The convocation records of the Churches of England and Ireland are the principal source of our information about the administration of those churches from middle ages until modern times. They contain the minutes of clergy synods, the legislation passed by them, tax assessments imposed by the king on the clergy, and accounts of the great debates about religious reformation; they also include records of heresy trials in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, many of them connected with the spread of Lollardy. However, they have never before been edited or published in full, and their publication as a complete set of documents provides a valuable resource for scholarship. This volume contains the minutes of the convocations held at the end of Queen Anne's reign, which give a detailed account of the reforms proposed for the church during that time. Of particular interest is the 'Representation of the state of religion', a position paper drawn up at the government's request and presented to the assembled divines by Samuel Wesley, the rector of Epworth and father of John and Charles.

The convocation records of the Churches of England and Ireland are the principal source of our information about the administration of those churches from middle ages until modern times. They contain the minutes of clergy synods, the legislation passed by them, tax assessments imposed by the king on the clergy, and accounts of the great debates about religious reformation; they also include records of heresy trials in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, many of them connected with the spread of Lollardy. However, they have never before been edited or published in full, and their publication as a complete set of documents provides a valuable resource for scholarship. This volume contains a full account of the convocation controversy in its first phase, making use of the act books of both the upper and the lower house, as well as of eye-witness accounts which have survived from other sources. Most of this material has never been published before or is available only in rare eighteenth-century editions which invariably reflect a partisan stance and therefore reproduce only part of the evidence. An appendix gives a complete bibliography of the controversy.

Rick Joyner brilliantly relays a panoramic vision of the ultimate battle between the forces of good and evil, taking place just beyond the veil of this world. Guided by Wisdom, Joyner embarks on a journey from the battlefield were the hordes of Hell wreak havoc, to the Mountain of the Lord and eventually through the ranks of Heaven itself.By the end of the decade The Final Quest would top the bestseller lists multiple times and surpass a million copies sold worldwide. His follow up book, The Call, continues the epic saga, challenging readers to live out the truth they discover along the way.Now, The Vision, brings both classics together in a single volume. Throughout, Joyner offers both a warning and encouragement to the faithful followers of Jesus who must stand against the Enemy in these last days

Douglas Ansdell traces the history of the Highland church from 1690 to 1900. A general treatise, it fills a long existing gap in Scottish historical literature.

'Religion and the Rise of History' is the rst study to apply the ideal type or model-building methodology of Otto Hintze (1861-1940) to Western historical thought or to what R.G. Collingwood called "The Idea of History," for it contains succinct and useful models for seeing and teaching classical, Christian, and modern professional historiography. It is also the rst work to suggest that, in addition to his well-known paradoxical, simul, and/or "at-the-same-time" way of thinking, Martin Luther also held to a path that was deeply incarnational, dynamic, and/or "in-with-and under." This dual vision strongly in uenced Leibniz, Hamann, and Herder, and was therefore a matter of considerable signi cance for the rise of a distinctly modern form of historical consciousness (commonly called "historicism") in Protestant Germany. Building upon this, Smith's essay suggests a new time period for the formative age of modern German thought, culture, and education: "The Cultural Revolution in Germany," This age began in the early 1760s and culminated in 1810 with the founding of the University of Berlin, the rst fully "modern" and "modernising" university. The university rst became the recognized center for the study of history through the work of Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886), who derived his individualising way of thinking mainly from Luther. Smith goes on to detail the rise of history from a calling to a profession, and how the discussion between Troeltsch, Meinecke, and Hintze concerning the nature of modern historical thought was of central importance for the reorientation of Western social-historical thought in the twentieth century. Leonard S. Smith is Emeritus Professor of History at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, California. "Leonard Smith's book is, in its origins and goals, a deeply pedagogical work. He addresses a central problem in the history of eighteenth-century German and European thought, the emergence of a new, evolutionary view of history called 'historicism'. Enabled by Luther's incarnational theology, historicism received its first formulation, Smith argues, from Leibniz and his successors and achieved its public place in the new University of Berlin (est. 1810). This book is a splendid marriage of classical themes with new and original insights. Everyone interested in the evolution of European historical thought should read it." - Thomas A. Brady Jr., University of California, Berkeley "This book breaks new ground in showing how Martin Luther shaped the philosophical pioneers of a new worldview based upon the study of history. A textbook for minds curious about a philosophy of history." - Eric W. Gritsch, Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary

Four hundred seventy years ago the Anabaptist movement was launched with the inauguration of believers' baptism and the formation of the first congregation of the Swiss Brethren in Zurich, Switzerland. This standard introduction to the history of Anabaptism by noted church historian William R. Estep offers a vivid chronicle of the rise and spread of the teachings and heritage of this vigorous, important stream in Christianity. In this third edition, The Anabaptist Story has been substantially revised and enlarged to take into account the numerous Anabaptist sources that have come to light in the last half-century as well as the significant number of monographs and other scholarly research on Anabaptist themes that have recently appeared. In interacting with these materials, Estep challenges a number of assumptions held by contemporary historians of sixteenth-century Anabaptism and offers fresh insights into the historical movement to which we owe the notion of religious liberty that prevails today.

