The first serious journalistic investigation of the highly secretive, controversial organization Opus Dei provides unique insight about the wild rumors surrounding it and discloses its significant influence in the Vatican and on the politics of the Catholic Church.
Opus Dei (literally "the work of God") is an international association of Catholics often labeled as conservative who seek personal Christian perfection and strive to implement Christian ideals in their jobs and in society as a whole. Founded in Spain in 1928, it now has 84,000 members (1,600 of whom are priests) in eighty countries. But far from running bingo nights at local parishes, Opus Dei has become a center of controversy and suspicion both within and outside the Church. It has been accused of promoting a right-wing political agenda and of cultlike practices, aggressive recruiting, brainwashing new recruits, and isolating members from their families. Its notoriety escalated with the publication of the runaway bestseller "The Da Vinci Code" (Opus Dei plays an important and sinister role in the novel) and with the previous pope's much-debated canonization of its founder (often linked with Francisco Franco's facist regime) and the discovery that convicted FBI spy Robert Hanson was a member of Opus Dei.
With the expert eye of a longtime trusted observer of the Vatican and the skill of an investigative reporter intent on uncovering closely guarded secrets, John Allen finally separates the myths from the facts in "Opus Dei". Granted unlimited access to the prelate who heads the organization and to Opus Dei centers throughout the world, Allen draws on a wealth of interviews with current members, as well as with highly critical ex-members, to create an unprecedented portrait of the activities, practices, and intentions behind its veil of secrecy. Allen reveals the remarkable power that Opus Dei commands in shaping Vatican policy and presents a detailed look at the full extent of its network, which includes people in key positions in politics, banking, academia, and other influential arenas. He even describes the arcane rituals--including self-flagellation--performed to preserve and promote a spiritual tradition strange and unsettling to modern sensibilities.
For years, Opus Dei has been the subject of conspiracy theories and dark, uninformed speculation. "Opus Dei "sets the record straight.

All Things Are Ready by Peter Andrew Smith is a lectionary book based on Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Here are some of the topics covered in this lectionary book: - Communion prayer - Communion prayers - Prayers after communion - Responsive prayer - Stewardship - Christian stewardship - Lectionary resources - Lectionary scripture - Lectionary worship Make your celebration of the Lord's Supper flow together with music and other liturgical elements with this stimulating collection of communion prayers. Peter Andrew Smith incorporates imagery and themes from lectionary scripture texts, church seasons, and special pastoral occasions into these eloquent prayers, allowing you to design seamless worship experiences in which the Eucharist reflects and reinforces the focus of the entire service. There are 35 responsive settings of pre-communion prayers for a variety of times throughout the year, including church seasons, seasons of the year, confirmation, stewardship, and more, as well as seven brief post-communion prayers. This volume will be a cherished resource for any pastor or worship planner. We do thank and praise you, Loving God, for the richness of the gifts you have given us. You have given us the bounty of creation, the bold colors of autumn, the cycles of nature, and the wonder of the earth around us. You have richly blessed us with a world of life and beauty. (excerpt from ""Autumn"") Peter Andrew Smith is a pastor in the United Church of Canada who currently serves in Quispamsis, New Brunswick. Smith is also a freelance writer of both fiction and nonfiction in several genres. His devotions have appeared in The Upper Room and United Online, and his stories have been in numerous publications, including The Drabbler and Storyteller. Smith is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick and Atlantic School of Theology.

How do we assess the effect of an evangelistic meeting or campaign? Are we right to judge its success or failure by the number of people who go forward or sign a card? There can, of course, be no greater or more important invitation to men and women than that of the gospel. The preacher should never feel any inhibitions in declaring the free offer of salvation in Christ. But does this mean that we are at liberty to use any method that appears to get results? Is the appeal or altar call a justified method of encouraging that final commitment, or is it an unwarranted addition to the inherent power of the gospel? This is controversial and may come as a shock to many who have never considered the rights or wrongs of the invitation system before. The authors desire is that all Christians think the issue through and ensure that the Great Invitation of the gospel is not based on modern trends or cultural pressures for instant success, but on the sure foundation of the Word of God.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Silence is a key characteristic of Quaker worship. The author shares his experience of learning to wait in the silence and find God. Perfect for seekers, inquirers and seasoned Friends.

