The five appearances of bishop lists in the early church mark the principal points at which apostolic succession of bishops emerged and developed into a crucial and well defined doctrine. Walter Bauer long ago termed these lists, legitimately if not charitably, oliterary propaganda.o This study delves into the political struggles surrounding the lists and the doctrine they served to define. The ancient Mediterranean world established legitimacy of authority in social institutions, whether Roman, Greek, Jewish, or Christian, by citing successions of leaders. In early catholic churches, apostolic succession was the linchpin in the three opillarso of tradition, succession, and canon. It guaranteed the first and assured interpretation of the third. A social history approach reveals political intrigue at every point of the development of the doctrine of apostolic succession. In crises of the first century, the New Testament recorded (monepiscopal?) bishops and succession, and Ignatius and 1 Clement make monepiscopacy and apostolic succession explicit. In the second and third centuries, writers employed episcopal successions in reaction to subsequent struggles with heresy and schism. By the fourth century, Eusebius employed succession lists for apologetic and edification. Ecclesiastical politics in each case reflects the threat to the bishopAEs authority and clarifies the meaning of apostolic succession in the ChurchAEs development. This social history approach, examining the function of the literature within its historical circumstances, reveals how theology developed from politics. The development is as gripping politically as it is illuminating theologically. Robert Lee Williams is Professor of Biblical Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He has written a number of articles focused on New Testament and patristic topics from the vantage point of social-scientific methodology. Accordingly, Williams has been active in the SBL Social World of Early Christianity, the North American Patristics Society, the International Conference on Patristic Studies, and the Seminar on the Development of Early Catholic Christianity, and the American Society of Church History. Bishop Lists: Formation of Apostolic Succession of Bishops in Ecclesiastical Crises is a revision of his doctoral dissertation in New Testament and Early Christian Literature completed under Robert M. Grant at the University of Chicag

Drawing from principles and analogies in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and sports fitness training, Dr. Cosenza offers a bold and time-honored spiritual direction for shifting our values so as to maximize valor and resilience. This book is a carefully researched guide for personal and professional growth that systematically helps us to move away from a crisis to healthy and valiant living. On a 25-year quest for the meaning of "selfvalue," the author/psychologist unveils the biblical origin and characteristics of "spiritual valueness." Describing crises as imbalances of spiritual values, Dr. Cosenza explains types and subtypes of spiritual crises so that we can overcome life's pressuring circumstances. A step-wise spiritual fitness training model is presented that employs biblically based balance exercises to prevent, evaluate, and correct specific critical conditions. This unique form of spiritual fitness has major applications for individuals in need as well as spiritual leaders, mental health professionals, and health fitness trainers.

The book of Proverbs is one of the most informative books of the Bible; however, it is not structurally friendly. Now you can have the vital information contained in this book in a format useful for transforming your mind so that your life will reflect the changes. Use this book in your daily Bible studies and as a tutorial for your children. Once you have been given the knowledge, you can begin following instructions of the Lord. "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

It may seem astonishing to some that there is a need for reprinting a 14-year old dissertation, but the fact is that the book is exactly as relevant to scholars today as it was in 1993. It still represents the world's largest database to compare the responsories of the Office of the Dead in more than 2,000 sources. Since the order of these responsories differed from church to church, this order can be used to localize medieval and Renaissance liturgical books. The book is therefore an absolute necessity for everyone who conducts research on the area it covers. Put differently, the book reveals 'the geography of the concept of death' in Europe from the 9th-16th centuries from a theological, liturgical, ecclesiastical, musical and political perspective - seen from one particular liturgical office: The Office of the Dead.

"The Journey of a Christian Counselor" is written for the individual who feels drawn by the Holy Spirit to counsel, with or without formal training in the profession. It is a story within a story, a chronology of the spiritual and professional journey of a young woman searching for the meaning of a vision that she saw at the birth of her son. This vision changed her life, but it was not until the brutal death of her son that she gained the courage to release the vision and accept its purpose in her life.

Conspiracy theories are a ubiquitous feature of our times. The Handbook of Conspiracy Theories and Contemporary Religion is the first reference work to offer a comprehensive, transnational overview of this phenomenon along with in-depth discussions of how conspiracy theories relate to religion(s). Bringing together experts from a wide range of disciplines, from psychology and philosophy to political science and the history of religions, the book sets the standard for the interdisciplinary study of religion and conspiracy theories.

A remarkable history of the powerful and influential social gospel movement. The global crises of child labor, alcoholism and poverty were all brought to our attention through the social gospel movement. Its impact on American society makes it one of the most influential developments in American religious history. Christopher H. Evans traces the development of the social gospel in American Protestantism, and illustrates how the religious idealism of the movement also rose up within Judaism and Catholicism. Contrary to the works of previous historians, Evans demonstrates how the presence of the social gospel continued in American culture long after its alleged demise following World War I. Evans reveals the many aspects of the social gospel and their influence on a range of social movements during the twentieth century, culminating with the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. It also explores the relationship between the liberal social gospel of the early twentieth century and later iterations of social reform in late twentieth century evangelicalism. The Social Gospel in American Religion considers an impressive array of historical figures including Washington Gladden, Emil Hirsch, Frances Willard, Reverdy Ransom, Walter Rauschenbusch, Stephen Wise, John Ryan, Harry Emerson Fosdick, A.J. Muste, Georgia Harkness, and Benjamin Mays. It demonstrates how these figures contributed to the shape of the social gospel in America, while arguing that the movement's legacy lies in its profound influence on broader traditions of liberal-progressive political reform in American history.

