Karl Barth never paid particular attention to the religions of the world. In fact he has often been stereotyped as the prime exponent of an exclusivist attitude toward other religions because of his belief that salvation comes through Christ alone. However a close analysis of his work suggests that it defies the rigid typology of exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism so often used in inter-religious debate and instead allows for the possibility of discerning God's presence in the other Abrahamic faiths. This book asserts that a case can be made on the basis of Barth's theology for promoting a democratic society which respects freedom and difference. It shows how this argument can be extended to accommodate religious pluralism. Other faith groups can contribute to a just society and interact in ways which are theologically fruitful for the Church's own life. In particular, this book demonstrates how Barth's theology can help Christians relate to Muslims by showing that God's grace is at work in places it is not expected - beyond the boundaries of the Church. The Church can be addressed through the presence and voice of the other. In today's context this includes address through the presence and voice of Islam.

Despite famously small numbers, Christians have had a distinctive presence in modern Japan, particularly for their witness on behalf of democracy and religious freedom. A translation of Ken'i to Fukuju: Kindai Nihon ni okeru Roma-sho Jusan-sho (2003), Authority and Obedience is "a personal pre-history" of the postwar generation of Japanese Christian intellectuals deeply committed to democracy. Using Japanese Christians' commentary on Paul's injunction in Romans 13: 1-7, the counsel to "let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God...", Miyata offers an intellectual history of how Japanese Christians understood the emperor-focused modern state from the time of the first Protestant missionaries in the mid-nineteenth century through the climax and demise of fascism during the Pacific War. Stressing verse 5's admonition to "conscience" as the reason for obedience, Miyata provides a clear and political perspective grounded in his lifelong engagement with German political thought and theology, particularly that of Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as he calls for a conscientious citizenry in his modern society. Showing both Christians' complicity with the state and the empire - including the formation of a unified church, the Nihon Kirisuto Kyodan - and their attitude toward Christians in Asia, and the complexity of the critical voices of Christians like Uchimura Kanzo, Kashiwagi Gien, Nanbara Shigeru, and many others less well known - Miyata's work aims not at exposing cultural particularity but at showing how the modern Japanese Christian experience can give meaning to a theology and a political theory of how to live within the "freedom of religious belief".

Recruitment & Training
for
LEADERSHIP

"Leadership from the Heart "is a 10-week study resource for small groups, designed to recruit active volunteers to step up and become lay leaders by promoting the concept of Servant Leadership .
Instead of the secular concept of leadership, which appeals to ego and ambition for power, "Leadership from the Heart "calls Christians to leadership by appealing to their desire to help others.
Participants are trained to Develop their own spiritual practices Care for those they lead Renew the church from within Grow to spiritual maturity

Each class session is built around - Head, Heart, and Hands.
Class content includes background material, group sharing, and action steps.
The issues covered throughout the series include servant leadership, spiritual disciplines, maturity, spiritual gifts, calling, God's purpose for your life, transformation of individuals and community, team building, and team leading.

To view a sample clip featuring Adam Hamilton click here.
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(You will need the latest version of ""Windows Media Player"" to view this video.)

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2010 Christianity Today Book Award winner 2010 Golden Canon Leadership Book Award winner Feeling caught between the traditional church and the emerging church? Discover a third way: deep church. C. S. Lewis used the phrase "deep church" to describe the body of believers committed to mere Christianity. Unfortunately church in our postmodern era has been marked by a certain shallowness. Emerging authors, fed up with contemporary pragmatism, have offered alternative visions for twenty-first-century Christianity. Traditionalist churches have reacted negatively, at times defensively. Jim Belcher knows what it's like to be part of both of these worlds. In the 1990s he was among the pioneers of what was then called Gen X ministry, hanging out with creative innovators like Rob Bell, Mark Oestreicher and Mark Driscoll. But he also has maintained ties to traditionalist circles, planting a church in the Presbyterian Church of America. In Deep Church, Belcher brings the best insights of all sides to forge a third way between emerging and traditional. In a fair and evenhanded way, Belcher explores the proposals of such emerging church leaders as Tony Jones, Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt. He offers measured appreciation and affirmation as well as balanced critique. Moving beyond reaction, Belcher provides constructive models from his own church planting experience and paints a picture of what this alternate, deep church looks like--a missional church committed to both tradition and culture, valuing innovation in worship, arts and community but also creeds and confessions. If you've felt stuck between two extremes, you can find a home here. Plumb the depths of Christianity in a way that neither rejects our postmodern context nor capitulates to it. Instead of veering to the left or the right, go between the extremes--and go deep.

