North Carolina's Moral Monday protests have drawn tens of thousands of protestors in what has been called the new Civil Rights Movement. Forward Together: Beyond the Moral Monday Movement for Justice title tentative] shares the theological foundation for the Moral Monday movement, serving as a proclamation of a new American movement seeking equal treatment and opportunity for all regardless of economic status, sexual preference, belief, race, geography, and any other discriminatory bases. The book will also serve as a model for other movements across the country and around the world using North Carolina as a case study, providing useful, practical tips about grassroots organizing and transformative leadership.

Journey through Struggles applies to church people and non-church people alike. Every man, woman, and child originates from the same God force; the Universal energy-source; and have in common the same - spiritual-human being-ness - uniquely formed by God who calls us individually (and collectively) into existence for His own purpose and pleasure. Every living soul experiences struggles. We share the same breath, the sunlight and rain, joy and pain; and are touched with unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind (of natural and man- created disasters) which caused echoes of cries of pain to reverberate in our hearts. However, though this book is written primarily with Black people as the target group [the reasons which no doubt will become clear throughout 'The Project', in God's grand design of his universe we should be mindful that all mankind have come short of the glory of God, therefore 'journey through struggles' also applies to every one of God's children, what ever his/her colour, culture, language or race, etc. On our 'Journey through Struggles' we are reminded that "The Road of Life" takes us on to highways of individual experiences. Therefore, let us remember that however long we might be in our storms, "It's the Journey that's Important, not just the getting there." Furthermore, our journey is ongoing, always. It is not just about climbing ladders to a higher level. In addition to the view 'as life's path' our journey may be viewed as a mountain; a forest, a beaten trail, our challenges and trials; or it may be a process of self discovery. Finally, when we reach the summit of our mountain, there we will make a wonderful and startling discovery that it's not the end of the journey. We are not just here to achieve our purpose; we are here to transcend it. In other words, when we reach the top of the mountain, we keep on rising. These are all ideas which we will come across time and again throughout this book.

Street Smarts by Gregory Koukl helps Christians better engage in productive conversations with those who challenge their convictions on a variety of issues. A follow-up to Koukl's best-selling Tactics, this book focuses on revealing the fundamental flaws in common, current challenges to Christian beliefs and values. It then provides individual strategies to exploit those shortcomings by offering model questions and sample dialogues to help guide believers in genial, yet persuasive, conversations. Koukl begins by explaining the important difference in evangelism between a harvest approach (reaping) and a gardening approach (sowing). He then provides an overview of the tactical game plan he uses to have fruitful "gardening" conversations with those who are not yet Christians. Subsequent chapters tackle specific areas of challenge that Christians frequently face in discussions "on the street," as it were--in those conversations with friends, family, or critics that believers often avoid because they feel out of their element, vulnerable, or exposed. With the specific challenges he addresses, Koukl shows precisely how and why each falters. instructing the reader in a lucid, well-organized, and easy-to-follow fashion. He then provides a specific set of questions--the same questions Koukl uses in his own encounters--that are embedded in sample mini-dialogues the Christian can use to exploit those flaws in an amicable, yet incisive, way. Some questions are used to get the discussion moving forward in a disarming fashion. Others are aimed more directly at the flaws or liabilities of the typical challenges people raise. Questions encourage challengers to think more carefully about their objections or consider problems with their own views that they may not have considered or even have been aware of. Street Smarts equips Christians to handle tough challenges in a straightforward and user-friendly way. It provides the practical tools they need to keep them in the driver's seat of otherwise difficult and discomfiting conversations. It enables them to stand up for Christ in a safe, genial, yet effective way.

