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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Christian institutions & organizations > General
In Anglicanism Reimagined Andrew Shanks challenges all who are
tempted to erect boundaries around their faith. Far more important
than dogma and metaphysics, he argues, is the need to be open to
all, and to engage with people who hold views at odds with our own.
He shows how a commitment to this ideal can create fresh energy and
new ways forward for the Church.
Among the earliest writings in Syriac literature is the collection
of 30 memre or discourses entitled the Book of Steps or Liber
Graduum, mostly probably written in the late fourth century inside
the Persian Empire (modern Iraq). The author, who deliberately
withheld his name, wrote extensively on the spiritual life and
exploits of two groups of committed Christians - the upright and
the perfect- that flourished in a period prior to the development
of monasticism. Deeply immersed in the exegesis of the Bible as a
means of defining and guiding an ascetical lifestyle, the author
defends celibacy, absolute poverty, the vocations of prayer,
teaching and conflict resolution, as well as insisting that the
perfect should not work. In an unparalleled manner for ascetical
literature, by the end of the collection the author encourages the
predominantly lay ""upright group"" to keep striving for the status
of perfection as he is disappointed in the failings of the senior
group he calls ""the perfect"". This collection of sixteen new
critical essays offers fresh perspectives on the Book of Steps,
adding greater detail and depth to our understanding of the work's
intriguing picture of early Syriac asceticism as practiced within
the life of a local church and community. The contributors offer
perspectives on the book's historical context in the midst of the
Persian-Roman conflicts, the influence of Manichaeism, dietary
images, sexuality and marriage, biblical exegesis and the use of
Pauline writings and theology, as well as explorations of the Book
of Steps' distinctive approach to the ascetical life.
Contrary to charges of religious "dogma," Christian actors in
international politics often wrestle with the lack of a clear path
in determining what to do and how to act, especially in situations
of violence and when encountering otherness. Lynch argues that it
is crucial to recognise the ethical precarity of decision-making
and acting. This book contextualizes and examines ethical struggles
and justifications that key figures and movements gave during the
early modern period of missionary activity in the Americas; in the
interwar debates about how to act vis-a-vis fascism, economic
oppression and colonialism in a "secular" world; in liberation
theology's debates about the use of violence against oppression and
bloodshed; and in contemporary Christian humanitarian negotiations
of religious pluralism and challenges to the assumptions of western
Christianity. Lynch explores how the wrestling with God that took
place in each of these periods reveals ethical tensions that
continue to impact both Christianity and international relations.
One of the most significant works on Anglican and Women's history
to be published in recent years. Includes a foreword by the
Archbishop of Canterbury. This book tells the story of how a parish
women's meeting started in 1876 by a Victorian vicar's wife is now
the most authentic and powerful organization of women in the new
global Christianity. Its cross-disciplinary approach examines how
religious faith and shifting ideologies of womanhood and motherhood
in the imperial and post colonial worlds acted as a source of
empowerment for conservative women in their homes, communities and
churches. In contrast to much of feminist history, A History of the
Mothers' Union 1876-2008: Women, Anglicanism and Globalisation
shows how the beliefs of ordinary women led them to become
advocates and activists long before women had the vote or could be
ordained priests. Having survived an identity crisis over social
and theological liberalism in the 1960s, the Mothers' Union
provides a model of unity and reconciled diversity for a divided
world wide church. Today it is hailed by the Archbishop of
Canterbury and international development practitioners as an
outstanding example of global Christian engagement with poverty and
social transformation issues at the grass roots. The material is
arranged both thematically and chronologically. Case studies of
Australia, Ghana and South Africa trace how the Mothers' Union
arrived with white British women but evolved into indigenous
organizations. CORDELIA MOYSE is Adjunct Professor of Church
History at Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster, PA, USA.
C. S. Lewis scholar Harry Lee Poe offers a comprehensive look into
the final years of Lewis's life, examining the experiences and
relationships that informed some of his most well known writings.
You pray it. But do you understand it? The Lord's Prayer has become
so familiar to us that we don't think about what we're praying.
It's a portrait of Jesus' heart. And in it Christians from
different times, places, and traditions have been united. We pray
it, but do we actually believe it? When Jesus taught his followers
how to pray, he emphasized how uncomplicated it should be. There's
no need for pretense or theatrics. Instead, simply ask for what you
need as though you were speaking with your earthly father. This
opens a window into Jesus' prayer life and presents us with a
portrait of his heart for his followers. Wesley Hill re-introduces
the Lord's Prayer. He shows us a God who is delighted to hear
prayer. Petition by petition, in conversation with the Christian
tradition, he draws out the significance of Jesus' words for prayer
today.
This is a substantially expanded and completely revised verision of Bradshaw's classic account, first published in 1993. Traditional liturgical scholarship has generally been marked by an attempt to fit together the various pieces of evidence for the practice of early Christian worship in such a way as to suggest that a single, coherent line of evolution can be traced from the apostolic age to the fourth century. Bradshaw examines this methodology in the light of recent developments in Jewish liturgical scholarship, of current trends in New Testament studies, and of the nature of the source-documents themselves, and especially the ancient church orders. In its place he offers a guide to Christian liturgical origins which adopts a much more cautious approach, recognizing the limitations of what can truly be known, and takes seriously the clues pointing to the esssentially variegated character of ancient Christian worship.
