The common view of the nineteenth-century pastoral relationship - found in both contemporary popular accounts and 20th-century scholarship - was that women and clergymen formed a natural alliance and enjoyed a particular influence over each other. In Without Benefit of Clergy, Karin Gedge tests this thesis by examining the pastoral relationship from the perspective of the minister, the female parishioner, and the larger culture. The question that troubled religious women seeking counsel, says Gedge, was: would their minister respect them, help them, honor them? Surprisingly, she finds, the answer was frequently negative. Gedge supports her conclusion with evidence from a wide range of previously untapped primary sources including pastoral manuals, seminary students' and pastors' journals, women's diaries and letters, pamphlets, sentimental and sensational novels, and The Scarlet Letter. She moves from male seminary training to the failures of male pastoral "counseling," to more serious difficulties between ministers and their female congregants - difficulties strikingly illuminated by the literature surrounding criminal trials of ministers accused of abusing both their pastoral office and individual women. Dissatisfied with the professional ministry, Gedge shows, women ended up turning to family, friends, and published tracts for pastoral care.

This book presents the work of the "Sacred Choices Initiative" of the Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive Health, and Ethics. The purpose of this Packard and Ford Foundation supported initiative is to attempt to change international discourse of family planning and to rescue this debate from superficial sloganeering by drawing on the moral stores of the world's major and indigenous religions. In many of the world's religions there is a restrictive and pro-natalist view on family planning, and this is one legimate reading of those religious traditions. As the essays in this volume demonstrate, however, this is not the only legitimate or orthodox view. These authors show that the parameters of orthodoxy are wider and gentler than that, and that the great religious traditions are wiser and more variegated and naunced than a simple repetition of the most conservative views would suggest. This theme is carried out in essays on each of the world's major religious traditions, written by scholar practitioners of those faiths.

"Today, we will not allow the past to rob us of all the blessings that God has for us. God's love heals the losses and hurts from the past. We can choose to grasp His promises as our own." -Diane M. Boll You long to set aside the burdens of the past and gain a sense of emotional balance, but you don't know how to get rid of the anger and stress that's keeping you stuck. Whether you're just beginning your journey, or are somewhere in the middle of it, From God's Heart to Mine will shine the light of self-discovery on the path ahead. Learn how to: Identify triggers that cause you to react in unhealthy ways Overcome unhealthy thought patterns Fix God's Word deep in your heart and mind Turn your emotional struggles into triumphs With titles such as Fear, Boundaries, Responsibility, Security, and Maturity, each of the forty-four short chapters weaves together solid clinical advice with a sound Christian perspective. Packed with deep insight, practical scriptures, and room to journal your feelings, From God's Heart to Mine is guaranteed to bring a life-saving hope to bruised hearts, and the freedom to experience an emotionally healthy and satisfying life."

Drugs and alcohol. Self-injury. Eating disorders. Puberty. Suicide. Sexual purity. These are just a few of the challenges facing teens and young adults today. This concise, topical guide to the Bible is the perfect tool for parents and youth pastors wanting to provide scriptural guidance to youth regarding the issues they face in their formative years. Now updated, revised, and expanded with new topics.

Statistics show that "Biological Fathers" are a rare commodity today in being visible in children lives as they grow from childhood to adulthood. Those that can easily walk away don't see the value of what their active present will do for their children. Because of this, many are left with the disease of mistaken identity along with feeling somewhat rejected. Those that have been infected by this disease can go through life for a period of time in a state of denial which can result in anger issues, looking for acceptance in all the wrong places and not being stable in making sound decisions. In this book Patsy shares how she experienced many of these challenges and how God brought her through.

"With a clarity that can only be gained through a charitable reading of those with whom he disagrees, Stout inaugurates a fresh conversation between advocates of democracy and those who hold substantive Christian convictions. In "Democracy and Tradition," the Emersonian tradition is given new life, helping Americans envision what a vital politics contains."--Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School

"This is the most important work in political philosophy since Rawls published "A Theory of Justice," Stout's account of the formation of democratic culture in America demonstrates that rights theory and virtue theory can and do cohere in a complex and rich tradition. With both eyes open, Stout displays both the serious challenges facing democracy in America (including the new religious traditionalists) and the resources for strengthening it (including feminist and African-American religious critics, as well as the American pragmatist tradition). This book should be taught alongside Rawls in law schools and Hauerwas in seminaries. It is also a substantial contribution to American studies, cultural studies, political theory, American history, and philosophical and religious ethics."--Charles Reynolds, University of Tennessee

