highly accessible, theologically rich yet directly practical . . . a source of wisdom to be absorbed into the life-blood of each of our widely differing communities for their mutual enrichment . . . a superbly inviting and practical manifestation of what has come to be referred to as Receptive Ecumenism."" --Paul D. Murray Durham University, UK ""Whether you are passionate about, disappointed by, or indifferent to the church: if you love God, you need this book. Harmon shows you why mutual tolerance is not the unity that Jesus desired for his Body, and he gives you the tools to start knitting back together the broken pieces of the church-so the world might believe. This little book should be the marching orders for every Christian "" --Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France ""Few books on the ecumenical movement are as readable, and I would wager none has as appealing a soundtrack. Harmon invites us to strive for the hope of fuller visible unity with sisters and brothers in Christ, not by ignoring denominational differences, but by acknowledging what divides us while refusing to settle for division. The 'Ten Things You Can Do for the Unity of the Church' list alone is worth the price of the book."" --Beth Maynard co-editor of Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog About the Contributor(s): Steven R. Harmon teaches Christian Theology at Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. A member of the Baptist World Alliance delegations to the international theological conversations with the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches and a plenary member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, he is the author of Towards Baptist Catholicity: Essays on Tradition and the Baptist Vision (2006). He blogs about his work in ecumenical theology at www.ecclesialtheology.blogspot.com.

The riches of the Jewish year with its high holy days, its times of preparation and celebration are opened up for all in this anthology of prayer, arranged in forty sections, which draws deeply on the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament and the Jewish spiritual tradition. Christian readers will be enriched by a deeper encounter with the roots of their own faith and the patterns of prayer and worship by which many Christian rituals and observances are shaped.

First major book-length study on this subject written by a Protestant in more than a century. / The dogma of papal infallibility has become increasingly problematic for Roman Catholics, and it is a major point of division in Christian ecumenical dialogue arguably the key issue separating Catholics and other Christians today. Mark Powell here contends that papal infallibility has inevitable shortcomings as a way to secure religious certainty. After introducing the doctrine, he illustrates those limitations in the life and writings of four prominent Catholic theologians: Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, John Henry Cardinal Newman, Avery Cardinal Dulles, and Hans Kng. / The book concludes with a fresh proposal for conceiving religious epistemology, ecclesial authority, and ecumenical agreement. Powell's Papal Infallibility is an accessible, critical study for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

'In this short by acute book, Bishop Newbigin unmasks the unspoken and concealed conditions that have intimidated and effectively held Christians in check, making their taming by modern cultural forces easy and comprehensive. It follows from this that any home for renewal of mainline Christianity cannot take place without the kind of critical probing of those unspoken conditions that Bishop Newbigin presents here. This book begins the process by turning the searchlight on Christians themselves, charting a course between the fundamentalist reaction and postmodernist radical nihilism. Whether or not the book results in the long-overdue shake-up Newbigin calls for, it is bound to be included in the arsenal of any meaningful response to the contemporary challenge.

This book argues that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, locked as they have been over the centuries in many kinds of mutual enmity and violence, now need to join resources to resist the destructive economic and political forces now on the loose across the globe, some of which distrust among these faiths has tended to intensify. Such a project requires relational practices among the faiths, all of them based on mutual moral commitments that draw on the respective communities' scriptural traditions of covenantal promise-keeping. That is, each tradition has a gift of responsibility, both to its God and to its people. Mudge wants to plumb the resources of each of these religions and encourage them to be responsible in taking these gifts seriously.Such relational practices are hardly used as resources in interreligious dialogue. Mudge contends that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are called to practice moral hospitality and covenantal humanism in order to foster justice and responsibility in societies around the globe.

In Where the Edge Gathers, Flunder uses examples of persons most marginalized by church and society to illustrate the use of "village ethics"--knowing where the boundaries are when all things are exposed--and "village theology"--giving everyone a seat at the central meeting place or welcome table. She focuses on the following marginalized groups: 1) samesex couples, to convey the need to re-examine sexual and relational ethics; 2) transgendered persons, to illustrate the importance of radical inclusivity; 3) and gay persons living with AIDS, to emphasize the need to de-stigmatize society's view of any group of people. The book, which combines both Flunder's personal experiences with marginalized people and theological and pastoral literature on the topic, will appeal to denominational leaders and clergy who minister to the marginalized and/or the inner city.

