There is an increasing interest in the influence of religious fundamentalism upon people's motivation, identity and decision-making. Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Re-construction of Identity details the stories of those who have left Christian fundamentalist churches and how they change after they have left. It considers how the previous fundamentalist identity is shaped by aspects of church teaching and discipline that are less authoritarian and coercive, and more subtle and widely spread throughout the church body. That is, individuals are understood as not only subject to a form of judgment, but also exercise it, with everyone seemingly complicit in maintaining the stability of the church organisation. This book provocatively illustrates that the reasons for leaving an evangelical Christian church may be less about what happens outside the church in terms of the lures and attractions of the secular world, and more about the experience within the community itself.

1763-1764 shows a relentlessly satirical Voltaire whether he is goading the Le Franc de Pompignan brothers ("Writings on Jean-Jacques Le Franc de Pompignan", "Instruction pastorale de l'humble eveque d'Aletopolis", and "Letters from a quaker"), or mocking Omer de Fleury for his stance on inoculation ("Omer de Fleury etant entre, ont dit"). In "Voltaire and the tithes of Ferney", there is further evidence of his continued involvement with local and national politics on the subject of taxes, while simultaneously penning one of his early essays in biblical criticism, his "Catechisme de l'honnete homme".

H. Richard Niebuhr's powerful interpretation of Ernst Troeltsch has shaped our view of the man for over seventy years. Troeltsch is one of the most respected and renowned figures in liberal Protestant thought. Yet as Harvard philosopher of religion Cornel West observes in his foreword, Constance Benson "shat-ters certain crucial aspects of Troeltsch's image as a liberal religious thinker" with God and Caesar. Benson reconstructs the historical context in which Troeltsch wrote his landmark The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches, and reinterprets it in relation to that context. She shows that Troeltsch's Christian-ity legitimized class, religious, and gender inequality in response to the challenges of social democracy. Her controversial exploration of why most Troeltsch scholars have remained silent on this deserves seri-ous consideration. Her discovery of Troeltsch's role in the politics and ideological debates of Imperial Germany require a painful reexamina-tion of an entire chapter of Protestant history. Benson exposes Troeltsch's relationship to Paul de Lagarde, a notorious anti-Semite and architect of what later became Nazi ideology. God and Caesaris a needed corrective. Troeltsch is an important figure for the Chris-tian right in Germany and for many mainstream Protestants in the United States. Benson's courageous book is the most challenging critique of Troeltsch's politics we have an unsettling perspective that forces us to revise the beloved Troeltsch so many of us had come to admire and cherish. It will be of interest to intellectual historians, theologians and students of religious history, and specialists in German social and political history.

Too often interfaith dialogue is generic and unfocused. Often it involves 'liberals' from each tradition coming together to criticize the 'conservatives' in their own traditions. This book provides a model for interfaith dialogue that challenges very directly the 'dialogue industry'. This book involves a Christian theologian in deep conversation with a Muslim theologian. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960) was born at the end of the Ottoman Empire and lived through the emergence of an aggressive secular state. He had to think through, in remarkably creative ways, the challenge of faith within a secular environment, the relationship of faith and politics, and the implications and challenge of diversity and difference. His entire project is captured in his magnum opus 'The Risale-i Nur'. In the first eight chapters of this book, we engage closely with the thought of Nursi and tease out insights that Christians can learn from and accommodate. Having established the method, the second section of the book examines the precise implications for the interfaith movement. The problem with the interfaith movement is that it is an act of western cultural imperialism - they are taking the individualist assumptions of modern America and imposing them on the conversation. The problems with John Hick's and Leonard Swidler's approach are exposed. Moving out from Islam, the book then demonstrates how the model of interfaith changes when Christians are in conversation with Hinduism in India. A new set of Dialogue Ten Commandments are suggested. The book concludes with an appeal for a commitment to include and reach the 'conservatives' in the major religious traditions.

What is sacrifice? For many people today the word has negative overtones, suggesting loss, or death, or violence. But in religions, ancient and modern, the word is linked primarily to joyous feasting which puts people in touch with the deepest realities. How has that change of meaning come about? What effect does it have on the way we think about Christianity? How does it affect the way Christian believers think about themselves and God? John Dunnill's study focuses on sacrifice as a physical event uniting worshippers to deity. Bringing together insights from social anthropology, biblical studies and Trinitarian theology, Dunnill links to debates in sociology and cultural studies, as well as the study of liturgy. Through a positive view of sacrifice, Dunnill contributes to contemporary Christian debates on atonement and salvation.

