Denominational Concerns
Showing 351–400 of 526 results
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This Bread And This Cup Leaders Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$28.95Add to cartWhether you have a small group or a larger one, whether you want to structure the program in 2 sessions or 5, whether the children in your group are all the same age or not, you’ll have all the tools you need to customize a Communion instruction program that’s just right for your parish with these rich, adaptable resources.This Leader’s Guide is a comprehensive resource for clergy and lay people offering:
Background information on theology, leader reflection, goals, overview and materials lists Ways to invite children to participate more fully in the eucharistic service Explanations of what we do and say at Eucharist Prayers, activities and scripture stories Reproducible handouts to send home
This Bread and This Cup is a program for children and their families. The intended age is 6-9 but younger works too in the program. The Child’s Book assumes the child can read, or it is used with a parent who does the reading.
This invaluable new resource brings greater understanding and meaning to a key aspect of Christian formation: Holy Communion. With solid information, including a brief history of children at the Eucharist, current theological perspectives and practices and flexible, user-friendly sessions, leaders will find that this program fits a wide variety of parish needs.
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Discovering Girard
$16.95Add to cart“Really wonderful; an elegantly written initiation into the mimetic theory. I am lucky to have interpreters who understand what I want to say and who can write so well.”
-Rene GirardThe work of Rene Girard is hugely influential in literature and cultural studies. But it is in understanding the relationship between religion and violence that his theory has created its greatest impact. Girard’s understanding of mimetic rivalry and conflict and of scapegoating is seen by many to be the key to a completely new understanding of Christianity.
Girard’s name evokes curiosity and-often-strong feelings among devotees and skeptics. Discovering Girard is the first book to present Girard’s work to a wider audience. It explains and appraises Girard’s mimetic theory, shows its impact on theology and other disciplines, and manages to convey the excitement that a discovery of Girard’s ideas often generates in readers.
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Waiting For The Wonder
$17.95Add to cartImagine the hushed excitement and the vivid anticipation of a child on Christmas Eve. How much more intense that anticipation must have been for those who waited for the wonder of the very first Christmas. From the ancient prophets to the three kings, from the angel Gabriel to the stalwart Joseph, Katarina Katsarka Whitley imagines their astonishment and joy at the events unfolding around them.
In her inimitable style, Whitley places herself in the hearts and minds of the biblical characters-both real and imagined-who played a part in the Christmas narrative. She weaves stories, solidly based in Scripture, at once compelling and thought-provoking. The voices of her characters lead us closer to the Christ Child and deepen the meaning of the season of Advent for twenty-first century readers.
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This Holy Mystery
$14.00Add to cartIt’s Communion Sunday. The service is a little longer, and the sacrament is observed with gravity. You know it’s important, but the wonder is lost. What does it all mean, really?
According to the results of a survey, you’re not alone. United Methodists have a strong sense of the importance of Holy Communion, but they also lack a meaningful understanding of the theology behind it. Reclaim a richer sacramental life in your congregation through a group study of This Holy Mystery.
In 2004, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted an official interpretative document on Holy Communion. (Go here to download a copy.) For the first time in our history, the denomination has an official, comprehensive statement of the practice and theology of the Lord’s Supper. Now, it’s time for congregations to help members understand the observance.
“We believe that study of this document will yield increased appreciation for the sacrament in the worship experience and enable United Methodist people to draw nourishment and strength for their ongoing journeys of faith,” writes Felton.
This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion is a study guide of the General Conference approved document. An all-in-one resource, this book is for both participants and leaders. It’s divided into seven sessions, providing commentary on the history, practice, and principles of Holy Communion in United Methodist congregations. It also points to implication of the sacrament for ministry and mission.
We come to the Table of the Lord seeking to have our spiritual needs met. The benefits include forgiveness, nourishment, healing, transformation, ministry and mission, and eternal life. Renew your appreciation for the divine grace made available through this sacrament.
