Nicholson, one of the UK's leading historians of the medieval military orders...has a flair for clear and uncluttered explanations enlivened with telling detail and quotation. And her account is comprehensive. An attractive volume. HISTORY This short study of the history of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta, also known as the Knights Hospitaller, is intended as an introduction to the Order for academics working in other fields, as well as the interested general reader. Beginning with a consideration of the origins of the Order as a hospice for pilgrims in Jerusalem in the eleventh century, it traces the Hospitaller's development into a military order during the first part of the twelfth century, and its military activities on the frontiers of Christendom in the eastern Mediterranean, Spain and eastern Europe during the middle ages and into early modern period: its role in crusades and in wars against non-Christians on land and at sea, as well as its role in building and maintaining fortresses. It also considers the Order's activities away from the frontiers of Christendom: its economic activities and its relations with patrons and rulers throughout Europe, as well as its hospitaller work and its religious life. The focus of the study is on the medieval period down to the loss of Rhodes in 1522, but the final chapters of the book consider the Order'shistory on Malta from the sixteenth to the end of the eighteenth century, and from the loss of Malta in 1798 to the present day. HELEN NICHOLSON is Senior Lecturer in History, Cardiff University.

In The Blood of Martyrs Joyce E. Salisbury chronicles the many spectacles of violent martyrdom that took place during the first three centuries of the Christian era, describing the role of martyrdom in the development of the early Church, as well as its continuing influence on many of today's ideas. Salisbury shows through the engaging stories of the martyrs introduced in each chapter, how their legacy continues to shape contemporary ideas. Discussing modern martyrdom the book elicits deep lessons for the present from the ancient past and outlining the possibility of a religious future without violence. In The Blood of Martyrs, Salisbury brings to life this tumultuous time in late antiquity and sheds invaluable light on religious violence, modern martyrs, and self-sacrifice.

'A must-read for those who are seeking God, wishing to refresh their own faith, or hoping to lead others into the loving arms of Jesus Christ.' William van der Hart Who was Jesus? Why was he crucified? Did he really rise from the dead? Is it plausible that he was truly divine? Whether you are seeking to understand the Christian faith for the first time, or looking to be reminded of the basics, John Stott offers a clear and full explanation of the Gospel. With over 2.5 million copies sold, this classic introduction is as clear and relevant on the centenary of Stott's birth as when it was first published in 1958.

Mobile Saints examines the central medieval (ca. 950-1150 CE) practice of removing saints' relics from rural monasteries in order to take them on out-and-back journeys, particularly within northern France and the Low Countries. Though the permanent displacements of relics-translations- have long been understood as politically and culturally significant activities, these temporary circulations have received relatively little attention. Yet the act of taking a medieval relic from its "home," even for a short time, had the power to transform the object, the people it encountered, and the landscape it traveled through. Using hagiographical and liturgical texts, this study reveals both the opportunities and tensions associated with these movements: circulating relics extended the power of the saint into the wider world, but could also provoke public displays of competition, mockery, and resistance. By contextualizing these effects within the discourses and practices that surrounded traveling relics, Mobile Saints emphasizes the complexities of the central medieval cult of relics and its participants, while speaking to broader questions about the role of movement in negotiating the relationships between sacred objects, space, and people.

We live in the midst of a crisis of home. It is evident in the massive uprooting and migration of millions across the globe, in the anxious nationalism awaiting immigrants in their destinations, in the unhoused populations in wealthy cities, in the fractured households of families, and in the worldwide destruction of habitats and international struggles for dominance. It is evident, perhaps more quietly but just as truly, in the aching sense that there is nowhere we truly belong. In this moment, the Christian faith has been disappointingly inept in its response. We need a better witness to the God who created, loves, and reconciles this world, who comes to dwell among us. This book tells the "story of everything" in which God creates the world as the home for humans and for God in communion with God's creatures. The authors render the story of creation, redemption, and consummation through the lens of God's homemaking work and show the theological fruit of telling the story this way. The result is a vision that can inspire creative Christian living in our various homes today in faithfulness to God's ongoing work.

