Spanning the continents, three internationally respected theologians demonstrate how the thought and legacy of Martin Luther can serve in an ecumenical and interfaith context as a resource for a radical critique of global economics and culture. Lutheran Christianity originated in its own era of economic and cultural crisis. One of the great misinterpretations of Martin Luther has considered his heritage as fundamentally reactionary, seeking to preserve the political status quo. Instead, set free by the biblical message of liberation, this book wields Luther's theology to engage the reality of poverty, hunger, oppression, and ecological degradation caused by an imperial capitalism as the most urgent theological issues in the contemporary world. The volume demonstrates the liberating possibilities of theology done out of a biblical and Lutheran perspective for the economic and cultural crises facing the church in the present century.

In this book, leading American Lutheran theologians, inspired by the Scandinavian emphasis on theology as embodied practice, ask how Christian communities might be mobilized for resistance against systemic injustices. They argue that the challenges we confront today as citizens of the United States, as a species in relation to all the other species on the planet, and as members of the body of Christ require an imaginative reconceptualization of the inherited tradition. The driving force of each chapter is the commitment to truth-telling in naming the church's complicity with social and political evils, and to reorienting the church to the truth of grace that Christianity was created to communicate. Contributors ask how ecclesial resources may be generatively repurposed for the church in the world today, for church-building grounded in Christ and for empowering the church's witness for justice. The authors take up the theme of resistance in both theoretical and pragmatic terms, on the one hand, rethinking doctrine, on the other, reconceiving lived religion and pastoral care, in light of the necessary urgencies of the time, and bearing witness to the God whose truth includes both justice and hope.

About the Contributor(s): Paul S. Chung is Associate Professor of Mission and World Christianity at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of numberous books including of Reclaiming Mission as Constructive Theology (2012) and Church and Ethical Responsibility in the Midst of World Economy (2013).

About the Contributor(s): James L. Bailey is the John S. and William A. Wagner Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He has published several Bible studies for the church and is the coauthor of Literary Forms in the New Testament (1992).

Paul Schneider (1897-1939) was a German Reformed pastor, father of six, and part of the Bekennende Kirche during World War II. Schneider's unequivocal opposition to the quickly ascending Nazi regime led to his imprisonment, torture and eventual execution at the hands of the Gestapo on July 18, 1939. Until now, Pastor Schneider's story has remained less accessible to English-speaking audiences. This authoritative biography of Paul Schneider by Rudolf Wentorf appears here for the first time in an unabridged English translation by Daniel Bloesch.

In this book, leading American Lutheran theologians, inspired by the Scandinavian emphasis on theology as embodied practice, ask how Christian communities might be mobilized for resistance against systemic injustices. They argue that the challenges we confront today as citizens of the United States, as a species in relation to all the other species on the planet, and as members of the body of Christ require an imaginative reconceptualization of the inherited tradition. The driving force of each chapter is the commitment to truth-telling in naming the church's complicity with social and political evils, and to reorienting the church to the truth of grace that Christianity was created to communicate. Contributors ask how ecclesial resources may be generatively repurposed for the church in the world today, for church-building grounded in Christ and for empowering the church's witness for justice. The authors take up the theme of resistance in both theoretical and pragmatic terms, on the one hand, rethinking doctrine, on the other, reconceiving lived religion and pastoral care, in light of the necessary urgencies of the time, and bearing witness to the God whose truth includes both justice and hope.

Die 39 Beitrage dieses Sonderbandes beleuchten das Thema Theologie im Spannungsfeld von Kirche und Politik aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven. Neben historischen Aspekten werden sowohl politisch-zeitgeschichtliche Fragen als auch ethische Problemstellungen bedacht. Weitere Aufsatze widmen sich der praktisch-theologischen Reflexion und Konkretion im Rahmen der christlichen Gemeinde, wie auch der Relevanz des Themas in aussereuropaischen politisch-kulturellen Kontexten. Der internationale Autorenkreis setzt sich uberwiegend aus Kolleginnen und Kollegen, Schulerinnen und Schulern des Regensburger Systematikers Hans Schwarz zusammen. Im Rahmen der Regensburger Summer School 2014 haben sie damit auch das Lebenswerk von Hans Schwarz anlasslich von dessen 75. Geburtstags gewurdigt, in dem das theologisch geleitete Umgehen mit der sakularen Welt eine wichtige Rolle spielt. The 39 contributions to this special issue develop the theme Theology in Engagement with Church and Politics from a variety of perspectives. Alongside the exploration of historical aspects, both contemporary political questions and ethical dilemmas are examined. Further contributions are devoted to the reflection upon practical theology, Christian congregational praxis, and contextual studies, which demonstrate the political and cultural relevance of this theme beyond Europe. The international circle of authors is constituted largely of colleagues and students of Professor Hans Schwarz, systematic theologian from Regensburg, Germany. In conjunction with the 2014 University of Regensburg Summer School, the authors dedicate this volume to the lifetime achievement of Hans Schwarz on the occasion of his 75th birthday, in whose work the engagement of theology with the secular world plays a major role.

While many manuals advise clergy and congregants on tactics for church survival or thriving, few address the deepest identity, shape, and imperatives of the church in its identity in Christ and the tradition of discipling that stems from his life, work, death, and resurrection. As compelling as it is clear, Craig Nessan's important new work retrieves biblical metaphors of the body of Christ and, following Dietrich Bonhoeffer, sees church today as "Christ existing as community." To theological-probing Nessan then adds contextual analysis and describes the four chief imperatives that mark Christ's presence in the world today: peacemaking, justice-making, care for creation, and engagement with the other. He then unfolds the real-life implications of this paradigm of Christian community for local church structure, strategies for partnering, public witness, and interreligious engagement. Chapter 1 Adobe Acrobat Document Contents Adobe Acrobat Document Preface Adobe Acrobat Document Samples require Adobe Acrobat Reader Having trouble downloading and viewing PDF samples? "The body of Christ, distorted almost beyond recognition by what popularly passes as church life these days, is faithfully portrayed by the insightful, biblically and theologically grounded reflections of Craig Nessan as the Shalom Church, which engages peacemaking, social justice, care of creation, and respect for human dignity." -Rev. Dennis Jacobsen Director, Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus Author of Doing Justice: Congregations and Community Organizing "It is encouraging to those of us who have tried so hard to believe in the 'reality' of the church and work for its 'realization' that new voices have taken up that challenge today and are addressing the religious situation in North America and the world with imagination, zest, and hope. I am delighted to commend Craig Nessan's thoughtful book, and I hope that it will be read widely and attentively throughout the churches." -Douglas John Hall, C.M. Professor of Theology Emeritus McGill University, Montreal

Here, in a newly revised edition, is a powerful and pertinent guide for congregations wanting to move away from 'maintenance thinking' to powerful, creative engagement with the world. Visionary yet practical, Nessan's influential book makes a persuasive case for the centrality of mission in the life of the church. Nessan's model of mission-driven leadership is strongly centered on the community of faith's worship and draws unique connections between the worship life of a congregation and every aspect of the church's ministry. Around the twin foci of congregational identity and mission, the chapters in this dynamic book provide solid theological and radical direction on the themes of worship, education, fellowship, stewardship, evangelism, global connections, and social ministry. Equally pertinent to seminary classroom and parish life, the new edition highlights worship's centrality, adds a new chapter on prayer and spiritual practices in this framework, significantly revises the treatments of fellowship and evangelism, and adds a full set of materials designed for congregational visioning and planning.