Galileo. Newton. Darwin. These giants are remembered for their great contributions to one of the most important phenomena in world history: science. But what is often forgotten is the profound influence on their lives and works of that other great phenomenon of Western Culture: Christianity. This book, the first volume in the Greenwood Guides to Science and Religion, explores the many ways in which religion—its ideas, attitudes, practices, and institutions—interacted with science from the beginnings of the Scientific Revolution to the end of the 19th century. Infused with the most up-to-date scholarship, the volume is aimed at the nonspecialist audience, explaining in clear language how inextricably linked science and religion have been during most of the last 500 years. While discussing how science and religion occasionally clashed, this volume also explores the positive interactions these two institutions have experienced during this seminal period in Western history. The Christian Humanism of the 16th century promoted the new, utilitarian approach to natural knowledge that distinguishes Modern from Medieval science. The Jesuits were instrumental in the development of the experimental and mathematical sciences during the Scientific Revolution. In the 17th century, the English Puritans advocated alchemical science and their opponents, liberal Anglicans, promoted a new, mechanistic approach to the sciences. The geological advances of the 19th century were often religiously motivated; the discoveries of biblical criticism of the same period were inspired by the science of the day. This volume includes a selection of primary source documents to help readers understand the arguments and beliefs of the people of the time, and an annotated bibliography to assist readers in finding further information on the topics.

Few issues today cause more public - and private - debate than the interaction of homosexuality and religion. From the question of gay marriage to the place of gays and lesbians within faith communities, religious leaders and lay members must deal with these issues for now and for years to come. What is the historical position of the major denominations? How are people of faith balancing their beliefs? This encyclopedia provides an overview of the various attitudes and responses that religions have had to the presence of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons within their communities. This is the most comprehensive volume to date on the intersections between religion and homosexuality. The coverage in Homosexuality and Religion: An Encylopedia is comprehensive: Synthetic overview essays examine topics such as "Homosexuality, Religion, and the Law," "Homosexuality, Religion, and the Biological Sciences," and "Homosexuality, Religion, and the Social Sciences." The A-Z entries cover a wide range of religious traditions across the world. From "African American Churches" to "Buddhism," "Episcopalians," "Hinduism," "Islam," "Judaism," "the Metropolitan Community Church," "Mormonism," "Presbyterians," "the Roman Catholic Church," "Seventh Day Adventists," "Southern Baptist Churches," "Unitarian Universalist," and more. Entries contain significant bibliographic references, including websites, for further study Homosexuality and Religion treats the complete cross-section of religious traditions and their understanding of and approaches to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons.

UK Christian Book Award finalist (2003)

The discovery and imparting of knowledge are the essential undertakings of any university. Such purposes determined John Carroll, SJ's modest and surprisingly ecumenical proposal to establish an academy on the banks of the Potomac for the education of the young in the early republic. What began earnestly in 1789 still continues today: the idea of Georgetown University as a Catholic university situated squarely in the American experience.

Beautifully designed with over 300 illustrations and photographs, "A History of Georgetown University" tells the remarkable story of the administrators, boards, faculty, students, and programs that have made Georgetown a leading institution of higher education. With a keen eye for detail, historian Robert Emmett Curran -- a member of the Georgetown community for over three decades -- explores the broader perspective of Georgetown's sense of identity and its place in American culture.

Volume One traces Georgetown's evolution during its first century, from its beginnings as an academy within the American Catholic community of the Revolutionary War era through its flowering as a college before the Civil War to its postbellum achievements as a university. Volume Two highlights the efforts of administrators and faculty over the next seventy-five years to make Georgetown an ascending and increasingly diverse institution with a range of graduate programs and professional schools. Volume Three examines Georgetown's remarkable rise to prominence as an internationally recognized research university -- both culturally engaged and cosmopolitan while remaining grounded in its Catholic and Jesuit character.

Each volume features numerous illustrations, photographs, and appendices that include student demographics, enrollments, and lists of board members.

Sacred Dreams & Life Limiting Illness is about friendship. It is about soul-friendship and the writer's two decade experience as an Anam Cara (soul friend), Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor to persons with life-limiting illnesses. Many people living with a life-limiting illness report dream intensification and acceleration as their medical condition progresses. This book examines the psychological and spiritual significance of end-of-life dreams and how these dreams can be transformative to those searching for meaning and psychospiritual-healing in the midst of a terminal illness. The book also investigates the therapeutic value of dream therapy as a method that helps persons more effectively interface and process the existential and psychospiritual distress that accompanies life-limiting illness. Finally, this work explores through case studies how dreams can connect patients and clients to an authentic experience of the Divine and the Holy.