This scientific research focuses on the Church and society on special youth formation coupled with the essence for the real workable, formidable and systematic orientations for the youth problems, human dignity and Pro-life phenomenon, and prospects in order to get well with their youthful exuberance as the future leaders of tomorrow. Today's youth being in dire need of the active formation and training in the modern world is a great challenge not only to the Church itself but on the whole to be one of the top priorities of the government to prepare some concrete steps for the special care of youth development. The rational, mental or spiritual (soul and body) educational dimensions are more on the adaptability in course of their growth, and acceptance, to practice the Church teachings and being loyal to the State laws and regulations for the common good. The handling of the youth problems requires constant attention with immense interest and zeal on the part of the various families, trainers, counsellors and leaders entrusted with such typical social work to be able to understand them, to listen to them, and to direct and harness their potentialities and enterprising spirit.

Bishop George Bell always felt that the Church must endeavour to meet the problems of the modern world. He was thus foremost in applying the precepts of the Christian faith to national and international issues. George Bell very often raised his voice in the House of Lords (of which he was a distinguished member from December 1937 till January 1958) against class and racial hatred, against war, and against totalitarianism, and spoke for the innocent and helpless victims of persecution. Complete texts of all Bell's House of Lords speeches are presented here, published for the first time in one volume. The issues that Bell tackled are, in essence, still relevant today. This volume also includes unpublished correspondence between George Bell and Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy. After the National Socialists came to power in Germany, Bell, as a committed Christian, felt that he had to act in defence of the German Church, which the Nazis were eager to destroy. The Bishop made strenuous efforts to contact people in power in Germany, people who, he knew, took decisions with momentous consequences. Rudolf Hess was one of them.

This book addresses the influence of the imperial cult in first-century AD Asia Minor and its subsequent relevance to the reading of the New Testament. In particular, this work argues, through a contrapuntal reading of 1 Timothy 2: 1-7, that the early Christian community strongly resisted the Emperor's claim to be the "mediator" between the gods and humanity. In contrast to this claim, the author shows that 1 Timothy 2: 1-7 can be read as a polemic from a minority community, the Christian church in Ephesus, against the powerful voice of the Roman Empire in regard to divine mediation.

Looks at the character of Paul, one of the most transformed characters from the New Testament.

Contemporary scholars aiming to articulate a 'middle way' between fundamentalism and liberalism regularly draw upon Hans Frei and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, yet they are rarely brought together on this question, if at all. Here, Tim Boniface highlights the promise of reading them together, proposing especially that a discussion of Jesus' transcendence derived from their responses to modernity is an effective locus for considering their combined contribution to a 'middle way' discussion. Having outlined a rationale for a theology of Christological transcendence, this work describes in detail how both Frei and Bonhoeffer point towards a nuanced approach to the transcendence of Jesus-especially in terms of the importance of articulating that transcendence at the level of the 'unsubstitutable historical particularity' of Christ in the cultural-linguistic setting of the Christian community (Frei) and the impact of a theologia crucis and a participatory cosmic Christology on such thinking (Bonhoeffer). Offering a unique summary of the key ways in which the two theologians' works mutually critique and strengthen one another, Boniface then articulates a pneumatological emphasis lacking in both Frei and Bonhoeffer, stressing the supreme generosity of God at the heart of what it means to say that Jesus transcends.