Dance, Reggae spiritual ritual practices cultural studies Jamaican/Caribbean culture Music

This book follows the standard progression of introductory psychology texts and adds a Christian perspective that contributes needed diversity to the study of the mind and behavior. Topics range from ESP to moral development. Each chapter provides an introduction and overview of a given theme, a discussion of issues, an exploration of how psychological and biblical perspectives might be complementary, and a recap with suggested readings.

First published in 1979, The Second Coming is an experiment in the writing of popular history - a contribution to the history of the people who have no history and an exploration of some of the ideas, beliefs and ways of thinking of ordinary men and women in the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries. Millenarianism is a conceptual tool with which to explore some aspects of popular thought and culture. It is also seen as an ideology of social change and as a continuing tradition, traced from the end of the seventeenth century to the 1790s, and is shown to be embedded in folk culture. Abundant in rich and lively descriptions of such colourful characters as Richard Brothers, Joanna Southcott, John Wroe, Zion Ward and Sir William Courtenay, as well as studies of the Shakers, early Mormons and Millerites, the result is a window into the world of ordinary people in the Age of Romanticism.

One of the key achievements of critical realism has been to expose the modernist myth of universal reason, which holds that authentic knowledge claims must be objectively 'pure', uncontaminated by the subjectivity of local place, specific time and particular culture. Wright aims to address the lack of any substantial and sustained engagement between critical realism and theological critical realism with particular regard to: (a) the distinctive ontological claims of Christianity; (b) their epistemic warrant and intellectual legitimacy; and (c) scrutiny of the primary source of the ontological claims of Christianity, namely the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth. As such, it functions as a prolegomena to a much needed wider debate, guided by the under-labouring services of critical realism, between Christianity and various other religious and secular worldviews. This important new text will help stimulate a debate that has yet to get out of first gear. This book will appeal to academics, graduate and post-graduate students especially, but also Christian clergy, ministers and informed laity, and members of the general public concerned with the nature of religion and its place in contemporary society.

"Conceptually well organized, stylistically clear, intellectually thoughtful, and pedagogically useful."

- Thomas Head, Speculum

"For its humane and learned approach to its enormous canvas, as well as for the cogency with which it penetrates at speed to the essentials of a vanished historical epoch, this History of the Church in the Middle Ages deserves a very wide audience indeed."

- Barrie Dobson, English Historical Review

"To have written a scholarly and very readable history of the Western Church over a millennium is a remarkable tour de force, for which Donald Logan is to be warmly congratulated."

- C.H Lawrence, The Tablet

"A feat of historical synthesis, most confident in its telling of the coming of Christianity. Books like Logan's are needed more than ever before."

- Miri Rubin, TLS

In this fascinating survey, F. Donald Logan introduces the reader to the Christian church, from the conversion of the Celtic and Germanic peoples to the discovery of the New World. He reveals how the church unified the people of Western Europe as they worshipped with the same ceremonies and used Latin as the language of civilized communication. From remote, rural parish to magnificent urban cathedral, A History of the Church in the Middle Ages explores the role of the church as a central element in determining a thousand years of history.

This new edition brings the book right up to date with recent scholarship, and includes an expanded introduction exploring the interaction of other faiths - particularly Judaism and Islam - with the Christian church.

This volume examines the Melkite church from the Arab invasion of Syria in 634 until 969. The Melkite Patriarchates were established in Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria and, following the Arab campaigns in Syria and Egypt, they all came under the new Muslim state. Over the next decades the Melkite church underwent a process of gradual marginalization, moving from the privileged position of the state confession to becoming one of the religious minorities of the Caliphate. This transition took place in the context of theological and political interactions with the Byzantine Empire, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Papacy and, over time, with the reborn Roman Empire in the West. Exploring the various processes within the Melkite church this volume also examines Caliphate-Byzantine interactions, the cultural and religious influences of Constantinople, the synthesis of Greek, Arab and Syriac elements, the process of Arabization of communities, and Melkite relations with distant Rome.

