This resource displays the variety of ways in which the Wesleys' concept of 'the religion of the heart' (that is, the affective dimension of Christian faith) has been understood and embodied in the Methodist tradition. The author then offers some practical suggestions on how a livelier piety, a more deeply felt faith, can be fostered in local congregations, without leading into anti-intellectualism, fanatical emotionalism or maudlin sentimentality. This part approaches theology, worship, preaching, pastoral care, and educational ministry.

Synopsis: As part of the growing literature on theology and the arts, God's Mind in that Music explores the substantial theological insight expressed in the music of jazz legend John Coltrane. Focusing on eight of Coltrane's pieces, themes under consideration include lament ("Alabama"), improvisation ("My Favorite Things" and "Ascension"), grace ("A Love Supreme"), and the Trinity ("The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost"). By attending to the traditions of theology and of jazz criticism, and through a series of interviews with musicians, theologians, and jazz writers, Jamie Howison draws the worlds of theology and jazz into an active and vibrant conversation with each other. Built around a focused listening to John Coltrane's music as heard against the background of his life and social context, and interacting with the work of a range of writers including James Baldwin, Dorothee Soelle, Jeremy Begbie, and James Cone, God's Mind in that Music will be of interest not only to those interested in the intersection of music and theology, but also to Coltrane fans, students of jazz studies, and anyone who believes that music matters. Endorsements: "Written with vivid attention to sound and the sacred, Howison's pages open up the spiritual and aesthetic depths of John Coltrane's world . . . Along the way, we hear many voices testifying to this uniquely American musician who continues to astonish our too-easily-established categories. Coltrane desired to 'sound' the cosmos, to reveal the mystery that surrounds us. This book is an informed act of love for a beautiful, complex, one-of-a-kind musician." --Don E. Saliers, Emory University "Howison has given us an original study showing the connections between jazz music and theological truths, bringing together a rare combination of musical and religious expertise. His book is a deeply personal look at the great music of John Coltrane and other jazz artists, showing how their creativity is an expression of the many facets of our humanity, from tragedies to triumphs. There is nothing quite like this in the literature. Must-reading for anyone who cares about the arts in relation to faith." --William Edgar, Westminster Theological Seminary "One need not be a fan of jazz or Coltrane to appreciate the enormous favor Howison has done for all those who would seek to be transformed by the good news of the gospel. Rooted in the theological tradition, careful in its attention to basic biblical themes, and highly conversant with the history of jazz and its most able practitioners, Howison's book takes us into waters that brim with musical life and joy, waters where God is making all things new." --Christopher R. J. Holmes, University of Otago "Through a humble and incredibly brave look at the music and life of John Coltrane, Howison manages to briefly unveil one of the ways God interacts with people, and conversely, how people interact with God . . . The wonderful and challenging beauty of this work is that just as the reader catches a glimpse of the Holy, it slips away, and like Coltrane with a fearsome yearning in his soul, playing until kingdom come, we are left with a thirst for more." --Alana Levandoski, songwriter and recording artist "Howison's work on Coltrane is insightful and just what you'd hope for--a deeper, wider groove, a take on Coltrane that has not been peddled to death. Read and be enriched." --Charlie Peacock, musician and producer Author Biography: Jamie Howison is a priest of the Anglican Church of Canada, and the founding pastoral leader of Saint Benedict's Table in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

A living religious tradition continually reassesses its practices. In our contemporary situation, the task of reassessment must attend to the presence of persons with disabilities who are increasingly taking part in public life and therefore in the worship and work of the churches. What questions, insights, and perspectives should be advanced if people with disabilities, in all their diversity, were placed at the center of religious life and education?

The fourteen contributors to this volume address this multi-faceted question. Drawing upon various disciplines and diverse experiences, the authors explore how human disability bears upon the service of God. In turn, the chapters examine how the participation of people with disabilities relates to interpretation of biblical and other sacred texts that speak of sin, disability, and healing; what theological vision is necessary to integrate the disabled into Christian life and worship; what the socio-cultural context is within which people with disabilities press for full inclusion; and how worship, as a theological act, can form communities in a more relevant spirituality of inclusiveness.

Congregations are challenged by these writers to re-envision their actual practices of communal life and worship. This collaborative work shows that the "service of God" as liturgy and as communal accountability can deepen and mature only as the diversity of human capabilities is honored.

The New Handbook of the Christian Year: Second Edition, by Hoyt L. Hickman, Don E. Saliers, Laurence Hull Stookey, and James F. White. Lectionary, prayers, responses, and Communion services updated for consistency with books of worship from several denominations. Includes: glossary of Christian symbols, glossary of liturgical terms, annotated bibliography, index of Scripture readings, index of Psalms, and an ecumenical service for the sacrament of the Lord's Supper."

A multivolume series with more than 500 contributing scholars worldwide, presenting the spiritual wisdom of the human race in its historical unfolding, from prehistoric times, though the great religions to the meeting of tradition at the present.

In Worship As Theology, Don Saliers discusses how worship is both theological (God-centered) and anthropological (embodied and embedded in specific human and cultural contexts). He illuminates worship as a theology "prayed, sung, and enacted." At the same time--by focusing upon specific dimensions of liturgical action such as praising, thanking, invoking, confessing, proclaiming, interceding, and blessing--he addresses the differences between the liturgical/sacramental and the "free-church"/evangelical church traditions.

Underlying Saliers' approach is his basic conviction that Christian liturgy is an eschatological art. Theological integrity in worship, he asserts, calls for a permanent tension in the forms and patterns which reflect the "already" and "not yet" of Christian life in the world for the sake of the world. Worship As Theology, therefore, begins and ends with the eschatology of the divine promise, that the church's cry is still "Come, Lord Jesus " and that God's will be done on earth "as in heaven."

What makes Christian worship both true and relevant to ever-changing human circumstances? How can our gathering about the Scriptures, the Table of the Lord, and the waters of baptism shape and express authentic Christian faith in the world of everyday life? In this book, Don Saliers finds a fresh way of answering these questions by exploring four "senses" of God: awe, delight, truth, and hope. Why are wonderment, surprise, truthfulness, and expectancy so often missing or diminished in Christian liturgy today, whether Protestant or Roman Catholic, "high church" or "low church", "traditional" or "contemporary"? These are essential qualities of both worship and life. Saliers contends that we are still restless for communion with God, and suggests how these essentials may be rediscovered by every worshiping congregation. At stake are the means of grace received from Christ, attested to in the Scriptures and shown in every faithful worshiping assembly.