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Century Of Holiness Theology
$29.99Add to cartAfter a century of study and debate, the doctrine of sanctification, formulated by John Wesley in the 18th century, has resulted in two contemporaneous and competing definitions of entire sanctification in the Nazarene denomination. Mark Quanstom examines the gradual change in understanding this doctrine by focusing on its history and development in a balanced and well-researched perspective.
“Quanstrom effectively follows the various understandings of holiness that have shaped and been shaped by the Church of the Nazarene. His engaging style and clear writing makes this work valuable to laymen, ministers, students, and scholars.”
-Dr. John C. Bowling
President, Olivet Nazarene University“This work is a welcome contribution to the contemporary conversation about Holiness theology. Quanstrom’s thoughtful and careful scholarship produces a balanced study of the historical development of the understanding of holiness. . . It calls us to an awareness of the dynamic character of this tradition and to an active engagement with the doctrine of Christian perfection that remains at the heart of who we are.”
-Dr. Carl M. Leth
Chairman Division of Religion and Philosophy, Olivet Nazarene University232 pages
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Quaker Spirituality : Selected Writings
$11.99Add to cartSimplicity in forms of worship, opposition to violence, and the importance of compassionate living and thoughtful listening are hallmarks of the spirituality of the Quakers. From their beginnings in seventeenth-century England to today, the Friends have attempted to live out their belief in the presence of God’s spirit within their hearts. This book features the writings of some of the most influential and inspirational Quaker thinkers — George Fox, John Woolman, Caroline Stephen, Thomas Kelly, and others — providing a vivid portrait of the beautiful, simple spirituality of the Quakers.
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How To Hit The Ground Running
$28.95Add to cartNeal O. Michell The quick-start program described in this book is designed for the new rector or pastor who wants to “hit the ground running.” It is also designed for principal lay leaders who will be instrumental in the transition to new leadership. The program takes the new pastor, vestry, or other leadership bodies from one month prior to the new leader’s arrival through the first eighteen months afterward. Organized in a user-friendly workbook format, this guide gives step-by-step suggestions on how the sometimes stalled and directionless period of transition in a faith community can be made dynamic and purposefula time of true congregational development.
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Deeper Joy : Lay Women And Vocation In The 20th Century Episcopal Church
$35.95Add to cart“An ambitious and much-needed effort to gather the key episodes and stories that highlight the important roles and vocations of lay women in both the 20th century church and the larger society. “Deeper Joy” not only chronicles the often unappreicated and undervalued past, but also points to the future of vital leadership and service.” – The Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris
Throughout the 20th century lay women in the Episcopal Church, often acting in isolation and without institutional support, offered a powerful witness of leadership, vocation, and theological resilience. Deeper Joy studies groups of women with similar callings yet located in diverse settings throughout church and society such as schools, hospitals, and other civic institutions. The topics presented here reflect new historical perspectives and unexplored primary materials, including interviews that bear on all women’s ministries, hence addressing neglected and important aspects of life in the American church.
After an introductory chapter on women and vocation, five major sections will explore lay women’s vocations through the lenses of community life, education, mission, civic life, and working for change from within the Episcopal Church. Topics include Anglican sisterhoods, the Companions of the Holy Cross, the deaconess movement, women of the New Deal, women in foreign missions, the settlement house movement, and women in education. The views of African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American women are all represented. A concluding chapter addresses future directions for leadership and service.
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Chasing Down A Rumor
$14.99Add to cartAcknowledgments
Foreword
IntroductionPERSPECTIVES
1.Conceptual Tools
2.Fragments Of Fragments
3.A Bewildering Course Of EventsPROSPECTS
4.NumbersPOSSIBILITIES
5.Built To Last
6.Incidence Of Renewal
7.Style And Ability: A Way Forward
8.Toward The Next Rumor: Findings, Worries, StrategiesNotes
ReferenceAdditional Info
Bacher and Inskeep believe that mainline denominations serve as caretakers of the important American expressions of Christianity, and if they are weak or lost, society and the universal church will be the worse for it. They argue that a fundamentally American form of mainline denominationalism can and will endure, despite the rumor of its decline.The authors examine six “rumors” of the decline. Using historical trends and current statistical information, they analyze the current situation and point to vital lessons, potential problems, and key challenges. They also offer helpful strategies and provide examples of what denominations are doing that show potential.