Our current image of the Christian population of al-Andalus after AD711 reflects the way history has been written. The Christians almost disappeared from the historical record as the historians of the conquering Muslims concentrated on the glories of the Ummayads.This book reconsiders, through their own words, the fate of the Christians of al-Andalus. The texts discusses two chronicles in Latin on the fate of Hispania, the problematic accounts of Christian martyrs in Cordoba, a Muslim historian's account of how his Christian ancestors survived the conquest and other texts reflecting the acculturation of Christians into Islamic society.

You want to know about Christianity? Maybe you've visited a church or cathedral or looked at religious paintings in an art gallery and wondered what the meaning is behind them, why they evoke some sense of mystery and wonder. This short, but profound, "ten minute guide" will help begin to unfold that mystery. Starting with the gospel story, it moves on to the intuitive response to God, the desire for meaning, and how the story can change your life. It answers for the modern reader the lawyer's question to Jesus; "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" If you want to begin at the beginning with the Christian faith, I can't think of a better way than by sitting down and reading this little book through. Plain-spoken, straightforward, succinct, here is a fresh introduction to the essentials-what Christians believe, how and why they believe what they do, what difference it can all make. If you've been around churches all your life and never fully grasped what it's all about, this is a superb refresher. If Christian faith is brand new to you, what a helpful first step you're holding in your hands. Rev. Dr. Sam Lloyd, Dean of the National Cathedral, Washington DC The most valuable 10 minutes you will spend this year. Gospel truth. The essence of Christianity, simply and memorably explained. Read it. Peter Bennett-Jones, Chair of Comic Relief.

God's greatest desire is to be your dwelling place. The home for your heart.

He doesn't want to be merely a weekend getaway. He has no interest in being a Sunday bungalow or even a summer cottage. He wants to be your mailing address, your point of reference, your home...always. He wants you to live in the Great House of God.

Using the Lord's Prayer as a floor plan, bestselling author Max Lucado takes you on a tour of the home God intended for you. Warm your heart by the fire in the living room. Nourish your spirit in the kitchen. Seek fellowship in the family room. Step into the hallway and find forgiveness.

It's the perfect home for you. After all, it was created with you in mind. There's only one home built just for your heart. No house more complete, no structure more solid.

The roof never leaks. The walls never crack. The foundation never trembles.

In God's house, you're "home." So come into the house built just for you. Your father is waiting.

"Spots of a leopard - on being a man" is a quest to discover the meaning of life in this day and age. When internationally acclaimed journalist Aernout Zevenbergen moved to Kenya in 1997, he had no idea how deeply his encounters with joy and sorrow in Africa would effect him. Writing about the most inspiring as well as the most disconcerting facets of life, Zevenbergen goes onto a subtle journey of self-discovery. What is love? If it takes a village to raise a child, does it also take a village to bury one? How does romance play a role in our lives? When is a man considered to be a good father? Can friendship conquer loneliness? What gives strength and inspiration when the going gets tough? Zevenbergen discusses these questions with a wide variety of men; from truckers to bikers, from paupers to presidents, from warriors to widowers. 'We are leopards wiping away their spots.' The author asks questions few have dared to ask men. Faced with their honesty, the author finds the courage to finally grow up as well. === Matthew Fox (author of 'The Hidden Spirituality of Men'): 'Your story telling is very powerful and moving and altogether creates a tapestry that gets one thinking strong thoughts and asking important questions.' The Weekender: 'Zevenbergen has a true talent for getting people to open up and speak their hearts' Cape Argus: 'Wordsmith: Aernout Zevenbergen has written beautifully crafted essays' Jury report Dick Scherpenzeel Foundation: 'He portrays in an extremely skillful way the face of traditions-in-flux.' Olivia Umurerwa Rutazibwa - politics.be: 'By voicing his own doubts and questions and by openly reflecting upon his own life, the journalistic stories get a beautiful human face.' Biblion: 'An extremely well written work on a topic for which there has been little attention.'