"Jeffrey Stout has recast the debate about morality and tradition in our constitutional democracy. No more demonization, no more Manichean battles between 'militant secularists' and 'religious traditionalists.' Brilliantly original, historically sensitive, and analytically rigorous, Stout's writings are suffused with respect for the intelligence and goodwill of his fellow citizens, believers and nonbelievers alike."--M. Cathleen Kaveny, John P. Murphy FoundationProfessor of Law and Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame

"Stout has done more than any other writer to bring to our attention the problems facing democracy due to our inability to talk things over with religious believers. His book is an original, engaging, and very important contribution to the discussion of these problems. People in a wide variety of fields will need to pay attention to it."--J. B. Schneewind, The Johns Hopkins University

"Stout rejects the claim that liberal democracy is a moral wasteland, with no substantive idea of the good and only minimal resources for maintaining a shaky social order. He shows that democracy's moral achievements have been brought about by the uniquely democratic commitment to allowing all members of the community an equal voice in demanding reasons for action and policy touching the whole. "Democracy and Tradition" will give rise to a new set of questions about the place of religion in American politics and the way in which political philosophy is written."--G. Scott Davis, University of Richmond

The first edition of this book fostered the emergence of the "Spiritual Ecology Movement," which recognizes the need for a spiritual response to our present ecological crisis. It drew an overwhelmingly positive response from readers, many of whom are asking the simple question, "What can I do?"

This second expanded edition offers new chapters, including two from younger authors who are putting the principles of spiritual ecology into action, working with their hands as well as their hearts. It also includes a new preface and revised chapter by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, that reference two major recent events: the publication of Pope Francis's encyclical, "On Care for Our Common Home," which brought into the mainstream the idea that "the ecological crisis is essentially a spiritual problem"; and the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference, which saw representatives from nearly 200 countries come together to address global warming, including faith leaders from many traditions.

Bringing together voices from Buddhism, Sufism, Christianity, and Native American traditions, as well as from physics, deep psychology, and other environmental disciplines, this book calls on us to reassess our underlying attitudes and beliefs about the Earth and wake up to our spiritual as well as physical responsibilities toward the planet.

This volume is intended to promote academic and public understanding of the different positions that exist on the issues of sexual orientation and civil rights protections for gays and lesbians within the major American religious traditions. Writers from the Jewish, Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant, and African-American churches explore the history and tradition of their communities on same-sex orientation, discuss the moral stance they advocate, and consider the legal and public policy implications of that stance.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." But it often seems like conflict and disagreement are unavoidable. Serious, divisive conflict is everywhere-within families, in the church, and out in the world. And it can seem impossible to overcome its negative force in our lives.

In The Peacemaker, Ken Sande presents a comprehensive and practical theology for conflict resolution designed to bring about not only a cease-fire but also unity and harmony. Sande takes readers beyond resolving conflicts to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers.

Biblically based, The Peacemaker is full of godly wisdom and useful suggestions that are easily applied to any relationship needing reconciliation. Sande's years of experience as an attorney and as president of Peacemaker Ministries will strengthen readers' confidence as they stand in the gap as peacemakers.

"Caring for People God's Way" presents Christian counseling in a systematic, step-by-step manner that outlines the process as practically as possible. It then applies the process to the most common issues faced by Christian counselors: personal and emotional issues, trauma, grief, loss, and suicide.

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

Drawing on a range of approaches developed by paediatric chaplaincy teams worldwide, this edited collection provides best principles, practices and skills of chaplaincy work with neonates, infants, children, young people and their families. By engaging with paediatric chaplaincy from an international, multifaith perspective, contributors from around the world and different faith traditions show what good spiritual, religious and pastoral care for children and their families looks like. The book contains contributions from specialists who work with children with mental health issues or profound disabilities, as well as chapters that focus on how best to provide palliative and bereavement care. Includes resources and activities for use in specialist care situations and tools for assessment, making this a must-have for any paediatric chaplaincy team working in a hospital or hospice.

It is often assumed that the law and religion address different spheres of human life. Religion and ethics articulate complex systems of moral reasoning that concern norms, deliberation of ends, cultivation of disposition, and transformation of moral agency. Law, in contrast, seeks to govern human conduct through procedural justice, rights, and public good. Doing Justice to Mercy challenges this assumption by presenting the reader with an urgent conversation between the law and religion that yields a constructive approach, both theoretically and practically, to the complex role of mercy in our legal process.

