Many people make a profession of faith and sincerely desire to serve God, but there are struggles and strongholds in their lives, and it appears that there is no way out. Rooted and Grounded can help any person who desires to know and serve God walk through this journey; break free of strongholds, and enjoy all that God has planned for them.

It's like drinking multivitamins that will assist in several areas of growth, development, and maturity.

-- Includes extensive bibliography
-- Explores multiethnic dimensions of worship

What Are The Universal Constants of Christian worship? What are the unique elements that arise out of diverse local contexts? How do we appropriately respect and honor both the constancy and the diversity?

In this book Pedrito Maynard-Reid explores the multiethnic dimensions of worship by looking at three specific cultural contexts for worship -- African-American, Caribbean and Hispanic. After surveying worship and culture through history, the author devotes a section to each of these three cultural contexts. In these sections worship traditions are colorfully described and characterized. Historical development and change is explored. In each section we gain new perspective on what it means to worship God.

This is the first study to highlight the significance of nuns' writings in early modern Germany. Combining scholarly analysis with illuminating case studies - such as an abbess's account of the Reformation, a prioress's diary from the Thirty Years' War, and a biography of a fifteenth-century visionary - Charlotte Woodford introduces the much neglected female historians of the era, and sets their writings in an historical and literary context.

Constantly referenced as a reliable source on the "Nestorian" missionary movement, this historical account of that movement is a necessary volume for anyone interested in the missionary work of the Eastern Church. Stewart's engaging account has remained fresh through the years and remains a standard reference on the topic.

Hailed by leading South Korean academics as the most significant research on the history of Korean Catholicism to date, Professor Jai-Keun Choi of Yonsei University in Korea explores the origin of the Roman Catholic Church in the Korean peninsula. Professor Choi raises important historical questions as: What were the historical forces that allowed Roman Catholicism to take root in the 19th century Choson Korea despite official governmental efforts to stamp out Catholicism through systematic persecution? What was the Korean populist reaction to Roman Catholic missions? What was the role that native Korean converts played in the spread of Catholicism throughout Korea? With a keen eye to the delicacies of conflicting historical forces, Professor Choi adroitly explains the complexities of the clash of civilizations in the experience of Choson Korea, where Korean Confucianism responded with greatest hostility to Roman Catholicism from the West. This book makes a significant scholarly contribution not only in the study of Korean history but also in such academic disciplines as sociology of religion, anthropology, political science, and international relations.

The role of being a leader is a difficult one. They are often called upon to give wisdom and direction, inspiration and hope, vision and paths of execution. Where does all this come from? It comes from a pool of collective wisdom that is gathered over time. For Christian leaders, it comes from their ability to call upon God to provide them with the wisdom and discernment needed at a particular time. Every great leader has a series of mentors in their life who are providing or have provided wisdom. This wisdom becomes part of the pool from which leaders draw. Many leaders today wish that they had a mentor in their life. Someone who loves them; cares about their leadership and mission; listens carefully to their leadership challenges; and provides reflective feedback that points them both to God and the way forward. Yet all too often men and women find themselves without this great resource. This book is intended to serve as a passive mentor. A passive mentor is someone that we can glean knowledge from even though we may never meet him or her personally. The following pages contain a collection of insights speaking into challenges faced by most leaders. Included with each is a scriptural verse or passage that points towards faith and God's promise to walk with leaders through each day. In each of the topics addressed, Carson will be asking questions about the reader or their leadership while providing some leadership insights he has learned while leading at Arrow Leadership. Each section closes with a prayer that can be used as a guide for a leaders own prayers for the week that follows. Every page invites God to speak to the reader and enjoy the peace of His presence.

"Is Being Pro-Choice a Sin?" studies the wording in the Roman Catholic Church's official pronouncements, compares the related ambiguities and inconsistencies in the Church's official teachings regarding abortion, and brings to the forefront many yet unanswered questions about one of the most controversial issues of our time.

Len Belter relies on his personal experience as a practicing Catholic as he shares a detailed examination of the human reproductive process, formal church documents, and natural law concepts. Intended for church bishops and others who share Belter's misgivings, Belter questions why every fertilized human egg existing outside a woman's womb must be considered of equivalent moral value as a born human. While detailing where clarification and change are needed within church doctrine, Belter delves into such topics as: Why the Church ignores that many fertilized human eggs are naturally shed The significance of the historical understanding of the "male seed" What role fertility treatments play in the church's position The alleged sin of cooperating with evil "Is Being Pro-Choice a Sin?" raises many reflective questions for those both within and outside the walls of the Catholic Church while encouraging a reduction in accusatory rhetoric and an open dialogue.

Discovering the Spirit of Ubuntu Leadership introduces a new leadership model which takes into account the history, culture and economic environment of African women leaders to understand, discover, observe and share their personal leadership experiences.

Fear is the greatest motivator that exists outside of love-and yet these two seemingly opposing forces are in fact inseparably related to each other. As a Christian psychotherapist with twenty-five years of experience, I have come to the conclusion that nearly all emotional and psychological struggles share the same root condition I call disordered fear. Fear must be understood to be both accepted and overcome. It is not our heavenly Father's will or purpose for His children to live under the oppression and bondage of disordered fear, for we are created and destined to reverentially fear God alone. And this is precisely what Break Free comprehensively addresses.