This book is about Christian mentality, a matter of some consequence for the way we think about our communities, others, and the nation. The focus is on the social issues currently under discussion in the United States, a discussion that reveals an uncertainty about the reasons that have been taken for granted in forming our policies and practices as a nation. The thesis of the book is that the narrative grammar of the Christian myth is entangled with the underlying reasons for these policies and practices, reasons that are rooted in our self-understanding as an exceptional nation of manifest destiny. The correlations between this self-understanding and the social grammar of the Christian myth is the challenge that confronts the efforts now underway to reimagine and restructure a society that is not a Christian nation, but a polycultural people seeking to clarify their vision of a social democracy.

As #MeToo and its sister movement #ChurchToo demonstrated, sexual violence is systemic in many and varied workplace settings, including Christian churches, and can destroy women's careers and vocational aspirations. The study draws on empirical evidence - personal stories from survivors and the views of church leaders and educators - in dialogue with theoretical perspectives, to consider clergy sexual abuse of adult women and the conditions that support it. Institutional abuse only changes when survivors come forward. This study focusses on New Zealand Anglicanism, the locus of the author's experience, and has resonance for a range of denominational settings. It aims to be a useful resource to clergy, ministry educators, and those training for ministry, and to academics and scholars with an interest in theology, gender, and professional ethics. Notably, it will be a potentially helpful text for women survivors of sexual misconduct by clergy, not least those who are considering a future in the church or grieving the loss of one. The volume concludes by suggesting that alternative theological models and relational ethics are essential if the church is to truly address the problem of clergy sexual abuse and give greater priority to the abused.

Christian Democracy, which may briefly be defined as organised political action by Catholic democrats, has been a major political force in Western Europe since the Second World War, not least in France. The aim of this book, first published in 1973, is to trace the Development of Christian Democracy in France from its origins in the 1830s to the present day, discussing its theories and its importance in French history and politics, with particular (but by no means exclusive) reference to the Fourth Republic (1946-58) when the MRP was one of the key centre parties. Dr Irving provides a thorough analysis of MRP, its economic, foreign and colonial policies, and gives reasons for the relative decline of French Christian Democracy in the 1960s. This French movement has been little understood in Britain and a throrough history has been badly needed. This study will be valuable to all those who, in the context of a United Europe, wish to understand the political forces at work at its conception. It will be valuable especially to students of modern history and politics.

According to Scripture, humankind was created in the image of God. Hoekema discusses the implications of this theme, devoting several chapters to the biblical teaching on God's image, the teaching of philosophers and theologians through the ages, and his own theological analysis. Suitable for seminary-level anthropology courses, yet accessible to educated laypeople. Extensive bibliography, fully indexed.

This biographical narrative is a detailed portrayal of the life and career of the first Christian emperor Constantine the Great (273 ? 337). Combining vivid narrative and historical analysis, Charles Odahl relates the rise of Constantine amid the crises of the late Roman world, his dramatic conversion to and public patronage of Christianity, and his church building programs in Rome, Jerusalem and Constantinople which transformed the pagan state of Roman antiquity into the Christian empire medieval Byzantium.

The author's comprehensive knowledge of the literary sources and his extensive research into the material remains of the period mean that this volume provides a more rounded and accurate portrait of Constantine than previously available.

This revised second edition includes:

• An expanded and revised final chapter
• A new Genealogy and an expanded Chronology
• New illustrations
• Revised and updated Notes and Bibliography

A landmark publication in Roman Imperial, early Christian, and Byzantine history, Constantine and the Christian Empire will remain the standard account of the subject for years to come.

