'John Howard Yoder: Radical Theologian' shows that for John Howard Yoder both theology (in particular Christology) and ethics are expressions of the meaning of the narrative of Jesus. All such statements are relative to a particular context, so that theology and ethics are subject to reaching back to the narrative in order to restate the meaning in new and ever-changing contexts. This methodology is visible in Yoder's 'Preface to Theology', which has been little used in most treatments of Yoder's thought. Yoder has been characterised as standing on Nicene orthodoxy, criticised for rejecting Nicene orthodoxy, called heterodox, and designated a postmodern thinker to be interpreted in terms of other such thinkers. None of these characterisations adequately locates the basis of his methodology in the narrative of Jesus. Thus 'John Howard Yoder: Radical Theologian' aims to go beyond or to supersede existing treatments with its demonstration that Yoder is a radical theologian in the historical meaning of radical - that is, as one who returns to the root - but also relates his theology to the personal accusations that clouded his later years. For Christian faith, this root is Christ. Parts II and III of the book explore the sources of Yoder's approach, and its application in several contemporary contexts.

Pentecostalism was born at the turn of the twentieth century in a "tumble-down shack" in a rundown semi-industrial area of Los Angeles composed of a tombstone shop, saloons, livery stables and railroad freight yards. One hundred years later Pentecostalism has not only proven to be the most dynamic representative of Christian faith in the past century, but a transnational religious phenomenon as well. In a global context Pentecostalism has attained a membership of 500 million growing at the rate of 20 million new members a year. Aimee Semple McPherson, born on a Canadian farm, was Pentecostalism's first celebrity, its "female Billy Sunday". Arriving in Southern California with her mother, two children and $100.00 in 1920, "Sister Aimee", as she was fondly known, quickly achieved the height of her fame. In 1926, by age 35, "Sister Aimee" would pastor "America's largest 'class A' church", perhaps becoming the country's first mega church pastor. In Los Angeles she quickly became a folk hero and civic institution. Hollywood discovered her when she brilliantly united the sacred with the profane. Anthony Quinn would play in the Temple band and Aimee would baptize Marilyn Monroe, council Jean Harlow and become friends with Charlie Chaplain, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Based on the biographer's first time access to internal church documents and cooperation of Aimee's family and friends, this major biography offers a sympathetic appraisal of her rise to fame, revivals in major cities and influence on American religion and culture in the Jazz Age. The biographer takes the reader behind the scenes of Aimee's fame to the early days of her harsh apprenticeship in revival tents, failed marriages and poverty. Barfoot recreates the career of this "called" and driven woman through oral history, church documents and by a creative use of new source material. Written with warmth and often as dramatic as Aimee, herself, the author successfully captures not only what made Aimee famous but also what transformed Pentecostalism from its meager Azusa Street mission beginnings into a transnational, global religion.

A spirited dive into the life and career of a performer, writer, and director who dominated twentieth-century American comedy Mel Brooks, born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn in 1926, is one of the great comic voices of the twentieth century. Having won almost every entertainment award there is, Brooks has straddled the line between outsider and insider, obedient and rebellious, throughout his career, making out-of-bounds comedy the American mainstream. Jeremy Dauber argues that throughout Brooks's extensive body of work-from Your Show of Shows to Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein to Spaceballs-the comedian has seen the most success when he found a balance between his unflagging, subversive, manic energy and the constraints imposed by comedic partners, the Hollywood system, and American cultural mores. Dauber also explores how Brooks's American Jewish humor went from being solely for niche audiences to an essential part of the American mainstream, paving the way for generations of Jewish (and other) comedians to come.