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Calling : A Song For The Baptized
$22.95Add to cartThe image of calling is vividly described through Westerhoff’s stories drawn from her life and work. Narratives of what it means to live as a Christian provide the variations on the baptismal themes of ministry, community, and responsibility in this “song for the baptized”.
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Beliefs : Mennonite Faith And Practice
$18.99Add to cartAsk any person randomly on the sidewalk what they know about the Mennonites and chances are their answer will include Mormons, black clothes and buggies, or general confusion. This short, engaging book gives a brief account of what Mennonites believe. From the beginnings of the Anabaptist (or Mennonite) movement in the 16th-century, to biblical interpretation, baptism, understandings of the church, ethics, and the complex question of denominationalism, John D. Roth provides a solid framework for on-going conversations about faithful discipleship in the Mennonite church today.
John Roth has written a wonderful introduction to Mennonite life and theology. With admirable candor he exposes the controverted and undecided aspects of Mennonite ecclesial practices and theology. This book will serve not only to introduce Mennonite life to Mennonites but to anyone wanting to know what makes Mennonites Mennonites.
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Always Open : Being An Anglican Today
$13.95Add to cartSeventy million assorted individuals comprise a church family that is renowned for its rich diversity. Christians of all shades of belief together make up the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of churches that extends around the world and includes the Episcopal Church in the United States. At its best, the spirit of openness that marks this fellowship is a sign of openness to the Holy Spirit. Few Anglicans would presume to have “arrived” spiritually, and the door is always open to all who are seeking God.
Whether you are a “cradle” Episcopalian or are exploring the denomination, Always Open is an excellent introduction to Anglican beliefs and practices. Down-to-earth and good humored, Always Open explains the essentials of the Anglican approach to authority, the Bible, social and moral questions, dialogue with people of other faiths, and much, much more.
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Christ Present In Faith
$29.00Add to cart1.The Basis For Justifying Faith
2.Faith Formed By Christ
3.The Law And Participation In The “divine Life”
4.Christ And The Believer As One Person
5.”Through Faith One Becomes God”
6.The Presence Of Christ And Sanctification
7.”Simultaneously Righteous And A Sinner”
8.The Christian Struggle
9.The Sighing Of The Spirit
10.Realistic Symbolism And The Union With Christ
11.The Present Christ And The Objective Basis For HolinessAdditional Info
Mannermaa’s revisionist work on justification in Luther’s theology – a notable contribution from one of the most influential Finnish scholars of Luther studies – is now available in English. His book opens up new interpretive questions for historical theology with striking implications for ecumenism, ethics, and spirituality.He writes, “the idea of the divine life in Christ which is present in faith lies at the very center of the theology of the Reformer.” He argues that later Lutheran interpretation of this teaching has portrayed justification as more mechanical and forensic than Luther did, underestimated the extent to which God’s righteousness is also ours, and obscured the radical personal transformation that Luther attributed to justification.
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She Who Prays
$30.95Add to cartShe Who Prays: A Woman’s Interfaith Prayer Book offers women a new way to pray. Drawing on feminine images of God – and on the language and experience of women – it helps women tap into their own rich and unique spirituality. Readers will find a wealth of prayers from a variety of traditions – early Christian, Native American, and others. With a liturgical calendar honoring the lives of women of all faiths, along with rituals for group celebrations such as weddings and the welcoming of a child, She Who Prays will help women speak to God in their own voices.
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Gift Of Grace
$32.00Add to cartThis landmark volume assesses the prospects and promise of Lutheran theology at the opening of a new millennium. From four continents thirty noted and respected contributors not only gauge how such classic themes as grace, the cross, and justification wear today. They also look to key issues of ecumenism, social justice, global religious life, and the impact of contemporary science on Christian belief.
