Gegenstand der Arbeit ist das Phanomen der arteigenen Religion/Religiositat, welches in Deutschland seit dem ausgehenden 19. Jahrhundert bis ins erste Drittel des 20. Jahrhunderts zu beobachten ist. Die Arbeit befasst sich sowohl mit den verschiedenen theoretischen Ansatzen prominenter Ideologen und Wegbereiter als auch mit den zahlreichen Stroemungen und Gemeinschaften, die in gegenseitiger Konkurrenz standen. Anhand von Kriterien wie Aufbau und Organisation, soziale Basis oder Lehre wird herausgearbeitet, wo die Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen Deutschen Christen, Neugermanen oder okkulten Ariosophen liegen. Gleichzeitig wird der Frage nachgegangen, weshalb die artreligioesen Gemeinschaften ausgerechnet im Dritten Reich ihr Ende fanden. Der Autor nahm im Vorfeld an, dass es sich bei den Entwurfen arteigener Religion primar um eine Reaktion auf eine als bedrohlich empfundene Gegenwart, also um ein Symptom der Zeit handelt. Ziel der empirisch-deskriptiven Studie ist es daher, anhand des Quellenmaterials diese These zu be- oder auch zu widerlegen. Arteigene Religion - ein Symptom der Zeit? Ein Versuch, der Moderne mit ihren sozialen, kulturell-religioesen und oekonomisch-politischen Krisen eine nationale, der deutschen Art und Rasse gemasse religioese Ordnung entgegenzusetzen?

Handel's Israelite oratorios are today little known among non-specialists, but in their own day they were unique, pioneering and extremely popular. Dating from the period 1732-1752, they combine the musical conventions of Italian opera with dramatic plots in English that are adaptations of Old Testament narratives. They constitute a form of biblical interpretation, but to date, there has been no thoroughgoing study of the theological ideas or the attitudes towards the biblical text that might be conveyed in the oratorios' libretti. This book aims to fill that gap from an interdisciplinary perspective. Combining the insights of present-day biblical studies with those of Handelian studies, Deborah W. Rooke examines the libretti of ten oratorios - Esther, Deborah, Athalia, Saul, Samson, Joseph and his Brethren, Judas Macchabaeus, Solomon, Susanna and Jephtha - and evaluates the relationship between each libretto and the biblical story on which it is based. Rooke comments on each biblical text from a modern scholarly perspective, and then compares the modern interpretation with the version of the biblical narrative that appears in the relevant libretto. Where the libretto is based on a prior dramatic or literary adaptation of the biblical narrative, she also discusses the prior adaptation and how it relates to both the biblical text and the corresponding oratorio libretto. In this way the distinctive nuances of the oratorio libretti are highlighted, and each libretto is then analysed and interpreted in the light of eighteenth-century religion, scholarship, culture and politics. The result is a fascinating exploration not only of the oratorio libretti but also of how culture and context determines the nature of biblical interpretation.

From 1824 to 1843 Newman was an active clergyman of the Church of England; during these years he entered the pulpit about 1,270 times. He published 217 of the sermons which he wrote during these years; a further 246 sermons survive in manuscript in the Archives of the Birmingham Oratory, some only as fragments, some simply as sermon abstracts, but the majority as full texts. When completed, this series of the sermons will consist of five volumes. Volume IV contains thirty-nine sermons covering a period of sixteen years from the time when John Henry was still an Evangelical to the period immediately leading up to his departure from the Church of England. Part I contains twelve sermons on the Church, preached over a thirteen-year period from 1824 to 1837. Five of these belong to the twenty months spent as Curate of the old church of St Clement's and the other seven while Vicar of St Mary's, including the first sermon he ever preached on High Church principles. Part II contains a miscellany of twenty-seven sermons preached between 1828 and 1840. They range from five sermons on the Incarnate Christ; one to commemorate the dedication of the new church at Littlemore; one on Rome and Antichrist, two on behalf of the Church Missionary Society and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel; two to mark the deaths of George IV and his former classic master, Walter Meyers; one also to commemorate the anniversary of the execution of Charles I.