Even 700 years after the suppression of the Order of the Temple and the execution of the last grandmaster, Jacques de Molay, there is no shortage of publications on this influential military order. Yet unlike other medieval institutions the Templars are subject to speculative fiction and popular myth which threaten to swamp the fruits of scholarly endeavour. Fortunately, recent years have produced a thriving academic scholarship which is challenging these myths. More and more sources are currently being edited, particularly those for the trial of the Templars (1307-1312). Others are still awaiting indepth study, among them, surprisingly, the greater part of the charters that cover more than 150 years of the Order's history. The papers in this volume step into this gap and critically evaluate new directions in Templar studies on the basis of as-yet unedited source material. Open issues and desiderata regarding the sources are discussed and from a range of inspiring results a new status quaestionis is proposed that will not only provide a better understanding of the Order's archaeological, economical, religious, administrative and military history, but also set new points of departure for the editing of charters and administrative documents. The papers here are grouped into six sections, focusing on the headquarters of the Order, its charters, manpower and finance, religious life and finally the suppression and the Order's afterlife.

From 2006 to 2011 researchers at Heythrop College and the Oxford Centre for ecclesiology and Practical Theology (OxCEPT, Ripon College Cuddesdon) worked on a theological and action research project: "Action Research - Church and Society (ARCS). 2010 saw the publication of Talking About God in Practice: Theological Action research and Practical Theology (SCM), which presented in an accessible way the work of ARCS and its developing methodology. This turned out to be a landmark study in the praxis of Anglican and Catholic ecclesiology in the UK, showing how theology in these differing contexts interacted with the way in which clergy and congregations lived out their religious convictions. This book is a direct follow up to that significant work, authored by one of the original researchers, providing a systematic analysis of the impact of the "theological action research" methodology and its implications for a contemporary ecclesiology. The book presents an ecclesiology generated from church practice, drawing on scholarship in the field as well as the results of the theological action research undertaken. It achieves this by including real scenarios alongside the academic discourse. This combination allows the author to tease out the complex relationship between the theory and the reality of church. Addressing the need for a more developed theological and methodological account of the ARCS project, this is a book that will be of interest to scholars interested not only Western lived religion, but ecclesiology and theology more generally too.

The nature of religion on the domestic front in Britain during the Second World War has, hitherto, been relatively unexplored. This study focuses on Birmingham and describes wartime popular religion, primarily as recounted in oral testimony. The difference the War made to people's faith, and the consolation wrought by prayer and a religious outlook are explored, as are the religious language and concepts utilised by the wartime popular media of cinema and wireless. Clerical rhetoric about the War and concerns to spiritualise the war effort are dealt with by an analysis of locally published sources, especially parish magazines and other religious ephemera, which set the War on the spiritual as much as the military plane. A final section of the study is devoted to measuring the extent of the influence of the churches in the creation of a vision for post-war Britain and Birmingham.

Christianity and the Christian Church of the First Three Centuries is the first volume in Baur's five-volume history of the Christian Church. It and the last volume, Church and Theology in the Nineteenth Century, are being published in new translations. This book, based on the second German edition of 1860, is the most influential and best known of Baur's many groundbreaking publications in New Testament, early Christianity, church history, and historical theology. It is divided into six main parts and discusses such matters as the entrance of Christianity into world history, the teaching and person of Jesus, the tension between Jewish Christian and Gentile Christian (Pauline) interpretations and their resolution in the idea of the Catholic Church, the opposition of gnosticism and Montanism to Catholicism, the development of dogma or doctrine in the first three centuries, Christianity's relation to the pagan world and the Roman state, and Christianity as a moral and religious principle.

At once a travel guide and a vision for the future, this series is good news for the Episcopal Church at a time of fast and furious demographic and social change. It analyzes the present plight of the church and sketches a positive way forward, sprouting from the seeds of change those transformative practices already at work renewing the church. What church models can help point us toward transformation? What are the essential tools? What will give us strength, direction, and purpose to the journey?

