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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious institutions & organizations
Constantina, daughter of the fourth-century emperor Constantine who
so famously converted to Christianity, deserves a place of her own
in the history of Christianity. As both poet and church-builder,
she was an early patron of the Roman cult of the virgin martyr
Agnes and was buried ad sanctam in a sumptuously mosaicked
mausoleum that still stands. What has been very nearly forgotten is
that the twice-married Constantina also came to be viewed as a
virgin saint in her own right, said to have been converted and
healed of leprosy by Saint Agnes. This volume publishes for the
first time critical editions and English translations of three
Latin hagiographies dedicated to the empress, offering an
introduction and commentaries to contextualize these virtually
unknown works. The earliest and longest of them is the anonymous
Life of Saint Constantina likely dating to the mid or late sixth
century, reflecting a female monastic setting and featuring both a
story of pope Silvester's instruction of Constantina and a striking
dialogue between Constantina and twelve virgins who offer speeches
in praise of virginity as the summum bonum. A second, slightly
later work, On the Feast of Saint Constantia (the misnaming of the
saint reflecting common confusion), is a more streamlined account
apparently tailored for liturgical use in early seventh-century
Rome; this text is reworked and expanded by the twelfth-century
Roman scholar Nicolaus Maniacoria in his Life of the Blessed
Constantia, including a question-and-answer dialogue between
Constantina and her two virginal charges Attica and Artemia. These
works will be of great interest to students of late ancient and
medieval saints' cults, hagiography, monasticism, and women's
history.
Vita Communis - 'the common life' - is the term used for community
life among priests and other clerics, as opposed to monks and
friars. While monasticism is familiar, few are aware that pastoral
('secular') priests have lived in communities for most of the
Church's history. Many people have suggested that they could do so
again, and that this might help with some of the problems facing
solitary priests in the modern world. By exploring what was done in
the past, we can suggest what might work in the future, learning
from the successes as well as the failures of previous priestly
communities. The story of secular canons in the Western Church, as
opposed to those who were canons in religious orders, has often
been told in terms of their contribution to architecture,
literature, and the apostolate. Here, however, the author, building
on his earlier work devoted to the medieval rules governing the
secular common life, has provided a narrative of the essential
shape of the canonical life from its origins down to the present
time, and this for a general readership. He thus demonstrates the
persistent desire of many secular clergy to live in community. At a
time when priests are fewer and more isolated, this work will
provide useful models for developing structures of mutual support
for the secular clergy of our time. Abbot Geoffrey Scott
Rediscover the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit upon women in
ministry in The Christian and Missionary Alliance! Anointed Women
reveals the remarkable stories of women used by God in amazing ways
and documents hundreds of women who served as Alliance pastors,
evangelists, and teachers, planted hundreds of churches, and led
thousands of people to salvation in Christ, healing, and a deeper
Christian life. -- "A deeply researched history and carefully
nuanced analysis. . . . Such a moderate voice should be given
careful attention by every reader."-Dr. Franklin Pyles, President,
The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Canada / / "An invaluable
record of rich treasures. . . . a call to the C&MA to reclaim
its heritage of 'unity in essentials, freedom in non-essentials,
and charity in all things.'" -Leslie Andrews, Ph.D., VP of Academic
Affairs/Provost, Asbury Theological Seminary
Whether youa (TM)re a layperson or a professional counselor,
Helping Those Who Hurt will help you care for others encountering
life crises such as:
a [ illness, hospitalization, and death
a [ a troubled marriage
a [ addiction
a [ suicide
With a biblically based approach, this groundbreaking textbook for
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Two groups were persecuted over four hundred years in what is now
the south-western United States, each dissimulating and disguising
who they truly were. Both now declare their true identities, yet
raise hostility. The Penitentes are a lay Catholic brotherhood that
practised bloody rites of self-flagellation and crucifixion, but
claim this is a misrepresentation and that they are a community and
charitable organisation. Marranos, an ambiguous and complicated
population of Sephardic descendants, claim to be anousim. Both
people have a complex, shared history. This book disentangles the
web, redefines the terms, and creates new contexts in which these
groups are viewed with respect and sympathy without idealising or
slandering them. It uses rabbinics, literary analyses,
psychohistory, and cultural anthropology to consolidate a history
of mentalities.
In "Understanding the Dalai Lama", Rajiv Mehrotra brings together a
range of contributors who offer insights into different facets of
His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. Pico Iyer draws a
portrait of a disarming man with an infectious laugh, Robert
Thurman gives us a glimpse of the Dalai Lama's spiritual
development, and Matthieu Ricard describes a day in the life of His
Holiness. The Dalai Lama's deep curiosity, keen insight and high
level of scientific sophistication are revealed by Daniel Goleman,
while Thupten Jinpa recounts the Dalai Lama's passion for Tibet's
thousand-year-old intellectual tradition of logic and philosophical
debates. The book also includes a syllable by syllable translation
of the Dalai Lama's full name by Jeffrey Hopkins, a poem by U.R.