Preaching's Best Books for Preachers Best Theological Memoir from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore How did one of the twentieth century's most celebrated liberals have such a dramatic change of heart? After growing up in the heart of rural Methodism in Oklahoma, Thomas Oden found Marx, Nietzsche and Freud storming into his imagination. He joined the post-World War II pacifist movement and became enamored with every aspect of the 1950s' ecumenical Student Christian Movement. Ten years before America's entry into the Vietnam war he admired Ho Chi Min as an agrarian patriot. For Oden, every turn was a left turn. At Yale he earned his PhD under H. Richard Niebuhr and later met with some of the most formidable minds of the era-enjoying conversations with Gadamer, Bultmann and Pannenberg as well as a lengthy discussion with Karl Barth at a makeshift office in his hospital room. While traveling with his family through Turkey, Syria and Israel, he attended Vatican II as an observer and got his first taste of ancient Christianity. And slowly, he stopped making left turns. Oden's enthusiasms for pacifism, ecumenism and the interface between theology and psychotherapy were ambushed by varied shapes of reality. Yet it was a challenge from a Jewish scholar, his friend and mentor Will Herberg, that precipitated his most dramatic turn-back to the great minds of ancient Christianity. Later a meeting with then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Benedict XVI) planted the seeds for what became Oden's highly influential Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. This fascinating memoir walks us through not only his personal history but some of the most memorable chapters in twentieth-century theology.

'Waiting on the Spirit of Promise' is a study of the life and ministry of Abraham Cheare (1626-1668), containing selections from Cheare's works, and rescuing an important seventeenth-century English Baptist from obscurity. Cheare has been overshadowed by other more celebrated Baptist contemporaries, but as the pastor of the Particular Baptist work in Plymouth, Devon, Cheare played a key role in the advance of the Baptist cause in the West Country in the 1650s. His 'Sighs for Sion' is an excellent illustration of early Baptist piety. With the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Cheare, like many other Dissenters, suffered arrest for his refusal to give up preaching. Cheare's prison writings reveal both a sturdy faith in God and a deep-seated piety. Despite the fact that he was incarcerated in a series of "nasty prisons", Cheare used this time of suffering to deepen his walk with God and so provide a model for his congregation of Christian integrity and joy in the midst of trial. To the very end of his life, Cheare eagerly awaited further outpourings of the Spirit of Promise upon the Church and looked forward to that day when his Lord Jesus would make all things right.

Brigham Young was one of the most influential-and controversial-Mormon leaders in American history. An early follower of the new religion, he led the cross-continental migration of the Mormon people from Illinois to Utah, where he built a vast religious empire that was both revolutionary and authoritarian, radically different from yet informed by the existing culture of the U.S. With his powerful personality and sometimes paradoxical convictions, Young left an enduring stamp on both his church and the region, and his legacy remains active today. In a lively, concise narrative bolstered by primary documents, and supplemented by a robust companion website, David Mason tells the dynamic story of Brigham Young, and in the process, illuminates the history of the LDS Church, religion in America, and the development of the American west. This book will be a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand the complex, uniquely American origins of a church that now counts over 15 million members worldwide.

Said Nursi (1876-1960) was the most influential figure in twentieth century Muslim scholarship. He was the founder of what is arguably Turkey's most important popular religious grouping, the Nur Movement ('Nurculuk'), which sought - and seeks - to foster Islamic sensibilities through a system of education based on Nursi's ideas. But for many of his disciples, who number now in their millions, Said Nursi represents a great deal more than just a religious instructor. As they see it, he was also the prophesied 'renewer', the 'mujaddid', who - according to Muslim tradition - would appear at the beginning of each century to revive Islam and reinterpret the tenets of the Qur'an according to the needs of the day.Yet for all who revere him, Nursi has as many detractors. To some, he was a hypocrite and a liar: a man whose life was full of contradictions. To others, a Kurd in the pay of the Communists and an overt proponent of anarchy. In so many ways his life and what he stood for echo the increasingly dangerous polarisation in Turkey between Islamic traditionalism and the secularism established by Ataturk. This short book offers a sure guide to the fierce debates surrounding Said Nursi's life, thought and major writings. It will be indispensable reading for all those interested in Turkey, and in the bitter power struggles within the country between 'religionists' and 'secularists'.

When Edith was stillborn without warning, the authors were both stunned and confused. Where should they turn for help? Who would answer their burning questions? One in in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage; one in 200 in stillbirth. And yet, while the church offers resources to cope with suffering more generally, there is often an echoing silence when it comes to the trauma of baby loss. 'When we lost our daughter Edith, say the authors, 'it was painful indeed to find the lack of biblically rooted and pastorally sensitive resources.' Nothing really hit the mark, so, though tears, they wrote their own book. This little volume comes to you, or to someone close to you, with a massive hug. It is Jonny and Joanna's passion and prayer that you will be amazed by our great God as you connect with deep biblical truths, bringing healing to your heart, mind and soul.