Each volume of the series will: Explain why a changed vision is essential Give robust theological and biblical foundations Offer a guide to best practices and positive trends in churches large and small Describe the necessary tools for change Imagine how transformation will look

For most Episcopalians, stewardship is synonymous with pledge drives, budgets, and capital campaigns, but the Bible is clear that God wants more than our tithes and offerings. Looking to its scriptural roots in 1 Chronicles, Luke-Acts, and the letters of Paul, as well as St. Francis third way, Robertson offers a vision of holistic stewardship for the whole church, holistic because it can t be separated from evangelism, outreach, scripture study, and ministry to the newcomer. It does not involve strong-arm tactics, only a willingness to risk changing existing structures and ideas in order to enrich the faith community and strengthen connections to the neighboring world.

"Transforming Stewardship" delivers both good and bad news about Episcopalians and stewardship. "Robertson" provides essential models and spiritual practices in order to transform the church s outmoded attitudes toward stewardship and wealth into a broader context of faith."

Thirteen European and American theologians treat the entire historical development and theological significance of a major Roman Catholic doctrine in The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception published (University of Notre Dame Press, 1958). Edward 0'Connor, C.S.C., has edited the 700-page volume which includes an exhaustive bibliography, a number of documents, and over fifty illustrations. A specialist in mediaeval theology, Father O'Connor notes in the preface that the subject of the Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception was first discussed about the year 1100. The doctrine was defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854 after about 75 years of "what was perhaps the most prolonged and passionate debate that has ever been carried on in Catholic theology," O'Connor writes. The importance of any doctrine, however, he emphasizes, "does not lie chiefly in its history, but it its intrinsic significance as truth, and in its rank in the hierarchy of truth, which do not depend on historical contingencies." From this point of view, the Immaculate Conception is of immense importance, O'Connor observes, not only for Mariology, but also for the theology of the Redemption and of the Church. The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception is not merely a collection of miscellaneous essays on the subject. The various chapters deal with all the major aspects of the doctrine and range from "Scripture and the Immaculate Conception" to "The Immaculate Conception in Art."

The Church in the Modern World: Fifty Years after Gaudium et Spes commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. Featuring scholars from the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought, this book offers a future-orientated analysis by highlighting contemporary social issues through the lens of Gaudium et Spes. In part I, authors examine the historical, political, and social significance of the document. Part II presents interdisciplinary perspectives on current social issues in light of Gaudium et Spes and contemporary Catholic social thought. The book covers such topics as immigration, women in the Church, environmental ethics, human rights, economic justice, the Church in Africa, and liberation theology.

Drawing on the resources of five other volumes in the series, Transforming Vestries creates a single source designed specifically for this governing body. The chapters highlight the nature - and the needs - of vestry membership: stewardship, leadership, evangelism, discipleship, and vital congregational life.

This playful yet substantial "dogmatic" book of theology addresses our central human longing to be deeply loved. This is also an incarnational theology, putting us in contact with a God who is willing to roll in the earth with us, dive in to rescue us, and whose tracks can be seen throughout our homes and lives. Illustrated with lovely charcoal drawings, Dogspell challenges readers to believe that God loves, welcomes, and longs to greet us as much as a dog.