Amazing prophecies of God's plans for the world can befound embedded in the customs of the feasts of Israel. The intricate detail of theprophecies illustrated in the observances of these feasts provide insight intoGod's plan for the ages.

First published in 1976, Religion and Voluntary Organisations in Crisis, analyses the experience of late nineteenth and early twentieth century organised religion by setting it in the context of the whole range of voluntary and other organisations. It provides a detailed study of churches and chapels in Reading set alongside the experience of a biscuit factory, football club, the hospital, the university, the WEA branch, the Social Democratic Federation, the Coop, and the other organisations. The interweaving of religion into the broad social history of the town gives a detailed and exciting picture of the social development of late nineteenth century England. It shows the part that religion had to play in the life of the locality in a very different society from our own and it explores the pressures on religion in the changing phases of capitalist development. This book is an essential read for scholars and researchers of religion, sociology of religion and history.

The Book of Martyrs by John Foxe written in the 16th century has long been the go-to source for studying the lives and martyrdom of the apostles. Whilst other scholars have written individual treatments on the more prominent apostles such as Peter, Paul, John, and James, there is little published information on the other apostles. In The Fate of the Apostles, Sean McDowell offers a comprehensive, reasoned, historical analysis of the fate of the twelve disciples of Jesus along with the apostles Paul, and James. McDowell assesses the evidence for each apostle's martyrdom as well as determining its significance to the reliability of their testimony. The question of the fate of the apostles also gets to the heart of the reliability of the kerygma: did the apostles really believe Jesus appeared to them after his death, or did they fabricate the entire story? How reliable are the resurrection accounts? The willingness of the apostles to die for their faith is a popular argument in resurrection studies and McDowell offers insightful scholarly analysis of this argument to break new ground within the spheres of New Testament studies, Church History, and apologetics.

The modern dating scene can be more than a little confusing. Popular books try to reduce finding a mate to a game with important rules. Magazine articles ask the question, "Who needs a man anyway?" And your Bible study leader seems to imply that the day you give up on getting married, the man God intended for you will ask you out. "Finding Mr. Right" offers a different perspective.

Authors Stephen Arterburn, M.Ed. and Meg J. Rinck, Ph.D. reject the idea that a woman looking for someone to marry is on a desperate, demeaning hunt. Neither do they believe that if a woman is simply patient, her one and only perfect mate will one day walk out of the mist and hand her a bouquet of flowers. Instead, they recognize that wanting to get married is a legitimate desire.

"Finding Mr. Right" outlines steps you can take toward a strong, satisfying marriage relationship, including:

• Become the confident woman who can attract the kind of man you want
• Make lifestyle choices that increase your odds of meeting someone
• Recognize the qualities that make a man Mr. Right
• Avoid the behaviors that sabotage a good relationship
• Build a solid relationship with the right person

The emergence of Islam in the seventh century AD still polarises scholars who seek to separate religious truth from the historical reality with which it is associated. However, history and prophecy are not solely defined by positive evidence or apocalyptic truth, but by human subjects, who consider them to convey distinct messages and in turn make these messages meaningful to others. These messages are mutually interdependent, and analysed together provide new insights into history. It is by way of this concept that Olof Heilo presents the decline of the Eastern Roman Empire as a key to understanding the rise of Islam; two historical processes often perceived as distinct from one another. Eastern Rome and the Rise of Islam highlights significant convergences between Early Islam and the Late Ancient world. It suggests that Islam's rise is a feature of a common process during which tensions between imperial ambitions and apocalyptic beliefs in Europe and the Middle East cut straight across today's theological and political definitions. The conquests of Islam, the emergence of the caliphate, and the transformation of the Roman and Christian world are approached from both prophetic anticipations in the Ancient and Late Ancient world, and from the Medieval and Modern receptions of history. In the shadow of their narratives it becomes possible to trace the outline of a shared history of Christianity and Islam. The "Dark Ages" thus emerge not merely as a tale of sound and fury, but as an era of openness, diversity and unexpected possibilities. Approaching the rise of Islam as a historical phenomenon, this book opens new perspectives in the study of early religion and philosophy, as well as providing a valuable resource for students and scholars of Islamic Studies.