The incredible and inspiring story of Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter basketball has ever seen and a devout Christian who is not afraid of sharing his faith on the world stage. When it comes to Stephen Curry-point guard for the Golden State Warriors and reigning MVP of the NBA-journalists, fans, and sports analysts are running out of ways to say "wow." Deemed too small and too short at 6'3 and 180 pounds by NBA coaches around the league, Curry has taken the game back from the bigger men who usually dominate the court. With his incredible shooting ability that started a "three-point revolution" he led the Warriors to seventy-three wins in the 2015-2016 season, beating out Michael Jordan and the 1996 Chicago Bulls' long-time record. Marcus Thompson, a lifelong Warriors insider who has been reporting on the team for twelve seasons, explores this all-star player, his love for the game and his team, his close-knit and supportive family and his grounding in a strong Christian faith. Loved by everyone he works with in the NBA, Stephen's devout Christian faith and nice-guy attitude make him a different breed of superstar. He writes two scriptures on his game shoes every time he plays: Romans 8:28, his mother's favourite verse, and Philippians 4:13, his favourite, which reads "I can do all things". People assume Curry loves this verse because God allows him to accomplish success and that his faith is so strong that he can achieve the greatest heights, but the real point may be that through faith he can handle anything thrown his way. That includes success but it also includes failure. It includes fighting back from a career-threatening ankle injury and remaining humble despite the spoils of global fame.

Pope Francis: His Life and Thought paints a compelling picture of a truly remarkable man, showing the evolution of his theological ideas in detail until his election as pope in 2013. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was a highly unusual candidate for the papacy for two main reasons: the 'pope from far away' is the first from the Americas and the first former Jesuit to have been elected. Bergoglio's theological principles have been profoundly shaped by his Argentinean heritage and Jesuit spiritual formation. The author also reveals that his thought was deeply a ected by his simple Argentinean upbringing and fearless work in the slums of Santiago and Buenos Aires as a young Jesuit, and later as a bishop and a cardinal. Bergoglio has consistently emphasised the importance of alleviating the suffering of the poor, following the teaching of Vatican II, and in keeping with his own unflinching morality. This volume reveals Pope Francis as an exceptionally humble and altruistic man, doctrinally conservative, and engaged less in politics than in the struggle to bring the Church to the margins of society. It will be of great interest to any reader who wishes to know more about this inspiring individual. Mario I. Aguilar is a theologian from Chile, now Professor of Religion and Politics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He has written extensively on the Church in Latin America, Africa and Asia, including Cardenal Raul Silva Henriquez: Presencia en la vida de Chile 1907-1999 and A Social History of the Catholic Church in Chile (9 volumes). He is a Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate and has lived in Scotland for the past 20 years. "This reflection draws upon Aguilar's own experiences as a Latin American theologian and it engages directly with many of the Spanish sources that shed light upon the life and thought of Jorge Bergoglio. He] cuts a swath through fact and myth as he charts the new pope's formative experiences in detail. . . . Food for thought for anyone seeking to understand what has made him the pontiff he is." Prof. Gerard Mannion, Amaturo Professor in Catholic Studies, Georgetown University. "Pope Francis has already provided a breath of fresh air, and this welcome and timely book explains why. Anyone who thought God had no surprises up his sleeve will discover here how this new leader has been formed to be a challenging and transforming presence both in his own Church and further afield." Rt Revd Prof. N.T. Wright, Former Bishop of Durham, Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of St Andrews.

An engaging and comprehensive new edition of this established biography provides students with an understanding of the European Reformation through the life of its key mover, Martin Luther. Working chronologically through Luther's life, Michael A. Mullet explains and analyses Luther's background, the development of his Reformation theology in the 95 Theses, the Diet of Worms and the creation of Lutheranism. This fully revised and updated new edition includes a chapter on the legacy and memory of Luther through the centuries since his death, looking to his influence on modern Germany and the wider world. A comprehensive chronology at the start of the book traces the important dates in Luther's personal and political life. This is a vivid, scholarly and empathetic biography of Martin Luther, which will be essential reading for all students of the European Reformation, early modern history and religious history.