Have you ever heard yourself cry out through the chaos, "God where are you? Why is this happening?" or perhaps even, "God, are you real?" In a tattooed pop culture world that is perpetually trying to keep up with the Kardashians, God Culture introduces a greater knowledge of God and an invitation to engage in a deeper and more intimate relationship that will transform your life.
With worldwide plagues such as rampant terrorism and children shooting children, " God Culture" explores Jesus' true intention of reconnecting mankind with Yahweh, while revealing why God behaves as He does, how we can learn to comprehend and relate to Him, and ultimately how we can apply His wisdom to our individual present day life experience leading to our ultimate destinies.
"God Culture" dispels the age-old myth that "God works in mysterious ways." The misunderstanding of God's true motives, methods and divine nature has left millions of people yearning for answers to such timeless questions as "Why did God allow that? Has God left me? Or does He even exist?" When "Life can only be truly understood when looking backward" those who feel lost, confused and perhaps even abandoned will discover that He actually uses the every-day challenges and chaos of life to cultivate His will while simultaneously connecting with us on a personal level.
This thought-provoking discussion has been composed to help you gain a new understanding of God and to develop the knowledge of and insights into God's behavior, plan and purpose. If you have been perplexed by the daily chaos of life don't miss "God Culture." As you peer into the supernatural realm of heaven the God you discover may be quite different than you could have ever imagined.

* An acolyte resource for the 21st-century Episcopal Church * Fully illustrated (black-and-white) with reproducible handouts Despite the changing landscape of the Episcopal Church, one ministry that continues but gets little attention is that of acolytes. Whether second graders or adults, the mentoring and training of acolytes is a formational experience. I Serve at God's Altar offers a simplified theology of how God is met in worship and how it affects the lives of those most engaged in it, a visual exploration of the Episcopal liturgy and its history through extensive illustrations, how acolytes fit into the work of the church in worship, and how worship affects the acolyte's discernment for ministry and Rule of Life. Illustrations include a visual exploration of church artifacts (crosses, candles, Eucharistic vessels, etc.), holds, and processes to set a standard of expectation and expertise in service according to Episcopal practice and tradition. There is a section of reproducible handouts for organizing an acolyte ministry at every size church, including scheduling, communications, installation liturgies, recruitment plans, and training outlines.

The book is the first major study to bring together the two early twentieth-century theologians Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Lutheran pastor, and Simone Weil, French philosopher and convert to Christianity. Both were victims of Nazi oppression, and neither survived the war. The book explores the two theologians' reflections on Christian responsiveness to God and neighbour, being the interdependence of the two great commandments of the Jewish Law reiterated by Jesus. It sets out the common ground and the differing emphases in their interpretations. For Bonhoeffer, responsiveness was the transformation of the whole person effected by faith (Gestaltung), and the responsibility (Verantwortung) for one's actions which it implies. For Weil, responsive ness was the hope and expectation of grace (attente) reflected in attention, the capacity to listen to, understand and help others. Both Bonhoeffer and Weil faced a world dominated by aggression and horrendous suffering. Both endeavoured to articulate their responses, as Christians, to that world. The relevance of their thought to the twenty-first century is explored, in relation to perspectives on grace and freedom, on aggression, suffering, and forgiveness, and on the role of the church in society. Conclusions are illustrated by reference to contemporary theologians including Rowan Williams, Daniel Hardy, Frances Young and David Tracy.

Play Nice in Your Sandbox at Church equips readers with the knowledge and skills needed to help their church members stay focused on their mission, rather than get sidetracked with their interpersonal squabbles. The PLAY and NICE in the title are capitalized because they are acronyms. PLAY represents a four-step model to prevent conflict when possible, and NICE gives a four-step model to resolve differences with others. Play Nice in Your Sandbox at Church is divided into two major portions covering eight sections. The first four sections comprise the PLAY chapters, where readers learn how to prevent needless trivial matters from escalating into situations they neither want nor need. In sections five through eight, readers gain the knowledge and skill to help them resolve significant differences they are bound to have with others from time-to-time. Within Play Nice in Your Sandbox at Church, there is a CHAPTER CHALLENGE at the end of each chapter to help readers implement the information they've learned throughout.

Go Fish addresses one of the greatest challenges in the American evangelical church today--APATHY! Research reveals a very small percentage of the church is actively engaged in the mission of God. This research also points out, many in the church are comfortable with their disobedience to the Great Commission. Go Fish is an actual Doctor of Ministry research project and it offers an answer for the church today. This resource is academic, Biblical, and practical.