Scholars across many fields have come to realize that ritual is an integral element of human life and a vital aspect of all human societies. Yet, this realization has been slow to develop among scholars of early Christianity. Early Christian Ritual Life attempts to counteract the undervaluing of ritual by placing it at the forefront of early Christian life. Rather than treating ritual in isolation or in a fragmentary way, this book examines early Christian ritual life as a whole. The authors explore an array of Christian ritual activity, employing theory critically and explicitly to make sense of various ritual behaviors and their interconnections. Written by leading experts in their fields, this collection is divided into three parts: * Interacting with the Divine * Group Interactions * Contesting and Creating Ritual Protocols. This book is ideal for religious studies students seeking an introduction to the dynamic research areas of ritual studies and early Christian practice.

Why Jesus? Perhaps you have had the funny feeling that God wants to get your attention. Or maybe you're intrigued with what you've heard about Jesus. Or maybe you're simply looking for meaning and direction in your life. John Stott spent a lifetime wrestling with questions about Jesus both personally and in dialogue with skeptics and seekers around the globe. In Why I Am a Christian he provides a compelling, persuasive case for considering the Christian faith. If you take an honest look at Jesus, you will discover that following him gives you the purpose, identity and freedom you've been searching for--and far more than you have ever imagined.

Western Christians in the late Middle Ages were accustomed to living in a hierarchical Church - albeit one that had huge local differences and many divisions. Half a millennium later, that seeming unity has been shattered into tens of thousands of Christian denominations, each with its distinctive beliefs and structure. In The Wheat and the Tares, Andrew Chibi explores the era of the Reformation, showing how that unity was shattered in a few years. Chibi brings out the divisions that were simmering deep beneath the surface in the era before Luther posted his 95 theses attacking the sale of indulgences on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg, sparking momentous changes throughout Europe. The widespread recognition of the need for reform is seen through the eyes of Erasmus, the greatest scholar of the age. Exploring the writings of the main reformers about the Church, Chibi brings out the diverse ecclesiological ideas. Jesus's parable of the Wheat and the Tares for Zwingli and other reformers offered an image, as the reformers sought to rediscover the purity of the Church as God's gift.

Two experienced educators offer an up-to-date introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective that covers the four major areas of philosophical thought: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethics. Written from an analytic perspective, the book introduces key concepts and issues within the main areas of philosophical inquiry in a comprehensive yet accessible way, inviting readers on a quest for goodness, truth, and beauty that ultimately points to Jesus as the source of all.

This book tells the remarkable story of the decline and revival of the Russian Orthodox Church in the first half of the twentieth century and the astonishing U-turn in the attitude of the Soviet Union's leaders towards the church. In the years after 1917 the Bolsheviks' anti-religious policies, the loss of the former western territories of the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union's isolation from the rest of the world and the consequent separation of Russian emigres from the church were disastrous for the church, which declined very significantly in the 1920s and 1930s. However, when Poland was partitioned in 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Stalin allowed the Patriarch of Moscow, Sergei, jurisdiction over orthodox congregations in the conquered territories and went on, later, to encourage the church to promote patriotic activities as part of the resistance to the Nazi invasion. He agreed a Concordat with the church in 1943, and continued to encourage the church, especially its claims to jurisdiction over emigre Russian orthodox churches, in the immediate postwar period. Based on extensive original research, the book puts forward a great deal of new information and overturns established thinking on many key points.

This book aims to unpack the core message of the Labour Church and question the accepted views of the movement by pursuing an alternative way of analysing its history, significance and meaning. The religious influences on late-nineteenth/early-twentieth-century British Socialism are examined and placed within a wider context, highlighting a continuing theological imperative for the British Labour movement. The book argues that the most distinctive feature of the Labour Church was Theological Socialism. For its founder, John Trevor, Theological Socialism was the literal Religion of Socialism, a post-Christian prophecy announcing the dawn of a new utopian era explained in terms of the Kingdom of God on earth; for members of the Labour Church, who are referred to as Theological Socialists, Theological Socialism was an inclusive message about God working through the Labour movement. Challenging the historiography and reappraising the political significance of the Labour Church, this book will be of interest to students and scholars researching the intersection between religion and politics, as well as radical left history and politics more generally.