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Book Of Common Prayer Enlarged Edition
$30.00Add to cartThe 1662 Book of Common Prayer is the old and well-loved prayer book of the Anglican Church and is used daily in churches and homes throughout the world. Its phrases and vocabulary are widely admired and have made a major contribution to the English language.
The Enlarged Edition has slightly larger text than the Standard Edition, with matching page numbers, so the books can be used at the same time. Choose from hardcover, black French Morocco leather or brown goatskin leather. -
Season For The Spirit
$27.95Add to cartExperience forty days of self-discovery through theological reflections and prayers. While it aims to assist a daily practice of personal prayer, it is also widely used by groups who pledge to meet regularly so that members can share their thoughts, reactions, and spiritual experiences.
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Dear Diotrephes : Whats Our Position
$21.99Add to cartThese letters were written to various friends, critics, and inquisitors who were trying to learn our position on the prevailing issues in the Church of Christ. Asking for help was enough to uncover other issues. Everyone felt compelled to “take a stand” on every issue. I was searching for help due to my failing eyesight and a concern for my wife and six children. When I asked whether James 5:14 had really “passed away,” as they said, where could I go for help? I learned that hardly any of them believed the Bible. They just said they did. I was told that there were 27 branches of us. The introduction of the healing question doubled the number, so we had 54. The Holy Spirit question caused further division, so we had 108 sects. Speaking in tongues, professional clergy, and fellowship issues made 216 socioreligious sects. Voila! How is that for growth?
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Proverbs : Believers Church Bible Commentary
$34.99Add to cartThe nineteenth volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series is unique for its detailed uncovering of evidence for two editions of Proverbs, a first in the time of Solomon and a second in support of King Hezekiah’s historic religious reforms. In this light heretofore puzzling features of the book’s design, purpose and message are clarified and the book’s relevance for its time and ours is greatly enhanced. This readable commentary is for all who seek more fully to understand the original message of Scripture and its meaning for today – Sunday school teachers, members of Bible study groups, students, pastors, and other seekers.
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For All The Saints
$15.95Add to cart“We have been drifting into a muddle and a mess, putting together bits and pieces of traditions, ideas and practices in the hope that they will make sense. They don’t. There may be times when a typical Anglican fudge is a pleasant, chewy sort of thing, but this isn’t one of them. It’s time to think and speak clearly and act decisively.”
With these robust words Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, throws down a challenge to current liturgy and practice surrounding All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, and sets out to clarify our thinking about what happens to people after they die. Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, what it means to pray for the dead, what (and who) are the saints, are all addressed in this invigorating and rigorously argued book. -
Who Runs The Church
$24.99Add to cart“Many Protestants, individually and denominationally, are divided by differences regarding the form of church government. While these differences are not necessarily as divisive as theological and doctrinal issues, they are significant to churches and church leaders and affect the way Christians do God’s work. This book in the highly acclaimed Counterpoints series offers insights and contrasts into four kinds of church government: (1) episcopalianism (hierarchical, with priests, bishops, and archbishops), (2) presbyterianism (a representative form at multiple levels-church, classis/presbytery, synod/general assembly), (3) single-elder congregationalism (pastor-led local autonomy), and (4) plural-elder congregationalism (another form of local autonomy). Each form of government is explored through (1) description, (2) historical development, (3) hermeneutical assumptions, (4) biblical and theological foundations, (5) an understanding of the nature, number, and relationship of church officers, (6) the practical implications. The contributors are Peter Toon of the Anglican Church (episcopalianism), L. Roy Taylor of the Presbyterian Church in America (presbyterianism), Paige Patterson of the Southern Baptist Convention (single-elder congregationalism), and Samuel E. Waldron of the Reformed Baptist Church (plural-elder congregationalism).” EDITOR: Cowan, Steven B.
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Lifetime Of Blessing
$20.99Add to cartIn the same successful formula as ‘World of Blessing’, Geoffrey Duncan has compiled blessings from a great variety of resources to commemorate every conceivable stage of life from planning and praying for a child to bidding loved ones farewell. aaIn between there are a wide range of thanksgiving and blessing prayers for pregnancy, the birth of a baby, adoption and fostering, christening or naming ceremonies,godparents, growing up, starting school, birthdays, confirmation or church membership,friendship, love, work, leaving home, engagement, marriage, moving house, anniversaries, the big’O’s(!)and all important occasions in life-joyful or sad. aaA unique pastoral and personal resource that will be used over and over again.
