This handbook examines the history of Trinitarian theology and reveals the Nicene unity still at work among Christians today despite ecumenical differences and the variety of theological perspectives. The forty-three chapters are organized into the following seven parts: the Trinity in Scripture, Patristic witnesses to the Trinitarian faith, Medieval appropriations of the Trinitarian faith, the Reformation through to the 20th Century, Trinitarian Dogmatics, the Trinity and Christian life, and Dialogues (addressing ecumenical, interreligious, and cultural interactions). The phrase 'Trinitarian faith' can hardly be understood outside of reference to the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople and to their reception: the doctrine of the Trinity is indissociably connected to the reading of Scripture through the ecclesial and theological traditions. The modern period is characterized especially by the arrival of history, under two principal aspects: 'historical theology' and 'philosophies of history'. In contemporary theology, the principal 'theological loci' are Trinity and creation, Trinity and grace, Trinity and monotheism, Trinity and human life (ethics, society, politics and culture), and more broadly Trinity and history. In all these areas, this handbook offers essays that do justice to the diversity of view points, while also providing, insofar as possible, a coherent ensemble.

Churches and cathedrals were originally built to be read. They are alive with images and symbols--"all of which are packed with meaning. But today few people, from regular visitors to tourists, truly understand the wealth of meaning in what they find there. How to Read a Church is must reading for anybody who wants to know more about what they see in a church or cathedral. It explores the principal features of churches and what each represents. It also explains: In addition to exploring these brick-and-mortar motifs, the author also reveals fascinating and unexpected details such as how to 'read' the priest and the congregation, and he shows the varied ways that church architecture and appointments reflect the Christian year. From major themes to small but vital details, How to Read a Church will serve as a fascinating guide to the history, meanings, and messages of these beautiful buildings and the treasures they contain.

Maybe you've known Christians who fast, but don't know what it's all about. Maybe you've thought about fasting yourself, but aren't sure where to start. This introduction to fasting gives you biblical answers to common questions: What is fasting? Does Jesus say we have to fast? What's the "Daniel fast?" What is "prayer and fasting?" Includes key Bible verses on fasting and a chart of examples of fasting in the Bible.

The rise of early Christianity has been examined from a myriad of perspectives, but until recently ritual has been a neglected topic. Ritual and Christian Beginnings: A Socio-Cognitive Analysis argues that ritual theory is indispensable for the study of Christian beginnings. It also makes a strong case for the application of theories and insights from the Cognitive Science of Religion, a field that has established itself as a vigorous movement in Religious Studies over the past two decades. Risto Uro develops a 'socio-cognitive' approach to the study of early Christian rituals, seeking to integrate a social-level analysis with findings from the cognitive and evolutionary sciences. Ritual and Christian Beginnings provides an overview of how ritual has been approached in previous scholarship, including reasons for its neglect, and introduces the reader to the emerging fields of Ritual Studies and the Cognitive Science of Religion. In particular, it explores the ways in which cognitive theories of ritual can shed new light on issues discussed by early Christian scholars, and opens up new questions and avenues for further research. The socio-cognitive approach to ritual is applied to a number of test cases, including John the Baptist, the ritual healing practiced by Jesus and the early Christians, the social life of Pauline Christianity, and the development of early Christian baptismal practices. The analysis creates building blocks for a new account of Christian beginnings, highlighting the role of ritual innovation, cooperative signalling, and the importance of bodily actions for the generation and transmission of religious knowledge.

Get Your Foundation Right—Then Build Toward the Sky!

A building contractor has a top priority every time he begins a construction project: to get the foundation right. He knows that’s the key to the stability and endurance of the structure he is building. If his crew lays the foundation wrong, the rest of the building might ultimately look good—but it will always have problems and will possibly never fulfill its purpose for being constructed in the first place.

That same principle is true as you build your life in Christ. You will never build strong or last long in your quest to fulfill what God has put you on the earth to accomplish unless you first focus on laying your spiritual foundation on the rock-solid truths of His Word.

In this book, author Rick Renner provides the scriptural “mortar and brick” that defines the six fundamental doctrines listed in Hebrews 6:1,2—precisely the ingredients you need to lay a sound and stable foundation for the structure called your life in Christ.

Do you recognize a need to fortify your foundation? If so, you’re holding a mighty tool in your hands right now that will help you do just that. The rich truths found within these pages will strengthen your foundation so it can hold you steady and stable as your life grows into a mighty edifice that displays God’s glory and power—just as He has always intended!