Catherine Booth's achievements - as a revivalist, social reformer, champion of women's rights, and, with her husband William Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army - were widely recognized in her lifetime. However, Catherine Booth's life and work has since been largely neglected. This neglect has extended to her theological ideas, even though they were critical to the formation of Salvationism, the spirituality of the movement she cofounded. This book examines the implicit theology that undergirds Catherine Booth's Salvationist spirituality and reveals the ethical concerns at the heart of her soteriology and the integral relationship between the social and evangelical aspects of Christian mission in her thought. Catherine Booth emerges as a significant figure from the Victorian era, a British theologian and church leader with a rare if not unique intellectual and theological perspective: that of a woman.

John S. Peart-Binns brings us a fresh and distinctive view of Herbert Hensley Henson, the eighty-sixth Bishop of Durham, who is shown here to have formed his own character and forged his own way amidst the chaos of the shifting and unpopular labour laws, two World Wars, the abdication crisis of 1936 and the misconceptions of those around him. Hensley Henson was an outspoken controversialist who never feared to assert his opinion. Peart-Binns goes beyond the traditional notions of biography - Hensley Henson's complex childhood; education at Oxford; his ministry at Ilford and Barking, Canon of Westminster and Bishop of Durham - and withal provides a rich psychological insight into the nature of the indefatigable and quick-witted though sharp-tongued figure. This perspective illuminates the Bishop's often overlooked theological thoughts and political views. The furore surrounding his appointment as Bishop of Hereford is analysed and his volte face from being a solid bulwark of the Establishment to being a trenchant advocate of Disestablishment is evaluated. Hensley Henson emerges clearly as differing from our familiar image of him, which can be found in novels, newspapers and magazines of the time, and in his own autobiography. Peart-Binns provides a permanent and deserved niche for him in the history of the Church. 'Herbert Hensley Henson: A Biography' examines the life and times of this formidable and astute character of the twentieth century. This work will inform those interested in the twentieth century, and delight any who are intrigued by Hensley Henson's indomitable spirit. John S. Peart-Binns was born and brought up in Bradford and now lives with his wife Annis in the South Pennines. He has written twenty biographies of Anglican bishops. His research has brought him a large collection of material relating to over 400 bishops (past and present) of the Church of England and of the other churches of the Anglican Communion, which now forms The Peart-Binns Episcopal Biography Archive at the University of Bradford. 'This study of Hensley Henson is a splendid addition to the works of one who must surely be considered the doyen of biographers of modern Anglican leaders. Balanced and sensitive to subtlety in the complexities of Henson's changing opinions, Peart-Binns gives an honest assessment of a truly independent mind.' Edward Norman former Canon Chancellor of York Minister and Emeritus Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge University.

John Knox has suffered in this century from that trick of the popular imagination that seizes on one aspect of a historical figure and elevates it into the whole man. At one time he was the foremost Scottish genius, but in our day there have been those who would have us believe that he was a ranter, an iconoclast and perhaps a hypocrite. The Author of this classic biography has sought to find the truth between these two extremes. He shows us Knox against the disturbed currents of the Continent, where mediaeval Christendom was at an end and no new order had yet emerged from the chaos of creeds and philosophies. No man could stem these currents, but John Knox in his own country gave them a direction. He became, if not the leader, at least the inciter of a revolution. He set his mark indelibly on history, and not only that of his native land; his influence upon the English court was considerable, but he also became a figure of European significance. "No grander figure can be found, in the entire history of the Reformation in this island, than that of John Knox" wrote the historian Froude. The Author has given us a balanced assessment of the life and times of this remarkable man.

The Swiss theologian Adolf Keller was the leading ecumenist on the European continent between the two world wars. In this book the historian Marianne Jehle-Wildberger delineates his life and its achievements. Based on research in forty archives in Europe and the United States, a picture emerges that shows a wonderful man who was a personal friend of Karl Barth, C. G.Jung, Thomas Mann, and Albert Schweitzer - and thus who was influenced by the spiritual tendencies of the twentieth century. Keller cooperated closely with the National Council of Churches. His Central Bureau of Relief in Geneva (Inter-Church Aid) was supported by American churches. His lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary on "Religion and Revolution" (1933) - in which he was one of the first commentators to denounce National Socialism in Germany - set a new standard of political discussion and are unsurpassed. Marianne Jehle-Wildbergers's book is an important contribution to twentieth-century church history and to the history of the twentieth century in general.