Ananthamurthy and an extended interview with His Holiness by Rajiv
Mehrotra.
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To successfully help those under our care, we must address the
complete person. The person must be balanced in the areas of his or
her spiritual, personal, family, and community views. An incorrect
view of God can be as damaging as an imbalance of view of self. As
counselors we must attend to all of these areas. It is no mistake
that the New Testament word "save" means to heal. Salvation means
to make a person whole, complete, and healthy. It is the absence of
all that warps or blights the human personality and prevents full
fellowship with God. Those who minister to others are strung up
between heaven and earth, trying to ease pain and stop the cycle of
hurt. To reach people the counselor must understand and be
compassionate. He must see things from angles previously unknown to
him. He must look at our hurting brothers and sisters and be able
to understand why they made their decisions. This does not mean he
would agree with them, only that he is familiar with their "type"
of person and how they "tick." This knowledge will allow us to know
how to minister to their needs.
This book examines the history of sexuality as a sacramental act.
In spite of our culture's recent sexual liberalisations, sexual
intimacy often remains unfulfilling. Georg Feuerstein instructs
that the fulfilment we long for in our sex lives can only be
attained once we have explored the spiritual depths of our erotic
natures. Feuerstein delves into a wide variety of spiritual
traditions--including Christianity, Judaism, goddess worship,
Taoism, and Hinduism--in search of sacred truths regarding
sexuality. He reveals that all of these great teachings share the
hidden message that spirituality is, in essence, erotic and that
sexuality is inherently spiritual. From the erotic cult of the
Great Mother and the archaic ritual of heiros gamos (sacred
marriage) to the institution of sacred prostitution and the erotic
spirituality practiced in the mystery traditions, Feuerstein offers
a wealth of historical practices and perspectives that serve as the
bases for a positive sexual spirituality suited to our contemporary
needs.
Heideggers Ontologie endet beim "Aufgang des Heiligen", in dessen
"Huld" das Seiende "die Gewahr findet, zu sein". Ist dies nicht
eine schoepferische Liebe? Und ist nicht sie schon immer der
Referenzpunkt alles Bleibenden? Die Untersuchung verbindet die
Seinsfrage mit dem christlichen Kern. Sie harmonieren
ausgezeichnet, ist doch dem einen Weite, dem anderen Substanz
gegeben. Profiteur ist ein Sein, das zum Mysterium geraten war. Das
Sein in Relation ist wieder ein begreifbares, - das real
Existierende, das nach seiner Bejahung fragt. Der Autor wendet die
bekannte Frage, ob Heideggers Philosophie christlich sei, dahin, ob
die getrennten Konfessionen es denn sind. Denn was sie predigen -
das neue Sein der Liebe und Versoehnung - will auch gelebt sein.
Wann wird die Theorie ihren oekumenischen Praxistest bestehen? Ein
Christentum, das mit sich selbst ins Reine kommt, wird auch seiner
Seins-Verantwortung gerecht.
Islam has become a potent political force around the world since it
reemerged in the late 1960's and 1970's as a religio-political
alternative to failed nationalist ideologies. In countries
throughout the world, individuals and movements have attempted to
reconstruct the political, economic, and social dimensions of their
societies along Islamic lines, taking different approaches to the
shari`a and to the questions of whether and how to establish an
Islamic state. Key Islamic Political Thinkers offers an examination
of some of the leading intellectuals behind the resurgence of
political Islam. The essays in this volume cover a selection of
thinkers that is representative of the main strands of contemporary
Muslim political thought. It starts with the forefathers of
contemporary political Islam, Hasan al-Banna and Abu al A`la
al-Mawdudi, analyzes the revolutionary ideas of Sayyid Qutb, Ali
Shari`ati, and Ayatollah Khomeini, and ends with the
"intellectuals" of political Islam, Hassan al-Turabi, Rashid
al-Ghannoushi, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Muhammad Khatami, and Abdolkarim
Soroush, who exemplify the diversity and complexity of contemporary
Muslim political discourse. This volume provides a valuable guide
to the most important intellectual architects of the Islamic
revival.
"Good Sex is a pioneering effort to create an interreligious
dialogue specifically on sexuality. . . . It] is the realization of
efforts by concerned feminists to talk across national and
religious borders in the name of social justice."-VOLUNTUS,
International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
"This collection of essays is a useful addition to contemporary
post-colonial, post-Beijing women's studies courses that seek to
integrate a plurality of cultural and religious perspectives into
the discourse on women's sexuality. . . . The volume is very
helpful in communicating a sense of the history or feminist
discourse and the effects of globalization on that discourse. . . .