Amidst the many voices clamoring to interpret the environmental crisis, some of the most important are the voices of religious traditions. Long before modernity's industrialism began the rape of Earth, premodern religious and philosophical traditions mediated to untold generations the wisdom of living as a part of nature. These traditions can illuminate and empower wiser ways of postmodern living. The original writings of Worldviews and Ecology creatively present and interpret worldviews of major religious and philosophical traditions on how humans can live more sustainably on a fragile planet. Contributors include Charlene Spretnak, Larry Rasmussen, Noel Brown, Jay McDaniel, Tu Wei-Ming, Thomas Berry, David Ray Griffin, J. Baird Callicott, Eric Katz, Roger E. Timm, Robert A. White, Christopher Key Chapple, Brian Swimme, Brian Brown, Michael Tobias, Ralph Metzner, George Sessions, and Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim. Insights from traditions as diverse as Jain, Jewish, ecofeminist, deep ecology, Christian, Hindu, Bahai, and Whiteheadian will interest all who seek an honest analysis of what religious and philosophical traditions have to say to a modernity whose consciousness and conscience seems tragically narrow, the source of attitudes that imperil the biosphere.

This book sets out to change the starting point for theological conversation about the work of the Holy Spirit. Protestant theologians have associated the Spirit's work almost entirely with believers and/or the church. The Spirit's role is to apply Christ's atoning work to God's people. In contrast, early Christian reflection saw the Spirit's main role as bringing about the eschatological rule of God, which reaches beyond individuals or even the church and extends to all creation. This volume explores the shape pneumatology takes when we develop the theology of the Holy Spirit within an eschatological framework that has a universal scope and an unlimited history. When we do so, we find that pneumatology deriving from questions about what the Spirit does for us needs to give way to pneumatology that derives from questions about how the Spirit can draw us into the saving history of the triune God.

The author of Not Counting Women and Children invites readers to listen again to the parables of Jesus. Like arrows, these stories pierce the heart of the listener, opening up new understanding of our lives as Christians. Interspersed with these familiar Gospel parables are other stories, traditional and contemporary, which draw the readers deeper into their challenges.

'The rare book that really might change your life. It has certainly changed mine.' - John Green, Author of The Fault in Our Stars Casper ter Kuile, a Harvard Divinity School fellow and cohost of the popular Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, explores how we can nourish our souls by transforming common, everyday practices yoga, reading, walking the dog into sacred rituals that can heal our crisis of social isolation and struggle to find purpose. "After half a decade of research and hundreds of conversations with people around the country, I am convinced we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. That what used to hold us in community no longer works, and that the spiritual offerings of yesteryear no longer help us thrive." -Casper ter Kuile What do Soul Cycle, gratitude journals, and tech breaks have in common? For ter Kuile they offer rituals that create the foundation for our modern spiritual lives. We are in crisis today. Our modern technological society has left too many of us no matter our ages feeling isolated and bereft of purpose. Previous frameworks for building community and finding meaning no longer support us. Yet ter Kuile reveals a hopeful new message: we might not be religious, but that doesn't mean we are any less spiritual. Instead, we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in which we seek belonging and meaning in secular practices. Today, we find connection in: * CrossFit and SoulCycle, which offer a sense of belonging rooted in accountability and support much like church groups * Harry Potter and other beloved books that offer universal lessons * Gratitude journals, which have replaced traditional prayer * Tech breaks, which provide mindful moments of calm In The Power of Ritual, ter Kuile invites us to deepen these ordinary practices as intentional rituals that nurture connection and wellbeing. With wisdom and endearing wit, ter Kuile's call for ritual is ultimately a call to heal our loss of connection to ourselves, to others, and to our spiritual identities. The Power of Ritual reminds us that what we already do every day matters and has the potential to become a powerful experience of reflection, sanctuary, and meaning.

After reading Revolution you will understand what a biblical revolution looks like and how to implement it, starting within your own heart, and going outward from there.

This book is not a call to the violent overthrow of the government, nor is it a call to take up arms, nor is it a call to political activism in and of itself. It is a call to something far more extreme, a call to live out the gospel with all its radical claims, a call for the people of God to impact this generation with the prophetic message of repentance, a call to spark the most sweeping counterculture movement in our nation’s history, a call to take back the moral high ground that has been stolen from under our feet, a call to follow Jesus by life or by death. Revolution answers such questions as:

• What is the role of the Christian and the church during these tumultuous times?
• How are we to respond to the racial upheaval happening in our nation?
• What is the church’s role in healing the divide in our fractured, divided country?

