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Books > Christianity > Christian institutions & organizations > General
How and why did the early church grow in the first four hundred
years despite disincentives, harassment, and occasional
persecution? In this unique historical study, veteran scholar Alan
Kreider delivers the fruit of a lifetime of study as he tells the
amazing story of the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
Challenging traditional understandings, Kreider contends the church
grew because the virtue of patience was of central importance in
the life and witness of the early Christians. They wrote about
patience, not evangelism, and reflected on prayer, catechesis, and
worship, yet the church grew--not by specific strategies but by
patient ferment.
Word Guild 2012 Canadian Christian Writing Award Honorable Mention,
The Grace Irwin Prize (2013) 2012 Book of the Year Award, Foreword
Magazine The history of women interpreters of the Bible is a
neglected area of study. Marion Taylor presents a one-volume
reference tool that introduces readers to a wide array of women
interpreters of the Bible from the entire history of Christianity.
Her research has implications for understanding biblical
interpretation--especially the history of interpretation--and
influencing contemporary study of women and the Bible.
Contributions by 130 top scholars introduce foremothers of the
faith who address issues of interpretation that continue to be
relevant to faith communities today, such as women's roles in the
church and synagogue and the idea of religious feminism. Women's
interpretations also raise awareness about differences in the ways
women and men may read the Scriptures in light of differences in
their life experiences. This handbook will prove useful to
ministers as well as to students of the Bible, who will be
inspired, provoked, and challenged by the women introduced here.
The volume will also provide a foundation for further detailed
research and analysis. Interpreters include Elizabeth Rice
Achtemeier, Saint Birgitta of Sweden, Catherine Mumford Booth, Anne
Bradstreet, Catherine of Siena, Clare of Assisi, Egeria, Elizabeth
I, Hildegard, Julian of Norwich, Therese of Lisieux, Marcella,
Henrietta C. Mears, Florence Nightingale, Phoebe Palmer, Faltonia
Betitia Proba, Pandita Ramabai, Christina Georgina Rossetti,
Dorothy Leigh Sayers, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher
Stowe, St. Teresa of Avila, Sojourner Truth, and Susanna Wesley.
For centuries the great religious buildings of Great Britain have
inspired and fascinated pilgrims and visitors from around the
world. The beauty and diversity of British ecclesiastical
architecture is superbly captured in this guide to over 60 of
Britain's finest cathedrals.This definitive guide contains over 130
magnificent colour photographs that capture the enduring appeal of
these great monuments to the Christian tradition.Extended entries
are included on Durham Cathedral, York Minster, Lincoln Cathedral,
Norwich Cathedral, Gloucester Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Winchester
Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, St Paul's
Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, Glasgow Cathedral, St David's
Cathedral. This definitive guide contains over 130 magnificent
colour photographs that capture the enduring appeal of these great
monuments to the Christian tradition. Extended entries are included
on Durham Cathedral, York Minster, Lincoln Cathedral, Norwich
Cathedral, Gloucester Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Winchester
Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, St Pauls
Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, Glasgow Cathedral, St Davids
Cathedral.
Life in this world is challenging. Brokenness and sin surround us. Controversies and confusion about complicated issues seem endless. It’s easy for Christians to be overwhelmed as they struggle to remain faithful to God’s teaching in a rapidly changing world. Along with the changes have come great problems and difficult questions.
What kind of future does Africa have? What, if anything, can the children of God do for their native lands and peoples?
Problems are not solved until we acknowledge them and face them openly, honestly, and courageously. In Biblical Christianity in Modern Africa, Wilbur O’Donovan addresses the problems facing the church in Africa from a biblical perspective. He wisely and boldly confronts issues that challenge the church in Africa, such as: Urbanization, Pornography, Poverty, False teaching, Broken marriages.
Denominationalism Although modern Africa’s problems are great, they are not intimidating to God. God does not change, and remembering what God did for his people in the past will help us know what he can do today. Biblical Christianity in Modern Africa reminds us that the wisdom of God is the answer to the problems of Africa today, just as they were to the people who lived thousands of years ago.
America has passed a tipping point. A majority of Americans now say
that truth is up to the individual and that ultimate truth cannot
be known. Learning to "speak our own truths" was supposed to lead
to dignity and harmony. Instead, our society struggles with
unprecedented levels of social conflict, purposelessness, and loss
of identity. And still, the "Truth versus truths" tension continues
to grow. Is all hope lost? In this inspiring book, Dr. Jeff Myers
tells the fascinating stories of Jesus-followers who lived for
Truth and transformed their world in times of crisis. These
inspiring figures led the way in human dignity, science, art,
medicine, education, politics, justice, and even the idea of
meaningful work. No matter what is going on around us, the truth is
worth fighting for. If you long for a positive, restorative role in
our own chaotic era, it's time to discover how truth changes
everything.
We don’t talk a lot about sin these days. But maybe we should. The Puritans sure did—because they understood sin’s deceptive power and wanted to root it out of their lives. Shouldn’t we want the same?
Though many books have been written on the “doctrine of sin,” few are as practical and applicable as this one. In Knowing Sin, Mark Jones puts his expertise in the Puritans to work by distilling the vast wisdom of our Christian forebears into a single volume that summarizes their thought on this vital subject. The result isn’t a theological tome to sit on your shelf and gather dust, but a surprisingly relevant book to keep by your bedside and refer to again and again.
You’ll come to understand topics like:
- Sin’s Origin
- Sin’s Grief
- Sin’s Thoughts
- Sin’s Temptations
- Sin’s Misery
- Sin’s Secrecy
- and of course . . . Sin’s Defeat!