And everyone smiles when they hear the title of the book."-Journal
of Contemporary Religion "This groundbreaking collection of 11
articles by women from eight countries and seven religious
traditions challenges male-defined ideas of sexuality that have
constricted women by denying them pleasure and autonomous agency
and threatening their well-being and, sometimes, lives. . . . While
the contributors do not always agree, they do recognize the
importance of global and interdisciplinary perspectives and affirm
the tension women experience when they work for change from within
a repressive tradition. Recommended." -Library Journal "The
collection as a whole makes both an explicit and implicit case for
culture, and not religion, being the primary source of
undertandings of sex as solely for reproduction, and illustrates
religions that have always recognized other purposes (Judaism,
Islam) as well as religions which have come to recognize other
purposes (Christianity). . . . A very useful collection in terms of
both the data is provides and its methodological
reflection."-Conscience "At this most timely moment in history,
Good Sex] presents diverse and supremely intelligent perspectives
on the systematic terrorizing of women through sexual slavery,
marital rape, domestic violence, and rules of behavior designed to
numb mind, body, and spirit. . . . At the same time, the major
message of the book is one of optimism. It offers eloquent language
for redefining sexual pleasure beyond immediate, goal-oriented
gratification and for discussing ethical principles that locate sex
at the center of public policy, not only in the bedroom or the
family law courts. . . . Good Sex] contains insightful arguments
for sexual justice, inviting us to rethink and expand our stock
definitions of what constitutes good sex, or even sex itself, and
to reevaluate the contexts in which such redefined sex can be
enjoyed. This collection of essays deserves to be on the shelf of
every library on the planet as well as standard issue in women's
study courses and all courses dealing with sexuality, spirituality,
and religion."-The Journal of Sex Research "Good Sex is a rare gem.
It opens doors of inquiry into feminism, religion, and
sexuality-exploring terrain that is vital to the human rights of
women and men. It invites passionate debate and will no doubt
become a classic."-Charlotte Bunch, executive director, Center for
Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers University What is "good sex" in
the globalized world of the twenty-first century? This volume
brings together essays by feminist scholars from different
religions and cultures to consider how women are redefining
sexuality for the common good. The essays explore sexual and social
restrictions on women; religiously and socially acceptable avenues
of sexual expression; constructions of sexual identities; and
attitudes toward women's sexual desires. How is sexual desire
constructed within specific cultural and religious contexts? What
sacrifices must women make (and how do they make them) simply to
have sexual lives? What options and strategies are available to
women to dissolve the many restrictions imposed on their sexuality?
These are some of the questions being explored.
Research shows that non-responsive patients benefit significantly
from spiritual and pastoral care. This book equips chaplains with
the confidence and skills to deliver excellent care in this
challenging context. With exercises, worksheets, small group
activities and case studies, it sets out how best to use words and
body language, foster trust and respect, and involve patients'
loved ones. It provides practical ways to recognise and affirm the
humanity of the patient, and how to engage with the patient by
employing skills of listening and presence.
What does it mean to provide leadership for the church in an
increasingly secular context? When religion is privatized and
secularism reigns in the public square, Christians are often drawn
toward either individualist escapism or constant cultural warfare.
But might this context instead offer a fresh invitation for the
church to adapt and thrive? Gordon Smith is passionate about the
need for capable, mature leaders to navigate and respond to a
changing society. In this book, he draws on his extensive
experience as a university president, pastor, and international
speaker to open a multidisciplinary conversation about the
competencies and capacities essential for today's leaders. After
analyzing the phenomenon of secularization in the West and charting
common Christian responses, Smith introduces four sources of wisdom
to help guide us through this new terrain: the people and prophets
of Judah during the Babylonian exile, the early church in its pagan
environment, contemporary churches across the Global South, and
Christian thinkers in post-Christian Europe. From these resources
he identifies practices and strategies-from liturgy and catechesis
to mission and hospitality-that can give shape to faithful,
alternative communities in such a time as this. In cultures fraught
with fear and division, Smith calls for leaders who can effect
change from the margins, promote unity and maturity among
Christians, and provide a non-anxious presence grounded in the
presence of Christ. Educators, church leaders, and those seeking to
understand the times will find this book to be an indispensable
resource for cultivating distinctively Christian leadership.
These five essays investigating questions relative to women
religious becoming ordained deacons first appeared in Global
Sisters Report. Each essay presents themes garnered during years of
research and consultation with women religious around the world,
and addresses questions such as: Why should women religious
consider the diaconate? What are the canonical implications of
ordination? Would ordination assist the ministry of women?
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