Pilgrimage was a central feature of medieval English life which affected history, politics, art and literature. The shrines were destroyed during the Reformation and pilgrimage stopped, yet the idea of pilgrimage continued - refashioned - in Protestant theology and in the exploration of the newly discovered world. By reaching beyond the Reformation to explore the transformation of the idea of the pilgrim in Protestant spirituality, this book confronts the religious experience of the English laity over half a millennium. The attractions for pilgrims of journeys to Jerusalem and to Canterbury and other English religious shrines are considered, while the political aspects of pilgrimage are discussed in relation to the architectural, documentary and pictorial evidence for the expression of lay piety in late medieval England. The cult of St Thomas of Canterbury is studied in particular detail, up to the suppression and in the revival of the cult in the sixteenth century.

From 1824 to 1843, Newman was an active clergyman of the Church of England. Throughout these twenty years, he entered the pulpit about 1,270 times and wrote about 604 sermons. Of these, he eventually published 217 sermons which he had written and delivered; a further 246 sermons survive in manuscript in the Archives of the Birmingham Oratory, some only as fragments but the majority as full texts. Volume I was published in 1991 and Volume II in 1993. When completed, the series will consist of five volumes.
Volume III contains a further fifty hitherto unpublished sermons belonging to this period. There are twenty-five sermons especially composed for Saints' Days and Holy Days and, with one exception, all preached at St Mary the Virgin University Church, Oxford, between 1830 and 1843. Towards the end of 1831, after years of dissatisfaction with his mode of writing and preaching sermons, Newman hit upon a new mode of delivery.
There are also twenty-five sermons which Newman categorized as General Theology. They cover such areas as: the Second Coming; the efficacy of prayer; angels; baptismal regeneration; the Trinity, religious mystery; the Creed; and the dogmatic principle. There is also one particular sermon on slavery in which Newman argues that slavery is 'a condition of life ordained by God in the same sense that other conditions of life are'.
Since many of these sermons were preached and re-preached several times over this twenty-year period, they are important for an understanding of Newman's theological and spiritual development.

A vital help for your Passion Play Oberammergau 2020 visit, this handy guide enables you to make the most of your time during your stay. It includes the historical background, traditions, and development of the Passion Play from 1634 to its relevance today, the organization and administration of the Play, and its impact on the village and the area. It looks behind the scenes to the wardrobe rooms and props, the stage, the history of the building, and the recent renovations and alterations. Meet the creative team behind the play and the leading actors. A synopsis of the play, including the sequence of the acts and scenes with the Old Testament Tableaux, is described. Suggestions on what to see in the village and the surrounding area include many of the places holidaymakers will visit en route to or from Oberammergau. The new expanded edition includes more of the Romantic Road, Munich, and the Austrian Tyrol.

Sing! has grown from Keith and Kristyn Getty's passion for congregational singing; it's been formed by their traveling and playing and listening and discussing and learning and teaching all over the world. And in writing it, they have five key aims: to discover why we sing and the overwhelming joy and holy privilege that comes with singing ; to consider how singing impacts our hearts and minds and all of our lives; to cultivate a culture of family singing in our daily home life; to equip our churches for wholeheartedly singing to the Lord and one another as an expression of unity; to inspire us to see congregational singing as a radical witness to the world. They have also added a few "bonus tracks" at the end with some more practical suggestions for different groups who are more deeply involved with church singing. God intends for this compelling vision of His people singing -- a people joyfully joining together in song with brothers and sisters around the world and around his heavenly throne -- to include you. He wants you,he wants us, to sing.

Rudolf Steiner, the often undervalued, multifaceted genius of modern times, contributed much to the regeneration of culture. In addition to his philosophical teachings, he provided ideas for the development of many practical activities, including education - both general and special - agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, religion and the arts. Steiner's original contribution to human knowledge was based on his ability to conduct 'spiritual research', the investigation of metaphysical dimensions of existence. With his scientific and philosophical training, he brought a new systematic discipline to the field, allowing for conscious methods and comprehensive results. A natural seer from childhood, he cultivated his spiritual vision to a high degree, enabling him to speak with authority on previously veiled mysteries of life. Samples of Steiner's work are to be found in this introductory reader in which Matthew Barton brings together excerpts from Steiner's many talks and writings on the festivals of Whitsun and Ascension. The volume also features an editorial introduction, afterword, commentary and notes.