In the late fifteenth century, Burgundy was incorporated in the kingdom of France. This, coupled with the advent of Protestantism in the early sixteenth century, opened up new avenues for participation in public life by ordinary Burgundians and led to considerably greater interaction between the elites and the ordinary people. Mack Holt examines the relationship between the ruling and popular classes from Burgundy's re-incorporation into France in 1477 until the Lanturelu riot in Dijon in 1630, focusing on the local wine industry. Indeed, the vineyard workers were crucial in turning back the tide of Protestantism in the province until 1630 when, following royal attempts to reduce the level of popular participation in public affairs, Louis XIII tried to remove them from the city altogether. More than just a local study, this book shows how the popular classes often worked together with local elites to shape policies that affected them.

Making clear the Christian position that God's self-revelation is through human nature, 'Personhood and Christianity' offers an account of the way a person is formed as an individual in community from the moment of conception onward. The research and teaching of Dr Frank Lake are explained, drawing out the distinction between Lake's psychodynamic therapy and psychoanalytical practices, whether Freudian or Jungian. Forshaw shows that Christian living and spirituality are properly focused on the non-religious activity of God in the world, and that the Church's mission requires the formation of worshipping congregations that are increasingly free of the defensive behaviours commonly encouraged by religion. In pursuing his argument, Forshaw adopts a three-fold approach: Asserting that many of the practices and attitudes of the divided churches still make it difficult for people to understand Christianity; Taking up proposals of leading theologians and therapists he discusses the kind of holiness in the midst of ordinary life that can lead to practical reform in parishes, and contribute towards radical change in community life more widely. Laying stress on the world-directed purpose of the Eucharist through the ascended Jesus who is present everywhere. 'Personhood and Christianity' will be of great interest to all involved in Christian leadership and in the caring services of Church and society generally, to those training for ministry and to everyone engaged in pastoral counselling and therapy. The Author: With a degree from Cambridge in history and theology, Oliver Forshaw was trained for ordination at the Queen's College, Birmingham. Having served parishes in Singapore, Yorkshire, and Cumbria, he was longest in a large Urban Priority Area parish in Manchester where he set up along with R.C. and Methodist colleagues a counselling and community work project. He also led Clinical Theology seminars and served on a regional panel of counsellors for ministers and their families. This experience increased his awareness of the need for psychodynamic therapy for clerg

A panoramic history of Puritanism in England, Scotland, and New England This book is a sweeping transatlantic history of Puritanism from its emergence out of the religious tumult of Elizabethan England to its founding role in the story of America. Shedding critical new light on the diverse forms of Puritan belief and practice in England, Scotland, and New England, David Hall provides a multifaceted account of a cultural movement that judged the Protestant reforms of Elizabeth's reign to be unfinished. Hall's vivid and wide-ranging narrative describes the movement's deeply ambiguous triumph under Oliver Cromwell, its political demise with the Restoration of the English monarchy in 1660, and its perilous migration across the Atlantic to establish a "perfect reformation" in the New World. A breathtaking work of scholarship by an eminent historian, The Puritans examines the tribulations and doctrinal dilemmas that led to the fragmentation and eventual decline of Puritanism. It presents a compelling portrait of a religious and political movement that was divided virtually from the start. In England, some wanted to dismantle the Church of England entirely and others were more cautious, while Puritans in Scotland were divided between those willing to work with a troublesome king and others insisting on the independence of the state church. This monumental book traces how Puritanism was a catalyst for profound cultural changes in the early modern Atlantic world, opening the door for other dissenter groups such as the Baptists and the Quakers, and leaving its enduring mark on what counted as true religion in America.

"The old way of "being church"-measured by political influence, money, and congregants in the pews-may indeed be vanishing, but it is being replaced by something new and beautiful for those with the eyes, ears, heart, and soul to experience it. Prolific author Greg Garrett reminds Episcopalians of the many gifts that our tradition can offer a doubting and hurting world. He reveals a church that values intellect, beauty, diversity, and community, and promotes thoughtful engagement with questions of faith, ethics, and community. This church espouses a generous orthodoxy, welcoming left and right, mystic and doubter. It values education, social justice, and engagement with literature and culture. And in opposition to the radical individualism espoused by most of American Protestantism, it offers the unique gift of a tradition shaped by English culture that believes the individual is a part of her or his community-not in opposition to it."