Authored by legal practitioners, activists, and theorists in addition to theologians and ethicists, the essays collected here are informed by timeless principles, and yet they could not be timelier. The trend in sentencing moves toward an increased severity, and the number of incarcerated people in the United States is at an all-time high. In the half-decade since 9/11, moreover, homeland security has established itself as a permanent fixture in our lives. In this atmosphere, the current volume seeks initially to clarify how justice and mercy intertwine in relation to a number of issues, such as rehabilitation, the death penalty, domestic violence, and war crimes. Exploring the legal, philosophical, and theological grounds for mercy in our courts, the discussion then moves to the practical ways in which mercy may be implemented.

Contributors: Marc Mauer, The Sentencing Project * Lois Gehr Livezey, McCormick Theological Seminary * Ernie Lewis, Public Advocate, Commonwealth of Kentucky * Jonathan Rothchild, Loyola Marymount University * Albert W. Alschuler, Northwestern University School of Law * David Scheffer, Northwestern University School of Law * David Little, Harvard Divinity School * Matthew Myer Boulton, Andover Newton Theological School * Mark Lewis Taylor, Princeton Theological Seminary * Sarah Coakley, Cambridge University * William Schweiker, University of Chicago Divinity School * Kevin Jung, College of William and Mary * Peter J. Paris, Princeton Theological Seminary * W. Clark Gilpin, University of Chicago Divinity School * William C. Placher, Wabash College

You probably speak 20,000 words a day, give or take, and each one influences those who listen. No wonder God has so much to say about our words. We are all counselors, whether we realize it or not! Speaking Truth in Love is a blueprint for communication that strengthens community in Christ. The principles outlined in this pivotal work are specific to counseling, yet extend to marriage, family, friendship, business and the church. ? Have you ever wondered how to be a more effective counselor? ? Have you ever looked for a better way to talk to difficult people? ? Have you ever wanted to express faith and love more naturally in your relationships? Practical in its approach yet comprehensive in its scope, Speaking Truth in Love is sure to become required reading for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a counselor or anyone else who longs for ways to redeem relationships.

This powerful book deals with the issue of how Christians, especially those called to counsel, can help survivors of sexual abuse find healing and hope. From 20 years of experience, the author demonstrates how counselors can walk alongside people deeply wounded by sexual abuse as they face the truth about who they are, who their abuser was, and who God is as the Savior and Redeemer of all life. Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse issues a strong call to the church at large to walk with survivors through the long dark nights of their healing.

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.

Through a rich variety of case studies, this book provides insight into the patient's needs and the chaplain's perspective, as well as discussions of spiritual assessments and spiritual care interventions. Case studies such as a request to baptise a child complicated due to his admission for 'psychiatric reasons', as well as work with military veterans, such as a female transgender veteran who has been alienated from her faith, show the breadth and complexity of work that chaplains undertake daily. Each section also includes critical responses to the case studies presented from a chaplain and related healthcare professional. This book will enable chaplains to critically reflect on the spiritual care they provide, and provide an informed perspective for healthcare professionals and others involved in chaplaincy services.

This book considers how the law should manage conflicts between the right of religious freedom and that of non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. These disputes are often high-profile and frequently receive a lot of media attention and public debate. Starting from the basis that both these rights are valuable and worthy of protection, but that such disputes are often characterised by animosity, it contends that a proportionality analysis provides the best method for resolving these conflicts. The work takes a comparative approach, examining the law in England and Wales, Canada, and the USA and examines four main areas of law, considering how a proportionality approach could be used in each. The book will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers in the areas of Public Law, Human Rights Law, Law and Religion, Discrimination Law, and Comparative Law.

This book challenges the view, common among Western scholars, that precolonial India lacked a tradition of military philosophy. It traces the evolution of theories of warfare in India from the dawn of civilization, focusing on the debate between Dharmayuddha (Just War) and Kutayuddha (Unjust War) within Hindu philosophy. This debate centers around four questions: What is war? What justifies it? How should it be waged? And what are its potential repercussions? This body of literature provides evidence of the historical evolution of strategic thought in the Indian subcontinent that has heretofore been neglected by modern historians. Further, it provides a counterpoint to scholarship in political science that engages solely with Western theories in its analysis of independent India's philosophy of warfare. Ultimately, a better understanding of the legacy of ancient India's strategic theorizing will enable more accurate analysis of modern India's military and nuclear policies.