None of us is free from the struggle with sin. The question isn’t whether we’re sinful, it’s what we’re doing about it. Thanks be to God, there is a path to overcoming sin. And the first step on that path to victory is knowing what we’re up against. Start Knowing Sin today!
From the UK Church's complicity in the transatlantic slave trade to
the whitewashing of Christianity throughout history, the Church has
a lot to answer for when it comes to race relations. Christianity
has been dubbed the white man's religion, yet the Bible speaks of
an impartial God and shows us a diverse body of believers. It's
time for the Church to start talking about race. Ben Lindsay offers
eye-opening insights into the black religious experience,
challenging the status quo in white majority churches. Filled with
examples from real-life stories, including his own, and insightful
questions, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of race
relations in the Church in the UK and shows us how we can work
together to create a truly inclusive church community.
A succinct and powerful witness that fundraising is a form of
ministry and can be a deeply spiritual experience.
According to the Psalms, God is enthroned on the praises of His
people--and it is from that throne that He governs the heavens and
the earth. If this picture of God's rule, found throughout the
Scriptures, is accurate, shouldn't the Body of Christ seek to
praise the King of heaven and earth in ways that release His
kingdom government into specific circumstances? John A. Dickson and
Chuck D. Pierce, coauthors of Worship As It Is in Heaven, offer the
church a fresh look at heaven's pattern of worship, instituted in
David's tabernacle and renewed through Jesus' apostles in the
earliest days of the church. This "apostolic worship" is God's
chosen way of establishing His will on earth; through worship, the
forces of darkness are pushed back and righteousness prevails. In
Worship As It Is in Heaven, readers are invited to enter in to a
fullness of worship that the world has too rarely seen: worship
that is the conduit of God's government of peace, justice, and
holiness on the earth.
In Understanding Clergy Misconduct in Religious Systems, you ll
take an incisive look at why sexual misconduct occurs in religious
systems and how to implement proactive strategies for holistic
change. Applicable to both Jewish and Christian communities, this
illuminating exploration takes a look at the psychology behind
scapegoating, why it is perpetuated, and how you can quell the
damaging tradition of silence.Understanding Clergy Misconduct in
Religious Systems helps you see leaders of religious institutions
in a way that the world has been afraid to see them--in a glass
clearly. Enriched with metaphoric myths and fairy tales instead of
technical jargon, its unique systemic perspective reveals the
psychodynamics behind the obsession with family secrets and lets
you understand this dysfunction from the perspectives of victim,
abuser, and counselor. These specific areas will both inform and
aid you in dealing with this difficult subject: the religious
institution as a family system the religious system as an illusion
of the perfect family the concept of God-transference and the
overidealization of clergy clergy personal relationships and clergy
congregational relationships vulnerability and the psychology of
the victim strategies for healing dysfunctional religious systems
Understanding Clergy Misconduct in Religious Systems comes at just
the right time--in an era when little has been written on the
subject, especially from a systemic perspective, this work comes at
a time when the phenomena of clergy sexual misconduct has rocked
the very foundation of religious systems worldwide. Whether you re
a lay congregational leader, judicatory administrator, pastoral
counselor, psychologist, or seminarian, you ll find that the coping
strategies and intervention techniques it outlines will guide you
in pinpointing the sickness at its source and restoring felicity
and order to your religious leaders and their communities.
Part storybook, part textbook, part historical overview, Parade of
Faith presents the history of Christianity in riveting fashion.
Ruth Tucker adopts the metaphor of a parade, journey, or pilgrimage
to explore the history of Christianity, which began as the Messiah
marched out of the pages of the Old Testament and will end one day
when "the saints go marching in" to the New Jerusalem. The book is
divided into two chronological groupings: first, the advent of
Christianity until the German and Swiss Reformations; second, the
Anabaptist movement and Catholic Reformation until the present-day
worldwide expansion of the church. Yet, ultimately the topic matter
is not movements, dates, or a stream of facts, but instead
people-people who still have stories to tell other Christians. And
with a little help from clues to their own contexts, they can still
speak clearly today. This book is laid out systematically to
showcase the biographies of such prominent figures within their
historical settings. The pages are peppered with sidebars,
historical "what if" questions, explorations of relevant topics for
today, personal reflections, illustrations, and lists for further
reading. Parade of Faith is an excellent introduction for
undergraduate students and interested lay readers.
In an age when few people ventured beyond their place of birth,
Andre Palmeiro left Portugal on a journey to the far side of the
world. Bearing the title Father Visitor, he was entrusted with the
daunting task of inspecting Jesuit missions spanning from
Mozambique to Japan. A global history in the guise of a biography,
The Visitor" tells the story of a theologian whose extraordinary
travels bore witness to the fruitful contact and violent collision
of East and West in the early modern era.
In India, Palmeiro was thrust into a controversy over the
missionary tactics of Roberto Nobili, who insisted on dressing the
part of an indigenous ascetic. Palmeiro walked across Southern
India to inspect Nobili s mission, recording fascinating
observations along the way. As the highest-ranking Jesuit in India,
he also coordinated missions to the Mughal Emperors and the
Ethiopian Christians, as well as the first European explorations of
the East African interior and the highlands of Tibet.
Orders from Rome sent Palmeiro farther afield in 1626, to
Macau, where he oversaw Jesuit affairs in East Asia. He played a
crucial role in creating missions in Vietnam and seized the
opportunity to visit the Chinese mission, trekking thousands of
miles to Beijing as one of China s first Western tourists. When the
Tokugawa Shogunate brutally cracked down on Christians in Japan
where neither he nor any Westerner had power to intervene Palmeiro
died from anxiety over the possibility that the last Jesuits still
alive would apostatize under torture."
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