The Bible is meant to be read in the church, by the church, as the
church. Although the practice of reading Scripture has often become
separated from its ecclesial context, theologian Derek Taylor
argues that it rightly belongs to the disciplines of the community
of faith. He finds a leading example of this approach in the
theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who regarded the reading of
Scripture as an inherently communal exercise of discipleship. In
conversation with other theologians, including John Webster, Robert
Jenson, and Stanley Hauerwas, Taylor contends that Bonhoeffer's
approach to Scripture can engender the practices and habits of a
faithful hermeneutical community. Today, as in Bonhoeffer's time,
the church is called to take up and read. Featuring new monographs
with cutting-edge research, New Explorations in Theology provides a
platform for constructive, creative work in the areas of
systematic, historical, philosophical, biblical, and practical
theology.
Recent studies on the development of early Christianity emphasize
the fragmentation of the late ancient world while paying less
attention to a distinctive feature of the Christianity of this time
which is its inter-connectivity. Both local and trans-regional
networks of interaction contributed to the expansion of
Christianity in this age of fragmentation. This volume investigates
a specific aspect of this inter-connectivity in the area of the
Mediterranean by focusing on the formation and operation of
episcopal networks. The rise of the bishop as a major figure of
authority resulted in an increase in long-distance communication
among church elites coming from different geographical areas and
belonging to distinct ecclesiastical and theological traditions.
Locally, the bishops in their roles as teachers, defenders of
faith, patrons etc. were expected to interact with individuals of
diverse social background who formed their congregations and with
secular authorities. Consequently, this volume explores the nature
and quality of various types of episcopal relationships in Late
Antiquity attempting to understand how they were established,
cultivated and put to use across cultural, linguistic, social and
geographical boundaries.
Contains fascinating facts:
-From the life of Jesus to the Gutenberg Bible
- From Augustine to the Reformation
- From the spread of Christianity to the spread of Islam
- From the King James Version Bible to the Dead Sea Scrolls
Available as a wall chart or a pamphlet. Wall chart size: 19" x
26." Pamphlet has 14 panels and fits inside a Bible cover 81/2" x
51/2" Pamphlet unfolds to 38 inches long! Pamphlets come
shrinkwrapped in packages of 10, so please order pamphlets in
multiples of 10 (10, 20, 30, etc.).
Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses caught
Europe by storm and initiated the Reformation, which fundamentally
transformed both the church and society. Yet by Luther's own
estimation, his translation of the Bible into German was his
crowning achievement. The Bible played an absolutely vital role in
the lives, theology, and practice of the Protestant Reformers. In
addition, the proliferation and diffusion of vernacular
Bibles-grounded in the original languages, enabled by advancements
in printing, and lauded by the theological principles of sola
Scriptura and the priesthood of all believers-contributed to an
ever-widening circle of Bible readers and listeners among the
people they served. This collection of essays from the 2016 Wheaton
Theology Conference-the 25th anniversary of the conference-brings
together the reflections of church historians and theologians on
the nature of the Bible as "the people's book." With care and
insight, they explore the complex role of the Bible in the
Reformation by considering matters of access, readership, and
authority, as well as the Bible's place in the worship context,
issues of theological interpretation, and the role of Scripture in
creating both division and unity within Christianity. On the 500th
anniversary of this significant event in the life of the church,
these essays point not only to the crucial role of the Bible during
the Reformation era but also its ongoing importance as "the
people's book" today.
The priesthood of all believers is a core Protestant belief. But
what does it actually mean? Uche Anizor and Hank Voss set the
record straight in this concise treatment of a doctrine that lies
at the center of church life and Christian spirituality. The
authors look at the priesthood of all believers in terms of the
biblical witness, the contribution of Martin Luther and the
doctrine of the Trinity. They place this concept in the context of
the canonical description of Israel and the church as a royal
priesthood that responds to God in witness and service to the
world. Representing Christ is much more than a piece of Reformation
history. It shows that the priesthood of all believers is
interwoven with the practical, spiritual and missional life of the
church.
According to Scripture, the Word of God is "living and active" (Heb
4:12). That affirmation was embraced by the Protestant Reformers,
whose understanding of the Christian faith and the church was
transformed by their encounter with Scripture. It is also true of
the essays found in this volume, which brings together the
reflections of church historians and theologians originally
delivered at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School on the occasion of
the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. As they consider
historical, hermeneutical, theological, and practical issues
regarding the Bible, these essays reveal that the irrepressible
Word of God continues to transform hearts and minds.
This selection of writings from the most important moments in the
history of Christianity has become established as a classic
reference work, providing insights into 2000 years of Christian
theological and political debate.
While retaining the original material selected by Henry Bettenson,
Chris Maunder has added a substantial section of more recent
writings. These illustrate the Second Vatican Council; the
theologies of liberation; Church and State from 'Thatcher's
Britain' to Communist Eastern Europe; Black, feminist, and
ecological theology; ecumenism; and inter-faith dialogue. The
emphasis on moral debate in the contemporary churches is reflected
in selections discussing questions about homosexuality, divorce,
AIDS, and in-vitro fertilization, amongst other issues.
This further expanded fourth edition brings the anthology
up-to-date with a new section looking at issues facing the
twenty-first century churches. This includes extracts exploring the
churches' responses to questions of social justice, international
politics, trade and debt, environmental change, and technological
development. New material also covers the global growth of
Christianity, the progress of Christian unity, and mission in
multi-faith and postmodern societies.
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