Blackness, as a concept, is extremely fluid: it can refer to cultural and ethnic identity, socio-political status, an aesthetic and embodied way of being, a social and political consciousness, or a diasporic kinship. It is used as a description of skin color ranging from the palest cream to the richest chocolate; as a marker of enslavement, marginalization, criminality, filth, or evil; or as a symbol of pride, beauty, elegance, strength, and depth. Despite the fact that it is elusive and difficult to define, blackness serves as one of the most potent and unifying domains of identity. God and Blackness offers an ethnographic study of blackness as it is understood within a specific community--that of the First Afrikan Church, a middle-class Afrocentric congregation in Atlanta, Georgia. Drawing on nearly two years of participant observation and in‑depth interviews, Andrea C. Abrams examines how this community has employed Afrocentrism and Black theology as a means of negotiating the unreconciled natures of thoughts and ideals that are part of being both black and American. Specifically, Abrams examines the ways in which First Afrikan's construction of community is influenced by shared understandings of blackness, and probes the means through which individuals negotiate the tensions created by competing constructions of their black identity. Although Afrocentrism operates as the focal point of this discussion, the book examines questions of political identity, religious expression and gender dynamics through the lens of a unique black church.

These chapters explore how a religious minority not only gained a toehold in countries of exile, but also wove itself into their political, social, and religious fabric. The way for the refugees' departure from France was prepared through correspondence and the cultivation of commercial, military, scholarly and familial ties. On arrival at their destinations immigrants exploited contacts made by compatriots and co-religionists who had preceded them to find employment. London, a hub for the "Protestant international" from the reign of Elizabeth I, provided openings for tutors and journalists. Huguenot financial skills were at the heart of the early Bank of England; Huguenot reporting disseminated unprecedented information on the workings of the Westminster Parliament; Huguenot networks became entwined with English political factions. Webs of connection were transplanted and reconfigured in Ireland. With their education and international contacts, refugees were indispensable as diplomats to Protestant rulers in northern Europe. They operated monetary transfers across borders and as fund-raisers, helped alleviate the plight of persecuted co-religionists. Meanwhile, French ministers in London attempted to hold together an exceptionally large community of incomers against heresy and the temptations of assimilation. This is a story of refugee networks perpetuated, but also interpenetrated and remade.

'The Seventh-day Men' was a title given by contemporaries in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to an emerging body of Christians who observed Saturday, rather than Sunday, as the divinely appointed day of rest and worship. This is an extensively revised edition of the first fully documented account of the Sabbatarian movement and how it spread over England and Wales in the two centuries following the Reformation. Drawing on many rare manuscripts and printed works, Dr Ball provides clear evidence that this Christian movement was far more widespread than is often recognized, appearing in more than thirty counties. The author analyses the movement by tracking down its origins as far back as the Celtic tradition, showing its first appearance as 'modern' Sabbatarianism around 1402, and finally exploring its decline in the eighteenth century. As the first comprehensive study of the subject, this book establishes this movement as a significant strand of thought in the history of English Nonconformity, with considerable influence on the religious life of the period. The first comprehensive study of the history of the Sabbatarian movement in England and Wales, this book is an invaluable source for church historians and all those interested in the religious developments of the early modern period.

What if there was a key that made every prayer more effective--something that would bring all prayers into agreement with the heart of God every single time? This type of praying does exist, says bestselling author and prophetic leader James W. Goll, and it's called prophetic intercession. It is the humble act of holding the needs of people before God while leaning into God's heart for them. There is nothing mystical or elite about this kind of praying, and it's for the new Christian and the most seasoned prayer warrior. All you need is to learn to lean into your heavenly Father and pray what you see and hear in alignment with his heart, empowered by the Holy Spirit. God wants you to align your heart with his. He wants you to pray more effectively in these turbulent times, and he wants you to help usher in the fullness of his purposes on the earth. Are you ready?

Hopeful Message for the Days Ahead from a Bestselling Author The future of this planet has never looked bleaker . . . or brighter. The darkest time in all of history, as well as the most brilliant for the people of God, lies before us. Jesus' own words about the wheat and the weeds warn us of this: "Let both grow together until the harvest." In a hopeful, inspiring call to action, bestselling author and pastor Don Finto challenges believers the world over to become radical, God-empowering, miracle-working, people-rescuing followers of Jesus as the final harvest nears. Delving into Scripture, he shows how we can prepare for the exciting possibilities of the days ahead, including how to press into the light, shine more brightly in the deepening darkness, protect ourselves during the ultimate Passover, watch for the signs of Jesus' return, wrestle for victory, and more! Evil may be on the rise. But even greater is God's army--and our best days lie ahead.