Anson Shupe is a sociologist who has studied extensively the problem of clergy (priests, ministers, rabbis, gurus) who take advantage sexually or financially of members of their churches and groups-from televangelists like Jim Bakker or Robert Tilton to the infamous Father James Porter who sexually molested at least 200 children. Shupe's focus is not on the psychological motives of these miscreants, but rather on the reaction to their actions by the perpetrators themselves, by the organizations, and by the victims.

Anson Shupe is a sociologist who has studied extensively the problem of clergy (priests, ministers, rabbis, gurus) who take advantage sexually or financially of members of their churches and groups-from televangelists like Jim Bakker or Robert Tilton to the infamous Father James Porter who sexually molested at least 200 children. Shupe's focus is not on the psychological motives of these miscreants, but rather on the reaction to their actions by the perpetrators themselves, by the organizations, and by the victims.

The Knights of the white cross
The Order of Knights Hospitallers-or Knights of St John-originated in the times of the Crusades in 1119, though the foundation of a hospital for pilgrims in Jerusalem can be dated to 600 AD. It rose to be one of the most powerful Christian groups in the Holy Land. Its actions against Muslim forces were legendary but eventually Islam drove Christianity out and the order retreated to Cyprus. In 1309 Rhodes was subdued and became the order's new home. Battles with Barbary Corsairs and the Ottoman Turks followed culminating in the great siege and defeat at Rhodes by Suleiman in 1522. Malta then became the headquarters and it too withstood a gruelling assault in 1565. Further action included a decisive sea victory against the Corsairs at Lepanto and this history concludes with the siege of Vienna as the Knights came to the end of their real influence and military power.

For the Common Good showcases the insights, reflections, and recommendations of some of today's most forward-thinking and inspiring leaders, as they explore the challenges of leadership in the context of our global, 21st-century society. Featuring original essays by such luminaries as Nobel Prize winner John Hume; Leader-to-Leader Chair Frances Hesselbein; Harvard University's Howard Gardner; M.K. Gandhi Institute's Founder Arun Gandhi; poet David Whyte; and President Jimmy Carter, For the Common Good stresses the need for a new kind of leadership committed to promoting social welfare, justice, and opportunity. Against the all-too-familiar backdrop of corporate malfeasance, scandal in our religious institutions, political chicanery to serve ulterior motives, and constant reminders of the corruptive influences of power, the contributors apply their expertise in such fields as ecology, education, and conflict resolution to illuminate emerging roles and responsibilities of today's leaders. Collectively, the authors argue that because individuals, institutions, and societies are now so profoundly connected and inter-related, every decision of consequence has a ripple effect. Leaders of all stripes, including corporate executives, politicians, social activists, scientists, and educators, must display courage, integrity, humility, and the wherewithal to consider the long-term impact of their decision and actions. Most important, they must engage in dialogue and recognize that creative solutions to complex problems require collaboration across sectors and cultures to achieve common goals. The result is a provocative and multidimensional exploration of leadership in troubled and troublingtimes--but with a hopeful note that individuals and organizations will rise to the challenges.

Through its missionary, pedagogical, and scientific accomplishments, the Society of Jesus-known as the Jesuits-became one of the first institutions with a truly "global" reach, in practice and intention. The Oxford Handbook of the Jesuits offers a critical assessment of the Order, helping to chart new directions for research at a time when there is renewed interest in Jesuit studies. In particular, the Handbook examines their resilient dynamism and innovative spirit, grounded in Catholic theology and Christian spirituality, but also profoundly rooted in society and cultural institutions. It also explores Jesuit contributions to education, the arts, politics, and theology, among others. The volume is organized in seven major sections, totaling forty articles, on the Order's foundation and administration, the theological underpinnings of its activities, the Jesuit involvement with secular culture, missiology, the Order's contributions to the arts and sciences, the suppression the Order endured in the 18th century, and finally, the restoration. The volume also looks at the way the Jesuit Order is changing, including becoming more non-European and ethnically diverse, with its members increasingly interested in engaging society in addition to traditional pastoral duties.

From the early narratives of such colonial writers as Jonathan Edwards to the more recent conversion experiences of Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson, America is rich in both conversions and autobiographies. This volume provides a sourcebook for the study of American religious conversion narratives. It includes entries providing biographical, bibliographic, and critical commentary on thirty significant writers of conversion narratives. The subjects include writers of early colonial America, such as Mary Rowlandson and John Woolman, nineteenth-century women writers, such as Carry Nation and Ann Eliza Young, and writers from the twentieth-century social gospel movement, such as John Cogley and Dorothy Day. Chapters on subjects such as Jim Bakker give insight into the rise of televangelism. Finally, chapters on such writers as Frederick Douglass, Eldridge Cleaver, and Piri Thomas cover the conversion experiences of those who lived outside mainstream American culture.

The chapters are arranged alphabetically. Each one is divided into sections providing a short biography, discussing the narrative, covering criticism of the narrative, and a bibliography. The work concludes with a bibliographic essay and a full subject index.

Why are some marriages more successful, more satisfying, and more enduring than others?

The answer to this question is perhaps the most widely studied and best-known part of our marriage and family-therapy literature, although arguably, it is the least understood and certainly the least followed in terms of avoiding the pitfalls that lead to unsuccessful marriages. What this book proposes as an answer to this question is the nearest thing we have to a manifesto for marriage and family living. It provides us with a clear description of what married life should be like. No words or ideas sum up the intention of this manifesto better or indicate more clearly its challenge to contemporary marriages than the words "making marriage user-friendly."