This book reveals- for the first time ever - the extraordinary impact of Huldah the prophet on our Bible. She was both a leader of exilic Jews and a principal author of Hebrew Scripture. She penned the Shema: the ardent, prayerful praise that millions of worshipers repeat twice daily. Moreover, Jesus quoted as his own last words the ones that Huldah had written centuries before - "Into your hand I commit my spirit". Huldah was an extraordinary writer - arguably she ranks among the best in Hebrew Scripture. As such, she added to God's Word a feminine aspect that has inspired numberless believers - men and women alike. This book's new techniques reveal that though subjected to extreme verbal abuse, Huldah surmounted her era's high barriers to women. As elder, queen mother, and war leader during the sixth century BCE, she helped shape Israel's history. And what, then, can this book mean to scholars - both women and men? Feminists need a rallying point and a heroine, and Huldah makes a superb one. In years ahead, experts might well place Huldah alongside the very greatest women of antiquity; indeed, they may even conclude that she is among the most influential people in human history.

Revere life, and give yours away for the sake of serving others.

As a young man, Albert Schweitzer seemed destined for greatness. His immense talent and fortitude propelled him to a place as one of Europe's most renowned philosophers, theologians, and musicians in the early twentieth century. Yet Schweitzer shocked his contemporaries by forsaking worldly success and embarking on an epic journey into the wilds of French Equatorial Africa, vowing to serve as a lifelong physician to "the least of these" in a mysterious land rife with famine, sickness, and superstition.""
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Enduring hardship, conflict, and personal struggles, he and his beloved wife, Helene, became French prisoners of war during WWI, and Helene later battled persistent illnesses.

Ken Gire's page-turning, novelesque narrative sheds new light on Schweitzer's faith-in-action ethic and his commitment to honor God by celebrating the sacredness of all life.

The legacy of this 1952 Nobel Prize honoree endures in the thriving African hospital community that began in a humble chicken coop, in the millions who have drawn inspiration from his example, and in the challenge that emanates from his life story into our day. Albert Schweitzer seemed destined for greatness--and he achieved it by making his life his greatest sermon to a world in desperate need of hope and healing.

Hailed as "the world's preacher," Billy Graham has enjoyed a career that has spanned more than six decades and his ministry of faith has touched the hearts and souls of millions. In "Just As I Am" Graham reveals his life story in what the "Chicago Tribune" calls "a disarmingly honest autobiography." Now, in this revised and updated edition we hear from this "lion in winter" ("Time") on his role over the past ten years as America's pastor during our national crisis of the Oklahoma bombing and 9/11; his knighthood; his passing of the torch to his son, Franklin, to head the organization that bears his name; and his commitment to do the Lord's work in the years of his and his wife Ruth's physical decline.

First published in 1978, Christmas Humphrey's autobiography presents the fascinating history of a life rich and varied in both private and in public. Spanning seven decades it touches on many events of historical interest in which he was personally involved. Among them the abdication of Edward VIII, the Japanese War Trials and his time with the Dalai Lama after his flight from Tibet. The author gives a graphic portrait of life behind the Bar and on the Bench - of what it is like to prosecute and to defend, and of the immense difficulties which face a judge when passing sentence. Here too are recollections of many famous cases of the twentieth century, and of the many murder trials in which he appeared as prosecuting counsel or judge. Of equal interest is his fifty years' of work in the field of English Buddhism. In 1924 he and his wife founded the Buddhist Society, which would become hugely influential in the spread of Buddhism throughout the West. Both Sides of the Circle is rich in humour and humanity. There is the joyful account of the author's Edwardian Boyhood followed by the tragedy of his brother's death in World War 1, which lead to the awakening of his interest in Buddhism and Theosophy. He speaks freely of his encounters with the Dalai Lama, with D.T. Suzuki, with Jung and with the Royal families of Thailand, Sikkim and Nepal, as well as his travels throughout the Europe and in the Orient. Both sides of the Circle is more than autobiography - it is also a spiritual odyssey whose reissue will be of great interest to those who've enjoyed Christmas Humphreys' other work and wish to know more about his brilliant career. It will also be very welcome to those wanted to learn about Buddhism in general, and the origins of English Buddhism in particular.