Dr. Brown turns up the volume in this call to God’s remnant people to pray, repent, and act according to the teachings of Jesus - who is calling us to holy revolution.

Eye-opening essays by Buddhist, Hindus, Jews, Muslims provide insights to how Christianity is viewed in their communities--and why.

This book is an insight into the life and thoughts of a busy priest, punctuated with frequent reminiscences and amusing stories. Some basic questions are touched on - the nature of God, the Trinity, his love for us and how Christ leads us to respond to this. This is an entertaining and yet profound book which shows Christianity as the answer to life's whys and hows.

This comprehensive Handbook examines relationships between religion and international relations, mainly focusing on several world religions - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. Providing a timely update on this understudied topic, it evaluates how this complex relationship has evolved over the last four decades, looking at a variety of political contexts, regions and countries. Original chapters analyse how varying religions shape people's attitudes towards the organisation and operations of political systems worldwide. As well as investigating core issues and topics such as religion, foreign policy, terrorism and international security, the Handbook also provides clarity on topical and controversial issues such as Islamist extremism, Hindu nationalism and Christian civilisationism. Top international contributors offer further analysis via important case studies of religion and international relations across the globe. Providing crucial information, this Handbook will be an excellent resource for higher-level students and researchers of religious studies, international relations and politics, as well as policy makers and professionals from a variety of backgrounds and orientations.

Up until the second half of the 20th century, the American Presbyterian creed has been the confessional tradition of the Westminster Assembly (1643-48). Presbyterians in America adopted the Westminster Confession nd Catechisms in 1729 through a compromise measure that produced ongoing debate for the next hundred years. Differences over the meaning of confessional subscription were a continuing cause of the Presbyterian schisms of 1741 and 1837. The Presbyterian Creed is a study of the factors that led to the 19th-century Old School/New School schism and the Presbyterian reunions of 1864 and 1870. In these American Presbyterian reunions, American Presbyterians finally reached consensus on the meaning of confessional subscription which had previously been so elusive.

How did a group of scared peasants from a backwater of the Roman empire - followers of an executed criminal - form the largest religion on the planet? The story of Christianity, its transformation from an illegal sect to the religion of emperors, kings and presidents, and its spread across the globe, is an endlessly fascinating one. The History of Christianity gives readers an overview of these extraordinary 2,000 years. It is a history not only of how Christianity has changed the world, but also of how the world has changed Christianity. The first half of this volume is arranged mostly chronologically to create a single narrative from the age of exploration to the late twentieth century. The second half describes the history of the church in the past hundred years or so, with each chapter focusing on a different part of the world. Boxed features throughout the volume highlight especially important figures or themes from each of these periods. The History of Christianity:The Age of Exploration to the Modern Day will be welcomed by all those wanting a lively and engaging presentation of the people, events, places, and plain curiosities that have formed the Christian story.

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), or Vatican II, is arguably the most significant event in the life of the Catholic Church since the Reformation. The Council initiated, intentionally or not, profound changes not simply within Catholic theology, but in the religious, social, and moral lives of the world's billion Catholics. It also reconfigured, intellectually and practically, the Church's engagements with those outside of it - most obviously with regard to other religions. The sixteen documents formally issued by Vatican II constitute some of the most influential writings of the whole twentieth century. Debates over their correct interpretation and authority are constant, but they remain an indispensable point-of-reference for all areas of Catholic life, from liturgy and sacraments, to the Church's vast network of charitable and educational endeavours the world over. In this Very Short Introduction, Shaun Blanchard and Stephen Bullivant present the backstory to this event. Vatican II is explored in light of the wider history of the Catholic Church and placed in the tumultuous context of the 1960s. It distils the research on Vatican II, employing the first-hand accounts of participants and observers, and the official proceedings of the Council to paint a rich picture of one of the most important events of the last century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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