A captivating first-person look at one of the world's most powerful prosperity dynasties that offers a unique perspective on greed, the Church, and the journey toward Truth. Millions desperate for hope and solutions are enticed by the promise of the prosperity gospel--that God will do whatever they need with just a little faith and a financial gift. All the while, prosperity preachers exploit the poor and needy to stockpile their riches. What can followers of the true gospel do to combat the deception? Through a remarkable and fascinating journey, Costi Hinn went from a next-generation prosperity preacher to the first to abandon the family faith and share the true gospel. Nephew of the world-famous televangelist, Benny Hinn, Costi had a front-row seat to the inner workings and theology of the prosperity gospel. But as Costi's faith deepened, so did his questions about prosperity teaching. As the deceptions in his past were exposed, Costi came face to face with the hypocrisy and devastation caused by his belief system, and the overwhelming truth about the real Jesus Christ. This captivating look into the daily lives of one of the world's leading prosperity dynasties offers a thoughtful perspective on the perils of greed, the power of the true gospel, and hope for the future of the global church. Through real-life stories, Costi challenges and equips readers to be living lights pointing the way to the true gospel and the saving grace of Christ. God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel will bolster your faith and encourage your own journey toward the Truth. Spanish edition also available.

The history of the twentieth century is one of modernization, a story of old ways being left behind. Many traditionalist Mennonites rejected these changes, especially the automobile, which they regarded as a symbol of pride and individualism. They became known as a ""horse-and-buggy"" people. Between 2009 and 2012, Royden Loewen and a team of researchers interviewed 250 Mennonites in thirty-five communities across the Americas about the impact of the modern world on their lives. This book records their responses and strategies for resisting the very things-ease, technology, upward mobility, consumption-that most people today take for granted.Loewen's subjects are drawn from two distinctive groups: 8,000 Old Order Mennonites, who continue to pursue old ways in highly urbanized southern Ontario, and 100,000 Old Colony Mennonites, whose history of migration to protect traditional ways has taken them from the Canadian prairies to Mexico and farther south to Belize, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Whether they live in the shadow of an urban, industrial region or in more isolated, rural communities, the fundamental approach of ""horse-and-buggy"" Mennonites is the same: life is best when it is kept simple, lived out in the local, close to nature. This equation is the genius at the heart of their world.

Wisdom and Humor from the Front Porch

Master storyteller Philip Gulley shares tender and hilarious real-life moments that capture the important truths of everyday life.

When Philip Gulley began writing newsletter essays for the twelve members of his Quaker meeting in Indiana, he had no idea one of them would find its way to radio commentator Paul Harvey Jr. and be read on the air to 24 million people. Fourteen books later, with more than a million books in print, Gulley still entertains as well as inspires from his small-town front porch.

The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism offers a fresh, up-to-date, and accessible introduction to Quakerism. Quakerism is founded on radical ideas and its history of constancy and change offers fascinating insights into the nature of non-conformity. In a series of eighteen essays written by an international team of scholars, and commissioned especially for this volume, the Companion covers the history of Quakerism from its origins to the present day. Employing a range of methodologies, it features sections on the history of Quaker faith and practice, expressions of Quaker faith, regional studies, and emerging spiritualities. It also examines all branches of Quakerism, including evangelical, liberal, and conservative, as well as non-theist Quakerism and convergent Quaker thought. This Companion will serve as an essential resource for all interested in Quaker thought and practice.

Jesus Christ was both the unique Son of God-the Messiah foretold in Scripture-and a man of his time and culture. Charts of the Gospels and the Life of Christ helps you to know him better by clearly organizing the facts that surrounded his life. Whether you're a student, pastor, teacher, or simply someone who wants to take your study of the Bible deeper, this book helps you to see Jesus from a variety of perspectives. Divided into four sections, notable topics include: A Harmonistic Overview of the Four Gospels Sections Found in All Four Gospels Old Testament Citations in the Gospels Roman Rulers of the Land Where Christ Lived Periods of the Life of Christ Christ's Parables in the Presence/Absence of His Enemies The Kingdom in the Teachings of Jesus and the Gospels ZondervanCharts are ready references for those who need the essential information at their fingertips. Accessible and highly useful, the books in this library offer clear organization and thorough summaries of issues, subjects, and topics that are key for Christian students and learners. The visuals and captions will cater to any teaching methodology, style, or program.