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Way Of Life In The World
$20.99Add to cartIn this introduction to the core habits, beliefs, and ways of looking at the world that distinguish the people called Methodist, Carter contends there are six essential practices in the United Methodist tradition: Searching the Scriptures; Generosity with the poor; Testimony; Singing; Holy Communion; Christian conferencing.
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From The Parish
$17.99Add to cartForeword
IntroductionPART ONE: ”You Have Made Public Profession Of Your Faith…”
1.Who In The World Are We? Lutheran Nonnegotiables
2.Christ’s Choice For Life: Law And Gospel Applied
3.True Confession: The Spirit Of Augsburg
4.Rerooting In The Community: A Mission Strategy Grows In Brooklyn
5.A Lutheran Spiritual Face In The Public Arena
6.From Pentecost To Politics: How One Parish Tackled The Pornography ProblemPART TWO: ”Do You Intend To Continue In The Covenant God Made With You In Holy Baptism?”
7.Life By Drowning: The Baptized Christian In The World
8.Children Of A Greater God: Catechesis Of The Confessional Heart
9.A River Runs Through It: Evangelism From The Font
10.Bonhoeffer, Youth, And The Church: The Mundane Communio Sanctorum
11.Walking On Water: Mentoring The Next Generation
12.The Habit Of Ecstasy; The Practice Of Prayer; The Journey Of FaithPART THREE: ”To Live Among God’s Faithful People….’
13.The Community Of Grace
14.The Community Of The Word
15.The Faithful Community
16.The Disciplined Community: Law, Gospel And The Solus Christus
17.Confraternities Of Grace: Small Group Ministry
18.Family ValuesPART FOUR: ”To Hear The Word And Share In His Supper….”
19.Eating And Drinking Among The Tombstones
20.Full Communion On The Way Home
21.Embodied Ecumenism: The Unity Of Christ’s Body At The Local Level
22.Assisting Ministers: Identity And Function
23.To Carry God In The Mouth: Singing The FaithPART FIVE: ”To Proclaim The Good News Of God In Christ….”
24.Bishop And Parish
25.The Triune Shape Of The Church: Episcope And The Trinity
26.Lost And Found: Growth And Evangelism
27.Evangelism, Church Growth And The Swinging Door
28.Hirtabrev. Following Jesus To The Breach
29.Hirtabrev. Come To The Table: Koinonia As Missionary AccountabilityPART SIX: ”To Serve All People, Following The Example Of Our Lord Jesus…”
30.The Diaconate: Consecrated DPs
31.Diakonia: A Mom-and-Pop Theological Store
32.Priests And Deacons: Earthly And Heavenly Partnership
33.Servants Of Jesus: Diaconal People Among UsPART SEVEN: ”And To Strive For Justice And Peace In All The Earth.”
34.Parish Schools: Christ, The City, And The Child
35.To Take Care Of The Body: Social Ministry And Evangelism Through The Parish Social Ministry Committee
36.Requiem
37.A Tale Of Three Houses
38.Give Me That Stranger: The Ministry Of Word And Sacrament CAdditional Info
This is a book about the parish, written from the heart of parish life. Its heart is an edited collection of Lutheran Forum articles, with other published work and new material adding dimension to some of the themes explored in these pages. This collection provides diverse soundings of parish life in the Gospel and suggests a Lutheran theology of the parish, but one that is accessible and relevant across the ecumenical diversity of the One Body of Christ. For pastors and lay readers, this book seeks to support the ministry of congregations, as well as inspiring and provoking dialogue in local parishes. -
On Being A Priest Today
$16.95Add to cartThis important book on priestly identity embraces the many contemporary and denominational varieties of priestly ministry; male and female, paid and unpaid, parish and work-based, catholic, evangelical, charismatic. Examining the “root,” the “shape,” and the “fruit” of priestly identity, On Being a Priest Today is essential reading for priests, priests in training, and everyone considering the ministry. Part One “roots” a priest’s human and church life in the theological convictions derived from the Christian understanding of God as being for and with others. Part Two explores the “shape” of priestly life in relation to worship, word, and prayer, each supported by the three key virtues of love, faith, and hope. Part Three examines the “fruit” of priestly life by focusing on three fundamental features of priestly identity: holiness, reconciliation, and blessing.