Our improved editions of the Gospels combine attractive design and easy-to-read layout with the accessibility and accuracy of the Good News Bible (GNB) translation, offering a superior quality Gospel that is great value. The GNB Gospel range are the only Gospels on the market to feature the beautifully illustrated line drawings by Annie Vallotton, which further enhance reader experience, helping them to engage with the text at a deeper level. The colourful and striking covers of our Gospels have been designed to encourage purchasing them together as a set. Key features: * Clear layout, typography and design * Quality 80gsm white FSC certified mix stock * Larger typeface (9.65pt) in a pocket size product * Iconic Annie Vallotton line drawings * Attractive design that encourages purchasing the Gospels as a set * New book introduction * Contains a list of well-known stories from Mark's Gospel * Bible references for parallel Gospel passages * Individually barcoded (ISBN 978-0-564-07187-6) for single sales

What do you want to know about the work of the Holy Spirit in this century? In "1,001 Things You Always Wanted to Know About the Holy Spirit," J. Stephen Lang provides information on people such as Dennis Bennett, Aimee Semple McPherson, C. Peter Wagner, and John Wimber as well as insight into movements such as the Azusa Street Revival, the growth of the Assemblies of God, the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship, the Keswick Convention, and the 1973 Notre Dame Conference. From Scripture songs to glossolalia, Charismatics to Pentecostals, this browse book is filled with important-and sometimes offbeat-information about what the Holy Spirit has (and has not) been doing in the twentieth century.

Unlock a Cache of Enduring Riches In Sparkling Gems From the Greek.

Rick Renner unlocks an amazing cache of rich, enduring treasures mined from deep within the Word to unveil a wealth of brilliant wisdom and sound counsel that will enrich and redefine your life. Sparkling Gems is arranged in a devotional format with more than 1,000 in-depth Greek word studies, crafted into 365 daily devotions that are sure to inspire and provoke you to plunge deeper into your own search for more hidden treasures from God's Word. Three exhaustive indices an English to Greek index, a Greek to English index, and a Scripture Index are also included, making Sparkling Gems a highly effective reference tool for your own personal study library. So let wisdom and enduring riches define your life as you delve into the depths of God's Word with Sparkling Gems From the Greek by Rick Renner.

Among China's restive religious and social groups, Protestants have arguably created the most sustained structural challenges to the Chinese Communist Party's ordering of society. By drawing on grassroots fieldwork conducted across the country, this book therefore charts the ambition of the government to restrain Protestant population growth and direct it towards regime purposes. In particular, interviews with key church leaders who founded illegal Protestant congregations with hundreds of participants, reveal how officials and illegal congregational leaders have developed ties of trust and information that have permitted church growth, even as they preserve a public image of Party domination. Thus, by tracing the rise of large, illegal Protestant congregations apart from Party-state structures, this book highlights the importance of the public behaviour of religious actors and regime officials in understanding the dynamics of negotiation, domination, and resistance in 21st century China. Ultimately, The Politics of Protestant Churches and the Party-State in China paradoxically demonstrates that societal actors can alter the boundaries set by the Chinese Communist Party and the ways in which the Party is both more adaptive and resilient in its relations with society than first imagined. Offering the first book-length analysis of how ambitious Protestants have founded large, unregistered churches despite regime pressure, this book will be useful for students and scholars of Chinese Politics, Chinese Religion and Sociology.