Apostolicity Then and Now explores apostolicity from its origin to today. Apostolicity is a undamental mark of the Church, referring to Jesus' faith given to, carried on, and taught--unaltered--by a continuous line of apostles. This book primarily focuses on how apostolicity pertains to the Church as whole and views apostolic succession in light of how apostolicity is applicable to the Church. Scriptural, historical, theological, and ecumenical contexts provide a thorough study that includes worldviews and their impact on apostolicity. Chapters are "Who Were the Apostles?" "Why the Early Churches Understood Themselves as Apostolic," "Apostolicity in History," "Apostolicity and the Theologians," "Apostolicity and the Classical and Modern Worldviews," "Apostolicity in a Postmodern World," "Apostolicity in Ecumenical Dialogue," and "Apostolicity in an Ecumenical Church."

The Princeton Proposal is a landmark statement on the present situation and future possibilities of modern ecumenism. Drafted by sixteen theologians and ecumenists from various church traditions, who met over a period of three years in Princeton, New Jersey, this document seeks to steer contemporary efforts at church unity away from social and political agendas, which are themselves divisive, and back to the chief goal of the modern ecumenical movement -- the visible unity of Christians worldwide, of all those who are reconciled in one body through the cross.

Since the study group that produced this statement was instituted and its participants were chosen by an independent ecumenical foundation, the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, their unofficial work presents especially profound and creative reflection on the ecumenical task. With this report the study group members do not claim to speak "for" their churches, but hope to speak "to" all the churches out of shared concern for the founding ecumenical imperative that they all may be one . . . so that the world may believe.

Signatories of the Princeton Proposal: William Abraham
Mark Achtemeier
Brian Daley
John H. Erickson
Vigen Guroian
George Lindbeck
Lois Malcolm
Bruce McCormack
R. R. Reno
Michael Root
William G. Rusch
Geoffrey Wainwright
Susan K. Wood
Telford Work
J. Robert Wright
David Yeago

James Heisig has spent his life traveling along many roads--living in Japan, Spain, England, and the United States, and listening to other religious traditions while remaining a Roman Catholic. In this book, Heisig draws from this worldly insight, and presents an invaluable dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism.

These studies represent a stocktaking at the end of the 20th century of "the unity we have" and a reassessment of "the unity we seek". It provides a well-documented overview of the field: a thorough and accessible introduction for everyone with an interest in ecumenism and a resource for everyone involved at any level.;A substantial section charts some of the major ecumenical developments of the 20th century and some of the new problems that have emerged. The goal of "visible unity" remains unchanged - but what sort of visible unity and how should we move towards it?

Marriage and families are becoming increasingly complex. No longer can any of us speak with simplicity about what a "typical" family is like, now that our vocabulary includes words like "single parent," "blended," and "multi-faith." "Inerfaith Families" is a brief, usable book designed for ministers and priests to use with congregants who are entering into, or are already in, an interchurch (Reformed-Catholic) marriage. It can also be useful for laity involved in interchurch families.

Over the past two hundred years, several scholars have concluded that Jesus was a Cynic, a magician, a witch, a wise teacher, and a Jewish apocalyptic prophet. These papers, collected from two conferences at Creighton University, draw on some of the best contemporary scholarship in historical Jesus studies. Catholic scholars Luke Timothy Johnson, Daniel Harrington, and Monika Hellwig provide overviews of the history of the search for the historical Jesus. Jewish scholars Alan Segal, Amy-Jill Levine, and Adele Reinhartz explore the significance of Jesus for Judaism and for contemporary culture. With clear insight, the essays point out the ways that historical Jesus scholarship can be applied to everyday issues. The essays offer a unique perspective on the historical Jesus that provides a view contrary to many other contemporary books on Jesus. Contributors include: Bernard Brandon Scott (University of Tulsa); Luke Timothy Johnson (Emory University); Daniel Harrington (Weston School of Theology); Monika Hellwig (Georgetown University); Michael Cook (Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion); Amy-Jill Levine (Vanderbilt University Divinity School); Adele Reinhartz (McMaster University); Alan Segal (Barnard College); and Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus (Wheaton College). Bryan F. Le Beau is the John C. Kenefick Faculty Chair in the Humanities at Creighton University. Leonard Greenspoon holds the Philip and Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization and is Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies at Creighton University. Dennis Hamm, S.J., is Professor of Theology at Creighton University.