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Presbyterian Trustee
$16.00Add to cart1. Biblical Models
2. Historical Background
3. The Responsibilities And Powers Of Trustees
4. Professional Ethics And Standards Of Conduct
5. Future Prospects: Administering Christ’s Church With JusticeAdditional Info
The Presbyterian Trustee is a brief, highly useful handbook for trustees in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the first to examine the office. Modeled after The Presbyterian Elder and the author’s own The Presbyterian Deacon, this book explores the biblical models of trustees, the historic background of the office, and the responsibilities of trustees today. Added features include a liturgy for the installation and recognition of trustees, a glossary, and a list of other recommended resources. -
Preaching Hebrews
$15.95Add to cartThe Rochester College Sermon Seminar and the series of books it has inspired have been built on the conviction that Christian preaching today needs revision. Such reforming begins with a close and faithful reading of Scripture, an engagement so serious that the world of Scripture ultimately sets agendas and invents expectations for meaningful life…In this present volume, too, we wish to grant the book of Hebrews the opportunity to pull all of us into the world it envisions, allowing it the power to judge, convict, and form us into a community God desires. This is not an easy task for several reasons, most notably the fact that the world of Hebrews is quite alien from our own…Like previous volumes in the Rochester Lectures on Preaching, the current work is divided into two parts. The first is a collection of four related essays meant to orient the reader to the world clearly conceived in Hebrews. The second half appropriates this orientation with sermons for particular Christian congregations.
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Unveiling Glory : Visions Of Christs Transforming Presence (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartWhy did Jesus come to earth in the flesh and live among us? In what sense did he both embrace this world and reject it? How should our view of Christ form the way we live and act as Christians in our families, neighborhoods, nations, and churches? Unveiling Glory seeks to address these topics and others, boldly considering many of the problems facing Churches of Christ today and insisting that the key to their resolution lies in a deeper commitment to Jesus.
The introduction establishes the premise for the book when it declares that “approaching Christ with transformation in mind has not always been a key element in…our heritage. Yet we are convinced that whenever scripture is allowed to speak with its full voice, the notion of Christianity as transformation into the image of Christ becomes inescapable.” The book seeks to deliver on this promise, leading the reader through the important events in Jesus’ life and unveiling their significance for the Christian today.
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Preaching As Prophetic Calling
$20.95Add to cartPreaching as Prophetic Calling is the twelfth in a series of books devoted to presenting examples of preaching excellence from parishes throughout the Episcopal Church. This volume addresses the difficult and essential area of preaching a prophetic word. What does a prophetic sermon look like without being shrill, and without being filled with “musts,” “oughts,” and “shoulds”? This collection of sermons includes examples of prophetic preaching that are visionary and that speak in ways that offer radical comfort as well as radical challenge.
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Gift And Task Of Lutheran Higher Education
$19.00Add to cartWhy should Lutherans care whether there are any ”Lutheran” colleges and universities? Why should people who study, teach, and work in colleges and universities care whether they are ”Lutheran” or not? And, maybe most significantly, what does the continued robustness of Lutheran higher education have to contribute to the church and to life and work in the broader public arena? Tom Christenson has thoughtful and persuasive answers to all these questions, and more.
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Anglicans And Orthodox
$25.00Add to cartElizabeth I deliberately divided her episcopate at the outset of her reign between Geneva reformers and bishops who looked to the Fathers of the Early Church. Thereafter in the Church of England there would always be divines who would be drawn to the Orthodox East. Such men suffered mightily in the 17th century at the hands of the first Puritans and then Whigs when these gained political power, and their suffering impelled them more and more to ‘look to the East.’