Written by Nile Harper and six leading pastors, this volume tells the stories of twenty-eight urban churches that are successfully contributing to the transformation of inner-city communities in fifteen major cities across America -- Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, San Francisco, Savannah, and Washington, D.C.

The most vital question confronting the church in America at the turn of the century is whether it can, in the face of modern society, remember who it is, what it is called to do, and, especially, whose it is. In this volume Ronald Vallet explores the biblical basis for stewardship, with major emphasis on God's promises and commands, to help congregations become the households of God that he intends them to be. Vallet also deals with fantasies and fears about money in the congregation, the central role that authentic worship plays in focusing congregations on God, the proper roles of pastors and laity, and the prevailing concepts and practices of modern culture that can entangle today's churches.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This discussion centers around the work of the church and the individual's right to work with other Christians in teaching the gospel. Do individual Christians have the right to build and maintain schools or colleges where the Bible is taught? This debate likely contains more material on this subject than any other single volume.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Foreword by Richard V. Pierard

Afterword by Paul Jenkins

In the historical literature on mission, this book stands out for its detailed examination of the organizational dynamics that gave shape -- andbrought enduring success -- to the Evangelical Missionary Society at Basel.

A first-rate account of the early Basel Mission on the Gold Coast of WestAfrica (present-day Ghana), this volume takes readers inside the missionitself, revealing its dynamic, though sometimes contradictory, methodsof motivation and discipline and how they impacted effective evangelismboth at home and abroad. Working from archival records, Jon Millerdetails the collaboration across class lines that made the mission possible, and he shows how basic pietist beliefs about authority and obediencewere the source of both the mission's strengths and its most serious internal weaknesses. Also included are two dozen photographs, a foreword byRichard V. Pierard, and an afterword by Paul Jenkins.

How is the church being affected by globalization? What does wider and more direct contact between the world religions mean for Christians? What is God doing in the midst of such change? This important volume explores the implications of today's emerging global society for local churches and Christian mission. Prominent scholars, missionaries, and analysts of world trends relate Christian theology and ethics to five clusters of issues-stewardship, prosperity, and justice; faith, learning, and family; the Spirit, wholeness, and health; Christ, the church, and other religions; and conflict, violence, and mission-issues that pastors and congregations will find critical as they think through the mission of the church in our time. Contributors: David Befus Susan Power Bratton Ronald Cole-Turner Tim A. Dearborn Ian T. Douglas Kosuke Koyama John Mbiti James H. Ottley Richard Osmer Scott R. Paeth Cecil M. Robeck Jr. Lamin Sanneh William Schweiker Donald W. Shriver Jr. Max L. Stackhouse Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen Allen Verhey John Witte Jr.

A one-volume reference work designed to aid worship planners in the selection of contemporary song. Organized by the three- year lectionary cycle, this book also contains integrated scriptural, seasonal, and topical indexes. Song collections indexed include With One Voice; This Far by Faith; Worship & Praise; The Celebration Hymnal; Gather Comprehensive; Glory & Praise; Maranatha! Music Praise; Renew!; Spirit Calls, Rejoice!; and Worship Songs of the Vineyard.

The phrase "little flowers" has, in English, a vague aroma of sentiment and propaganda, and by virtue of the diminutive it has acquired a similar flavor even in Italian. Suppose this collection of tales has been called the "Franciscan Anthology," a title at once more exact and more majestic in its associations? Or suppose, somewhat facetiously, but still within its spirit, it had been known as the "Selected Miracles of Saint Francis and His Brethren?" The story as regards the English speaking world, might have been different. Illustrated.