Wisdom Has Built Her House brings together for the first time the collected studies of Silvia Schroer on the biblical figure of Sophia, divine Wisdom. Schroer presents a differentiated image of Wisdom as female, creator, teacher, prophet, beloved, and more. In Wisdom Has Built Her House Schroer portrays Wisdom as a cosmic ordering principle, as universal architect, and as mediator of all scientific knowledge. Schroer also inquires about the contexts of these writings: about feminine wisdom and women's roles after the Babylonian exile, about the goddess traditions behind the idea of Sophia, and about their significance within a monotheistic symbol system. Schroer then follows the tradition of God imaged as Wisdom to the time of the Jesus- movement and the first Christian communities. Teachers, students, and those looking for a well-reasoned study of personified Wisdom - and reasons for reinvisioning our own images of God - will find this in Wisdom Has Built Her House. Chapters are Wisdom on the Path of Righteousness (Proverbs 8:20)," "Divine Wisdom and Postexilic Monotheism," "Wise Women and Counselors in Israel: Models for Personified Hokma," "'And When the Next War Began . . .' The Wise Woman of Abel of Beth-maacah (2 Samuel 20:14-22)," "Abigail: A Wise Woman Works for Peace," "The One Lord and Male Dominance in the Book of Jesus Sirach: The Image of Woman and the Image of Wisdom in a Misogynist Document," "Personified Sophia in the Book of Wisdom," "Jesus Sophia," and "The Spirit, Wisdom, and the Dove."

This volume surveys the various theological approaches that Christian denominations bring to the issue of religious pluralism. In these diverse essays, writers from eleven different Christian traditions each share their confession's characteristic approaches to the challenges and possibilities raised by religious pluralism. Readers will gain an understanding of the variety of Christian views and a wider appreciation for the range of Christian resources available for responding to religious diversity.

The greatest challenge to ecumenical dialogue has come not from discussions on justification by faith or papal primacy or even infallibility, but from discussions related to the Virgin Mary. This remarkable assertion is the reason behind noted theologian and ecumenist George Tavard's historical and ecumenical investigation of the image of Mary. Mary belongs not only to Christians but to Jews and Muslims as well. In a broad sense she can also be seen in relation to female symbols of the Absolute not as divinity but as divine. Time and changes in dogma have also affected the way Mary is perceived. Tavard has therefore divided his investigation into five parts. He gathers insights from Scripture (Part I), Tradition (Part II), the Reformation (Part III), the Modern Age (Part IV), and World Religions (Part V). Together these perspectives clarify and enhance the Theotokos and her ties with the people of God. George H. Tavard, a member of the Augustinians of the Assumption, professor emeritus of theology at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and distinguished professor of theology at Marquette University, was a peritus at Vatican Council II, where he was involved in preparing the decree on ecumenism. He has participated in several international and American ecumenical dialogues and has written extensively on theology and ecumenism.

In Mapping Christian Education: Approaches to Congregational Learning, Jack L. Seymour provides the most up-to-date insights about the various aspects of Christian education. Ecumenical in scope, and unified in process, his work includes chapters on schooling, faith communications, human development, social transformation, and future agenda. Contributors include: Elizabeth Caldwell, Margaret Ann Crain, Maria Harris, Donald E. Miller, Gabriel Moran, Robert O'Gorman, Daniel Schipani, and Jack Seymour.

By reading Mapping Christian Education:

- Seminarians will learn the fundamentals of educational theory

- Professors will discover a reliable textbook to be included in their curriculum

- Directors of Christian Education will enjoy a refresher course in recent developments and advances in the field

Many environmentalists believe that religion has been a major contributor to our ecological crisis, for Judeo-Christians have been taught that they have dominion over the earth and so do not consider themselves part of a biotic community. In this book a philosopher of environmental ethics acknowledges that religion may contribute to environmental problems but argues that religion can also play an important role in solving these problems-that religion can provide an ethical context that will help people to become sensitive to the environment and to elect leaders who are genuinely responsive to the ecological crisis. Examining a broad range of Western religious traditions-from conservative Christianity and orthodox Judaism to Goddess feminism and nature religion-Max Oelschlaeger provides a sociolinguistic analysis of their creation stories and finds environmentally positive aspects in each of them. He asserts that religious discourse in the public arena can offer a way for such environmental issues as biodiversity, pollution, and population to be addressed outside the realm of special-interest politics. And he urges local churches to make "caring for creation" a theme for worship in their services; the majority of Americans, says Oelschlaeger, will discover an environmental ethic only through their religious faith.