This book traces the fortunes of the quest, through the study of Greek texts, involvement in the intricate politics of the Near and Middle East, deprivation and isolation in the Nonjuror schism, and finally the rejection by the Greek Patriarchs of requests for Orthodox Communion in the 1720’s.
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Methodist And Radical
$38.99Add to cartContributors from diverse backgrounds in the United States and around the globe reflect on radical and liberation traditions in Methodism in their own context. In conversation with contemporary Methodism and the Wesleyan heritage, each chapter focuses on the question how radical and liberation traditions provide new visions for the present and future of the church. Contributions include: Ted Jennings Jr., John J. Vincent, Joerg Rieger, Josiah Young Jr., Andrew Sung Park, Mercy Amba Oduyoye, Stephen Hatcher, Jose Miguez Bonino, Harold Recinos, Rebecca Chopp, Cedric Mayson, Jong Chun Park, and Jione Havea.
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Lutherans Today : American Lutheran Identity In The Twenty First Century
$27.99Add to cartIn the middle of the twentieth century, American Lutherans were newsworthy enough to find themselves on the cover of “Time” magazine. Their claim to fame? In an era when American churches were beginning to look and act alike, Lutherans’ strong confessional nature and stress on theology as well as their liturgy and ethnicity set them apart. They were “Protestants with a difference” at a time when differences were supposed to be dissolving in the American melting pot.
Subsequent years have posed serious questions to Lutheran identity, as disputes about the true nature of Lutheranism and the meaning of the Lutheran confessions, the structure of ministry, ecumenism, sexuality, and multiculturalism have all left their mark on Lutheran denominations. In “Lutherans Today” several historians, social scientists, journalists, and other leading experts map out the place of Lutheranism in the landscape of contemporary American Christianity and explore the directions in which it is heading in the new millennium.
Presenting new and original research, the book is divided into two sections. The first examines change and movements within American Lutheranism. Distinguished church historian Mark Noll here sets the scene by arguing that the predicament of American Lutheranism has always been the struggle to remain faithful to the enduring witness of the European Reformation while also accommodating itself to the democratic pluralism of the New World. Six other chapters discuss the Missouri Synod, the “Lutheran Left,” the Called to Common Mission agreement, the evangelical catholic movement within Lutheranism, the rise of “megachurches,” and Lutheran charismatics.
The second section considers trends and issues related to Lutheran identity, including politics and the pastorate, the impact of immigration and multiculturalism, the loss of Lutheran identity at Lutheran colleges and universities, and conflicting patterns of commitment among Lutheran youth.
As a whole, “Lutherans Today” will be valuable not only to all Lutherans but also to those interested in the development and current state of religious life in America.
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John Wesley : A Theological Journey
$38.99Add to cartA chronological presentation of the development of Wesley’s theology. John Wesley remains a seminal figure, not only for “the people called Methodist,” but also within the larger Protestant tradition. Understanding his theology is a requirement for understanding the development of the Western Christian tradition in the modern period.
In recent years much work has been done to grasp the intricacies of Wesley’s theology. However, most of this work has been thematic in organization, studying Wesley’s thought according to a topical or systematic outline. The weakness of this approach, argues Kenneth J. Collins, is that it fails to demonstrate the evolution and changes of Wesley’s theology. What is called for is a historical presentation–one that examines the development of Wesley’s theology across the span of his long and eventful theological career.Drawing on an extensive examination of the primary sources, and demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the different contexts and social locations in which Wesley’s theology took place, John Wesley: A Theological Journey will be necessary reading for anyone wishing to understand the broad scope of the Methodist leader’s theological development and contribution.
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In One Body Through The Cross
$11.50Add to cartThe Princeton Proposal is a landmark statement on the present situation and future possibilities of modern ecumenism. Drafted by sixteen theologians and ecumenists from various church traditions, who met over a period of three years in Princeton, New Jersey, this document seeks to steer contemporary efforts at church unity away from social and political agendas, which are themselves divisive, and back to the chief goal of the modern ecumenical movement the visible unity of Christians worldwide, of all those who are reconciled “in one body through the cross.”