NAMED A BESTSELLING TOP THEOLOGY BOOK OF 2022 BY QSPIRIT Queer God de Amor explores the mystery of God and the relationship between divine and human persons. It does so by turning to the sixteenth-century writings of John of the Cross on mystical union with God and the metaphor of sexual relationship that he uses to describe this union. Juan's mystical theology, which highlights the notion of God as lover and God's erotic-like relationship with human persons, provides a fitting source for rethinking the Christian doctrine of God, in John's own words, as "un no se que," "an I know not what." In critical conversations with contemporary queer theologies, it retrieves from John a preferential option for human sexuality as an experience in daily life that is rich with possibilities for re-sourcing and imagining the Christian doctrine of God. Consistent with other liberating perspectives, it outs God from heteronormative closets and restores human sexuality as a resource for theology. This outing of divine queerness-that is, the ineffability of divine life-helps to align reflections on the mystery of God with the faith experiences of queer Catholics. By engaging Juan de la Cruz through queer Latinx eyes, Miguel Diaz continues the objective of this series to disrupt the cartography of theology latinamente.

An affectionate but meticulously researched history of one of the most beautiful and best-loved corners of England - Crosthwaite Parish, nestling deep within the mountains and valleys of the Lake District. 'A unique contribution to English history' Hunter Davies 'A delightful, refreshingly written book, attentive to social detail and telling the only story that matters - history' Simon Jenkins 'A wonderful book' Margaret Drabble 'A completely fresh perspective on the Lakes and Lake Poets... I hugely enjoyed it' Andrew Marr Bounded by the peaks of Scafell, Skiddaw and Helvellyn, and embracing such well-known landmarks as Borrowdale, Derwentwater and Keswick, it lies within the heart of the Lake Poets' landscape and its rugged terrain excites passion in all those who know it. The Parish also boasts a remarkable history. Its 90 square miles were governed, from medieval times, by eighteen annually chosen 'customary tenants'; ancestors of the people who later prompted Wordsworth's portrayal of the area as 'a perfect Republic of Shepherds and agriculturalists'. His fellow poet Robert Southey lived within the Parish for forty years, was an active parishioner and rests in St Kentigern's churchyard. Here he is given his rightful position as a Lake Poet. In the nineteenth century, the Victorian state killed off the old parish system, sweeping away the egalitarian rule of the Eighteen Men. But a degree of redemption was at hand. Canon Rawnsley, vicar of Crosthwaite from 1883, pledged to defend the Lake District for future generations. So the Parish was at the heart of the creation of the National Trust and blazed a trail for a wider movement to preserve the English landscape. Writing with a historian's rigour and bearing aloft the banner of the Lake District statesmen, Philippa Harrison has produced a magisterial and fascinating record of a parish with a unique social, cultural and aesthetic resonance in English history.

This comforting collection of prayers, blessings, Franciscan wisdom, and heartwarming photos is the perfect gift for anyone who is grieving the loss of a beloved dog. Every page is filled with reassurance that we will see our animal friends in heaven. The death of a beloved animal friend can be one of the most difficult events we face, often surprising us at the depth of the grief and emotion we feel. It can be very comforting to know that the animals we love so much are safe with God, who created and loves them. Throughout his many years as a Franciscan friar, Jack Wintz came to know-the Bible gives us many clues that we will be with our pets in heaven for eternity! St. Francis himself shared a close relationship with animals, preaching to the birds, releasing Brother Rabbit from a trip, or letting Sister Raven awaken him for early morning prayer. Franciscan spirituality tells us that all creatures form one family of creation, and God's plan of salvation includes the whole created world. This new, expanded edition of the original bestseller includes: Wisdom from Friar Jack, in 14 short and simple readings Blessings, prayers, and stories from Scripture Special presentation page to personalize the gift Adorable photos and short memories of beloved dogs Sections of the book include: Three Prayers of Blessing The Happiness Principle Noah, the Ark, and the Dove Jonah and the Whale The Song of St. Francis Jesus and the World of Creation Praying with Creatures The Soul of a Dog With it reassuring message of God's eternal love and care for all creation, I Will See You in Heaven helps us to know that we are not alone in our grief, and that our "goodbye" is not forever. Cover photo: Hollie Betzler (2001-2018), Michigan's first grief therapy dog, served faithfully at her family's funeral home and area nursing homes for 16 years, giving a comforting paw at just the right time to just the right person. Her family anticipates her serving the same role at the gates of heaven, where she now waits for them.