Wahrend des Kulturkampfes wurde innerhalb der preussischen Regierung und Verwaltung uber die politische Angebrachtheit, das wunschenswerte Ausmass und die ausseren Modalitaten einer staatlichen Repression des Wallfahrts- und Prozessionswesens intensiv diskutiert. Das Diskussionsergebnis bestand in der Ministerialverfugung vom 26. August 1874, welche das Wallfahrts- und Prozessionswesen auf der Grundlage des preussischen Vereinsgesetzes von 1850 ausserst restriktiv reglementierte, wahrend das preussische Staatsministerium in seiner Sitzung vom 22. Oktober 1875 den von Kultusminister Falk und Innenminister zu Eulenburg beantragten Beschluss, im Bundesrat ein reichsweites Wallfahrts- und Prozessionsverbotsgesetz einzubringen, mehrheitlich ablehnte, weil die fragliche Materie im Rahmen eines speziell gegen das katholische Vereinswesen gerichteten Ausnahmegesetzes geregelt werden sollte. Ein solches antikatholisches Ausnahmegesetz kam jedoch nie zustande, so dass im Ganzen der Kulturkampf schwerpunktmassig eine Kirchenverfolgung im Sinne einer Institutionenverfolgung blieb, die das Glaubensleben der Laien zumindest gesetzgeberisch unangetastet liess.

The hunger for modern, relevant resources for the Christian seasons and celebrations is deep. Here is a book that will help to fill this need. Suitable for group worship or personal reflection, and with material for Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week, it is a collection to accompany readers through Lent and Easter for many years. Eggs and Ashes includes a Lent discipline for those who care about the environment, liturgies, responses, prayers, poems, reflections, meditations, stories, stations of the cross, sermons, monologues and songs, with some all-age resources - written by Iona Community members, associates, friends and others. Ruth Burgess is the author of A Book of Blessings and Friends and Enemies, both published by Wild Goose Publications. Chris Polhill is a frequent contributor to Wild Goose books.

Traditional surveys of Christian worship have not only stressed the profound changes that occurred in the fragmenting Reformation churches of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, but have also primarily focused on the theological understanding, rather than the practice, of worship. Contributors to this unique collection underline the complexity and diversity of late medieval and carly modern Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed worship practices in Europe. They examine a range of rites (baptism, marriage, and the Eucharist), elements of worship (visual art, music, prayer texts, rituals), geographic locations (Spain, Geneva, England, Sweden, Germany), and settings (home, school, and church). To illustrate the experience of worship by medieval and early modern laity and clergy, each essay is preceded by selections from key primary source documents being discussed. Contributors reveal that, contrary to the artificial separation of these two time periods by the modern academy, there was actually a great deal of continuity between medieval and early modern liturgical practices. They also demonstrate that political and social pressures were as significant as theological or doctrinal rationales when it came to modifying or retaining traditional practices. Worship in Medieval and Early Modern Europe offers readers a chance to understand better the societal and confessional norms that motivated late medieval and early modern Christians to maintain or change traditional Catholic worship practices. Featuring some of the most outstanding scholars in the field, this volume will be invaluable to academics interested in the Reformation, early modern studies, theology, and liturgical studies,as well as to general readers who wish to learn how their worship life was shaped in the sixteenth century.

A journey of the soul through the map of Christian time.

The liturgical year, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent and carrying through the following November, is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian to the life of Jesus, the Christ.

What may at first seem to be simply an arbitrary arrangement of ancient holy days, or liturgical seasons, this book explains their essential relationship to one another and their ongoing meaning to us today. It is an excursion into life from the Christian perspective, from the viewpoint of those who set out not only to follow Jesus but to live and think as Jesus did.

And it proposes to help us to year after year immerse ourselves into the sense and substance of the Christian life until, eventually, we become what we say we are--followers of Jesus all the way to the heart of God. It is an adventure in human growth; it is an exercise in spiritual ripening.

A volume in the eight book classic series, "The Ancient Practices, " with a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, General Editor.

This imaginative and comprehensive book offers an abundance of resources and guidelines for one of the most important and difficult things any church can do: running a family service. Drawing on her extensive work in the theatre and church, Sarah Lenton shares with infectious enthusiasm her tried and tested ideas for conducting eucharistic celebrations for all ages with confidence and joy. At the heart of the book is a series of ready-to-use sermons for the feasts and seasons of the Christian year. These include dialogue, props, jokes, and ideas for engaging every member of the congregation. In addition, it provides practical guidance for: * Creating a welcoming, worshipful space for all * Developing rapport with children and holding their attention * Channelling children's natural energy into learning and worship * Using music and props creatively * Interacting with adults and children simultaneously * Managing noise * Making the most of the resources you have. Complete outlines for a children's mass, a children's liturgy for Good Friday and an illustrated Stations of the Cross are also included.