While much work has been done to apply anthropological insights to the study of missions, the sociological perspective has been generally neglected by missiologists. This volume defines the sociology of missions as a discrete subdiscipline within the sociology of religion and provides a working set of conceptual resources for those involved in mission work to use in furthering their understanding of their task. The author reviews the major areas of sociology that are most relevant to missions and presents his findings as a basis for discussion and a stimulus to further exploration of relevant sociological concepts and theories. One of his main goals is to increase dialogue between missiologists and sociologists of religion, by providing the former with a sociological perspective and the latter with a deeper understanding of the missionary enterprise.

"My wife and I had filed for divorce when Chris shared the materials in this book. That was more than five years ago. Now we are not just married, we are living happily ever after."

-Tim Quintario, a happy husband

Statistics say that fifty-two percent of marriages end in divorce and that more than half the children in America do not have a father figure in their life.

This is a tragedy, but it's one that can be remedied one husband at a time-starting with you. In "21 Days to Happily Ever After," author Chris Broughton presents a twenty-one day program for Christian husbands centering on nine responsibilities designed to help strengthen marriages.

A compilation of lessons learned during Broughton's thirty-two years of marriage and fifteen years of ministering to marriages, this guide offers a series of biblical truths to help men become better leaders, providers, lovers, warriors, advocates, standard bearers, forgivers, reconcilers, and intercessors.

With engaging stories and appropriate analogies, "21 Days to Happily Ever After" communicates what God expects of every man and shows you how to apply these principles to everyday life in order to live happily ever after with your wife.

Forgiveness is a function of the heart and the mind. It is a process that closes the door of anger and resentment, and is meant to be shared with others. The "spirit of forgiveness" covers all transgression of the past and present, and extends into the unknown of the future. The spirit of forgiveness is conclusive. Although it may challenge beyond the convenience of human nature, its process is essential in the life of the believer and is declared through the word of God. It can be achieved with a made up mind and a willing heart. Free yourself and release others. Forgiveness liberates and regenerates love. Try it. It works From the author's desk, My personal trials sparked a deep interest in the behavior of the believer's journey. We are all challenged with forgiveness. Forgiveness can make the difference between life and death. I choose life I made a decision to "forgive" myself and others. It is requiring a diligent effort to get up and try again, sometimes over and over again. Although challenging at times, I've come too far to turn back now. I am an overcomer and so are you. The Lord is faithful Just believe Him

In recent years, there has been a growing academic acknowledgment around the world of a contemporary Buddhist phenomenon described as Engaged, or Socially Engaged Buddhism (SEB). It is a contested phenomenon variously associated with finding Buddhist solutions for social, political and ecological problems. The debate about its origins, practice and legitimacy has stirred academics and practitioners alike. Firstly, does such an approach to Buddhist practice constitute a departure with the past, in which case a new expression of an ancient practice is being experienced all around us? Or is this really a continuity of practice, adapted to inform current understanding given that some would describe Buddhism as always having been engaged? Adaptation and Developments in Western Buddhism examines the UK Socially Engaged Buddhist experience captured through a series of five case studies of Buddhist groups and a survey undertaken over two years in the field. The volume is a ground-breaking and benchmark analysis of Socially Engaged Buddhism in the UK, drawing for the first time on evidence from practitioner's experiences with which to characterise the previously dichotomous academic debate. Ultimately, the volume locates Socially Engaged Buddhism in the UK and places it within the broader and global context of an emerging "Western Buddhism", characterising the phenomenon and its relationships to the wider Buddhist world.

Much more than a particular period in world history, modernity has fundamentally transformed how we think and live, and especially how we understand and relate to religious traditions. As the 'ghetto walls' have fallen, both empirically and metaphorically, Judaism is compelled to compete in an open marketplace of ideas. Jews can no longer count on an assumedly necessary Jewish identity or commitment, nor on the rallying force of anti-Semitism to ensure an individual and collective sense of belonging. Rather Jewish moral, spiritual and historical values and ideas must be read with new eyes and challenged to address modernity's proliferating array of questions and realities. The pertinent questions modern Jewry faces are how to embrace modernity as Jews and what such an embrace means for the meaning and future of Jewish life. This collection of essays, authored by scholars of the Shalom Hartman Institute, addresses three critical challenges posed to Judaism by modernity: the challenge of ideas, the challenge of diversity, and the challenge of statehood, and provides insights and ideas for the future direction of Judaism. Providing readers with new insights into Judaism and the Jewish people in contemporary times, the collection explores a wide range of issues that includes: the significance of Israel for the future of Judaism; the Jewish people as a people; the relationship between monotheism and violence; revelation and ethics; Judaism and the feminist challenge; and Judaism and homosexuality.