Since the study group that produced this statement was instituted and its participants were chosen by an independent ecumenical foundation, the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, their “unofficial” work presents especially profound and creative reflection on the ecumenical task. With this report the study group members do not claim to speak for their churches, but hope to speak to all the churches out of shared concern for the founding ecumenical imperative “that they all may be one . . . so that the world may believe.”
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Radical Outreach : The Recovery Of Apostolic Ministry And Evangelism
$26.99Add to cartThis book tells how the contemporary church can reclaim its ancient witness through hands-on ministries with the unchurched.
When it comes to transforming people’s lives and leading them into active Christian discipleship, why does there seem to be such a difference between the church we read about in the New Testament and our own churches today? What was it about those earliest Christians that empowered them to spread the gospel with such startling results? One core reason, says George G. Hunter III, is that they reached out into the communities in which they lived. Instead of building fortress churches and inviting others to come join them inside the walls, the earliest Christians spread out, engaging in hands-on ministries to meet the needs of people where they were. The churches today that have reclaimed this apostolic ministry are the ones that do not rely on worship, or even preaching, to woo the unchurched into visiting them. Rather, they use outreach ministries — everything from recovery groups to English-as-a-second-language classes — to reach those most in need of the healing word of the gospel.
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Life Changing Faith For Today
$10.95Add to cartDavid Monge believes that many modern Christians no longer think carefully about scripture and tradition, because they don’t believe it is essential to their faith — and, he says, that’s strikingly similar to the prevailing situation which confronted Martin Luther 500 years ago. An excellent introduction for laypersons, Life-Changing Faith For Today examines Luther’s thought to discover how relevant it remains to Christians today — and why it is important to all people of faith, whatever their denominational background. Very simply said, the core of his message is that we do not choose God, but He chooses us. Despite our unworthiness, salvation is ours because God loves us beyond all human comprehension. And that’s why we need to rediscover Martin Luther — since his theology is solidly rooted in both the Bible and human reality, it points us back to a radically authentic Christian faith.
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Belonging To God
$44.00Add to cart1. Service For The Lord’s Day: Order With Liturgical Texts
2. Proclamation
3. Resources For The Liturgical Year
4. Special Occasions
5. Alternative Settings
6. Book And Music ResourcesAdditional Info
This exciting new resource for Presbyterian pastors, worship leaders, and educators demonstrates how to incorporate the new Belonging To God catechism into worship services-allowing for the full inclusion of children. The book provides prayers, calls to worship, baptismal resources, confirmation resources, graduation rites, and more, all based on the new children’s catechism. In addition, it includes suggestions for using the catechism in sermons-for children specifically and for the entire congregation-and offers bulletin suggestions, and annotated bibliography, and a comprehensive listing of other catechism resources. -
To God Alone Be Glory
$57.00Add to cartIn this highly useful text, the fruit of extensive study and research, Harold Daniels tells the fascinating story of the history of Reformed worship in America, from the 1600s to the present. He describes the development and objectives of the Book Of Common Worship and explores how the book itself serves as an agenda for liturgical reform within the church. In a substantive second part of the book, Daniels provides the sources of the prayers and other material used in the Book Of Common Worship. Persons involved in planning, presenting, studying, or teaching about Presbyterian worship will benefit greatly from having a copy of this comprehensive resource in their personal library.
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Launcelot Fleming : A Biography
$32.00Add to cartThis is an authorized biography of an accomplished and greatly-loved man – a figure who left his mark on the Church, in the academic world, in scientific institutions, and in the lives of countless people who enjoyed his friendship. Bishop, Antarctic explorer, geologist, sportsman, naval chaplain, and pacifist, Fleming helped to found VSO, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, the Prince’s Trust and the University of East Anglia. Much of the contemporary debate taking place between science and theology can be traced to his thought and initiative.