God Has No Favourites is the York Course written for Lent 2022 by Dr Carmody Grey. In this 5 session course Dr Grey explores how each of us is called to discover that God is completely inclusive. He does not apportion his welcome or love according to our prejudices or preferences. God Has No Favourites, because God favours everyone. Every single human being, whatever age, sex, class, race or religion is in God's image. Jesus has identified himself personally with each one of us, God's love and the power of the Holy Spirit is for everyone, no caveats. As with previous Lent York Courses, the standard study book is supported by an in-depth interview, covering all 5 sessions between Dr Carmody Grey and Simon Stanley available on CD, as a Digital Download or as a transcript in either paperback or eBook. This York Course is available in the following formats Course Book (Paperback 9781909107335) Course Book (eBook 9781909107366 both ePub and Mobi files provided) Audio Book of Interview to support God Has No Favourites York Course (CD 9781909107373) Audio Book of Interview (Digital Download) Transcript of interview to support God Has No Favourites York Course (Paperback 9781909107342) Transcript of interview (eBook 9781909107359 both ePub and Mobi files provided) Book Pack (9781909107380 Featuring Paperback Course Book, Audio Book on CD and Paperback Transcript of Interview) SESSION 1: The best picture of God God's favour is not dependent on anything we are or anything we do. His acceptance is unconditional. If we want to know what God 'looks like', we simply need to look at one another. SESSION 2: Neither Jew nor Gentile In Christ, God is telling us the most important thing about himself: he leaves no-one out. Being willing to include everybody is the only rule for those who want to be with Jesus. God is love and, in Christ, humanity is one. SESSION 3: Neither male nor female The most profound human difference is that created by our gendered bodies. But even this important difference is superficial compared to the deepest and truest identity of each one of us; through Christ we see that we are all children of God; all heirs to the kingdom of heaven. SESSION 4: Neither slave nor free Our world is grossly, torturously unequal, and before Christ came, no-one expected or looked for anything different. Jesus scandalized those around him by acting as though every human being mattered. We are to follow him to the margins. SESSION 5: What is a Christian? Jesus did not come to found a religion: he came to give people life. When he wanted his followers to understand his identity and purpose, he didn't give them a theory or explain an idea, he shared a meal with them.

Widely regarded as one of Weil's best books and ideal for those coming to her work for the first time An impassioned but beautifully clear and engaging reflection on many of the themes that recur throughout Weil's work: her strong religious impulse but ambivalence about religion; the nature of love, friendship, duty, the role of attention in Christian belief and her engagement with Stoic philosophy Includes a new foreword by Janet Soskice, placing Weil life's and the book in context

When the Sunday School pioneers saw a need in their communities in the late eighteenth century, their response provoked a 200 year movement. These early Sunday Schools met a clear social need: that for basic education. By the 1960s, they faced rapid decline - a rigid institution amidst societal change. Over recent decades, Christian youth work has emerged as a response to further youth decline within churches. Many youth workers engage with young people's self-perceived needs by delivering open-access youth provision in their local communities alongside more specifically Christian activities. Tensions emerge over whether the youth worker's role is to serve community or church needs, with churches often emphasising the desire to see young people in services. Drawing together historical and contemporary research, Young People and Church Since 1900 identifies patterns and change in young people's engagement with organised Christianity across time. Through this, it provides a unique analysis of the engagement and exclusion of young people in three key time periods, 1900-1910, 1955-1972, and the present day. Whilst much commentary on religious decline has focused on changes external to churches, this text draws out the internal decisions and processes that have affected the longevity of Christianity in England. This book will be of interest to researchers and scholars of young people and Christianity in the twentieth century and today, as well as youth ministry students and practitioners and those interested in youth decline in churches more widely.

Communications expert Quentin Schultze offers an engaging and practical guide to help Christians interact effectively at home, work, church, school, and beyond. Based on solid biblical principles and drawn from Schultze's own remarkable experiences, this book shows how to practice "servant communication" for a rich and rewarding life. Topics include how to overcome common mistakes, be a more grateful and virtuous communicator, tell stories effectively, reduce conflicts, overcome fears, and communicate well in a high-tech world. Helpful sidebars and text boxes are included.

This book examines the historical development of the blessing of waters and its theology in the East, with an emphasis on the Byzantine tradition. Exploring how Eastern Christians have sought these waters as a source of healing, purification, and communion with God, Denysenko unpacks their euchology and ritual context. The history and theology of the blessing of waters on Epiphany is informative for contemporary theologians, historians, pastors and students. Offering important insights into how Christians renew Baptism in receiving the blessed waters, this book also proposes new perspectives for theologizing Christian stewardship of ecology in the modern era based on a patristic liturgical synthesis. Denysenko presents an alternative framework for understanding the activity of the Trinity, enabling readers to encounter a vision of how participants encounter God in and after ritual.