In the long history of the monotheistic tradition, violence - often bloody with warfare - have not just been occasional but defining activities. Since 9/11, sociologists, religious historians, philosophers and anthropologists have examined the question of the roots of religious violence in new ways, and with surprising results. In November 2004, the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion brought together leading theorists at Cornell University to explore the question whether religions are viral forms of a general cultural tendency to violent action. Do religions, and especially the Abrahamic tradition, encourage violence in the imagery of their sacred writings, in their theology, and their tendency to see the world as a cosmos divided between powers of good and forces of evil? Is such violence a historical condition affecting all religious movements, or are some religions more prone to violence than others?;The papers collected in this volume represent the independent and considered thinking of internationally known scholars from a variety of disciplines concerning the relationship between religion and violence, with special reference to the theories of 'just war' and 'jihad', technical terms that arise in connection with the theology of early medieval Christianity and early Islam, respectively.

We all love something too much. We all want more. Pastoral counselor Kimberly Davidson knows all about the insatiable pursuit of pleasure. She has lived it and bled it. She also knows where to find Redemption. This 12-week study helps you identify hidden and destructive habits. Kimberly gives you the tools to break the cycle of control and compulsion as you experience God's healing grace. This is not a self-help book. This is a God-help-transform-me book. Learn how filling the spiritual emptiness in your life can help you break free from everyday addictions. "This study is a testimony to the power of His Word. If you are wrestling with destructive habits and want to be free then this book is for you. Read it and be transformed through the healing grace of God." -Gregory L. Jantz, PhD, C.E.D.S., The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, Inc.

Recipient of a Christianity Today 1993 Critics Choice Award Over the last fifty years God has used InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to shape the lives of thousands of students. This fascinating chronicle begins with the early influences that shaped university witness since its founding. Eventually these influences coalesced to form InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the United States fifty years ago. From those early beginnings with only a few staff covering the whole country and a world war breaking out, the work grew and flourished beyond human expectation. From the Urbana conventions to a new approach to Christian witness called friendship evangelism to in-depth inductive study of the Bible, InterVarsity was constantly innovating and growing. From work among nurses to promotion of missions to creative use of media, InterVarsity became a multifaceted ministry. The setbacks that are part of any human endeavor are found in this book too. But here is a story of what God did through a handful of people with a big idea.

"In Progressive Solution Prayers for Fruitfulness and Fulfillment," author Dr. Pauline Walley-Daniels shows you it is possible to transform your prayer life, improve your prayer language, and be connected with the Holy Spirit to facilitate a deeper relationship with God.

Walley-Daniels discusses the common problems people face in everyday life, and she provides strategic solutions-with the aid of Scripture-based intercessory and warfare prayers-that instruct you how to approach the throne of God in a focused and strategic manner. She shows you how to apply different types of prayers to specific issues relating to you and your loved ones in order to achieve results with prayer topics ranging from situations concerning your progressiveness in the natural, spiritual, and secular realms to the realm of relationships.

"Progressive Solution Prayers for Fruitfulness and Fulfillment" also teaches you to pray effectively to uproot curses and evil seeds that have been planted. It provides you with the wisdom to break through any evil, and it demonstrates how to offer effective prayers that transform problems into lifetime solutions.

Presenting practical principles, Walley-Daniels helps you gain a deeper understanding of the different types of prayers, and she helps you discover the power and purpose of prayer for personal fulfillment.

This book transcends the average read of other books in this genre, because the contents are far beyond average and painfully true! They speak of the unspoken and hidden experiences within the religious inner circles that most church organizations would dare to openly discuss or confess. The true drama and intrigue will draw you in page after page. Read them for yourself in "True Chronicles." They will bless you one way, if not the other!

Many Asians are drowning in shame and addictions with no way out. Is this any different from a traditional Westerner? Very much so. Shame and honor are embedded in the Asian way of thinking, behaving, and interacting. If you do not understand the cultural history of honor and shame and its underpinnings, then you will have a hard time understanding the mindset of Asians, let alone the stranglehold of shame that keeps many from breaking the code of silence.

The study of lived religion is an enterprise which attempts to elucidate how "ordinary" men and women in all times and places draw on religious behavior, media, and meanings to make sense of themselves and their world. Through the influence of liberation theology and postmodernism, pastoral theologians like other scholars of religion have begun more closely to examine the particularity of religious practice that is reflected through the rubric of lived religion. Pastoral Bearings offers up ten studies that exemplify the usefulness of the lived religion paradigm to the field of pastoral theology. The volume presents detailed qualitative research focused on the everyday beliefs and practices of individuals and groups and explores the implications of lived religion for interdisciplinary conversation, intercultural and gender analysis, and congregational studies. Reflecting upon the utility of this approach for pastoral theological research, education, and pastoral care, the studies collected in Pastoral Bearings demonstrate the importance of the study of lived religion.