How does Christian ethics begin? This pioneering study explores the grammar of the Christian life as it is embodied and learned in worship as the formative experience of the "fellow citizens of God's people." The book presents the first in-depth theological investigation of the phenomenon of 'political worship' by exposing the political nature of worship and the worship dimension of politics.
In a careful analysis of biblical and traditional conceptions of worship, Wannenwetsch demonstrates how the genuine political character of worship neutralizes attempts to politicize or de-politicize it. In the imprinting of the experience of divine reconciliation on the Christian body, worship challenges the deepest antagonisms of political theory and practice: antagonisms of "private and public," "freedom and necessity," and "action and contemplation."
Further questions discussed include the conditions of true consensus, forgiveness as a political virtue, the accountability of political rhetoric and self-justification, how "reversible role-taking" can avoid losing the otherness of the other, and how the rhetoric of "responsibility" can be saved from hubris or depression. Particular practices or dimensions of worship (confession, preaching, praising, intercession, observance of holy days) are examined and their heuristic and formative potentials explored in relation to these topics. A special feature of the study is a strong ecumenical and international focus.
The book brings into conversation a variety of traditions (including Lutheran, Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox) and contemporary voices. An original contribution to Christian ethics, the book addresses systematic and practical theology as well as political theory, while indicating the essential interplay of these disciplines.

The first serious assessment of the Pope's theological vision, this thoughtful volume situates the thought of Benedict XVI within the intellectual history and academic circles of his time, exploring topics such as the interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, Benedict's relations with other important scholars and theologians, and his attitudes on moral and political theology, western culture, the structure of the Catholic Church, liturgy, and love. It is a common observation that Pope Benedict has been influenced by the thought of St. Augustine in contrast to many of his predecessors in the papacy who were much more strongly influenced by St. Thomas Aquinas. This work therefore addresses the topic of in what way Benedict is an Augustinian. The volume also includes a bibliography arranged thematically for those who want to explore his thought more deeply in a particular area. A penetrating account of the thought of the reigning pontiff, this volume offers a wealth of insight for everyone interested in Pope Benedict.

Study of surviving Anglo-Saxon kalendars and pontificals contributes to our understanding of 10th-century England. `His work demonstrates the importance of these neglected sources for our understanding of the late Old English church.' HISTORY An important book of immense erudition. It brings into the open some major issues of Late Anglo-Saxon history, and gives a thorough overview of the detailed source material. When such outstanding learning is being used, through intuitive perception, to bear on the wider issues such as popular devotion and the reception of the monastic reform in England, and bold conclusions are bing drawn from such minutely detailed studies, there is no doubt that David Dumville's contribution in this area of study becomes invaluable. The sources for the liturgy of late Anglo-Saxon England have a distinctive shape. Very substantial survival has given us the possibility of understanding change and perceiving significant continuity, as well as identifying local preferences and peculiarities. One major category of evidence is provided by a corpus of more than twenty kalendars: some of these (and particularly those which have been associated with Glastonbury Abbey) are subjected to close examination here, the process contributing both negatively and positively to the history of ecclesiastical renewal in the 10th century. Another significant body of manuscripts comprises books for episcopal use, especially pontificals: these are examined here as a group, and their associations with specific prelates and churches considered. All these investigations tend to suggest the centrality of the church of Canterbury in the surviving testimony and presumptively therefore in the history of late Anglo-Saxon christianity. Historians' study of English liturgy in this period has heretofore concentrated on the development of coronation-rites: by pursuing palaeographical and textual enquiries, the author hassought to make other divisions of the subject respond to historical questioning. Dr DAVID N. DUMVILLE is Reader in the Early Mediaeval History and Culture of the British Isles at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Girton College.

Takes the reader on an inspirational tour and encourages us to undertake pilgrimages of our own

Edited by Ligon Duncan. True prayer comes from the heart, so why do we need a method? The great devotional commentator and pastor shows here that Christians benefit from discipline just as much as talking freely with God. You will discover the methods Jesus taught, look at styles of prayer and see helpful examples. Duncan has incorporated some of Henry's other work on prayer.