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A comprehensive study of the life and thought of an influentialAnglican and Baptist minister.

In Divine Audacity, Peter Dillardpresents a historically informed and rigorous analysis of the themes ofmystical union, volition and virtue that occupied several of the foremosttheological minds in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. Inparticular, the work of Marguerite Porete raises complex questions in theseareas, which are further explored by a trio of her near contemporaries. Theirrespective meditations are thoroughly analysed and then skilfully brought intodialogue.What emerges from Dillard's synthesis ofthese voices is a contemporary mystical theology that is rooted in Hugh ofBalma's affective approach, sharpened through critical engagement with MeisterEckhart's intellectualism, and strengthened by crucial insights gleaned fromthe writings of John Ruusbroec. The fresh examination of these thinkers - oneof whom paid with her life for her radicalism - will appeal to philosophers andtheologians alike, while Dillard's own propositions demand attention from allwho concern themselves with the nature of the union between the soul and God.  

For centuries, the global understanding of Church has been shaped by Western theological imperatives. Yet today, the decline of institutional religion in the West, and the extraordinary growth of the Church of the global South mean that a radical movement beyond such theologies is required. Paul Matheny argues that the Church would benefit by becoming more contextualized and less Western. Contextual Theology is an attempt to address that issue and to examine how a reassessment of the relationship of the Gospel to cultural context can advance this critical and necessary development. Through an accessible and critical approach, Matheny considers the historical background to contextual theology. In the same way, he aims to show how to use contextual methods to think theologically and act missiologically in different cultural contexts.

An analysis of the debate over environmental ethics from an evangelical perspective, offering a guide for navigating the complexity of the problems and the diversity of views on offer.

The global outbreak of Covid-19 appears to be unprecedented in a world which has not suffered a serious pandemic for a century, while society had almost forgotten the enormous impact of highly infectious diseases throughout history. Pestilence, however, has played a major role in ending the Golden Age of Athens, wrecking Justinian's plans to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory, and killing untold millions in Latin America after the Spanish invasion. Despite its importance, historians have tended to minimise the role of infectious disease, partly because of a lack of scientific knowledge. This has resulted in a distorted view both of the past and of the danger of disease to modern society. In Armies of Pestilence, R.S. Bray, a distinguished biologist and an able historian, corrects this view with an exploration of the influence of disease on history. The book surveys the principal epidemics around the world and across the centuries, including scholarly discussion around those which cannot be certainly identified. In each case, Bray examines the origins of the outbreaks, as well as the symptoms, the mortality rate and the social and economic turmoil left in their wake. Bray pays special attention to the infamous organism that caused the Black Death, Yersina pestis, as well as other grimly familiar bogey-men of pestilential history including malaria, smallpox, typhus, cholera and influenza, and AIDS. Government responses to outbreaks are assessed, and the inability of governments to deal effectively with disease is a recurring theme. The relationship between disease and war, with the former often responsible for more deaths than the latter, is also considered in detail, as was the case during the last great influenza pandemic of 1918-19, at the end of the First World War

"e;I will tell you a story that will make you believe in God."e;No story can guarantee being able to do this. Yet novelists can tell stories that make us think about what we believe about God and why. Despite repeated predictions of the death of the novel, thousands of works of fiction are published and read in Britain each year. Although Western society is less religiously observant than it was, many 21st-century novelists persist in pursuing theological, religious and spiritual themes. Make-Believe seeks to explain why. With chapters offering analyses of novels from several genres - so-called literary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy and dystopia - David Dickinson discusses a wide spectrum of novelists. Authors who are avowedly atheistic and authors who have a vested interest in perpetuating biblical stories are both featured. Well-known writers such as Rushdie, McEwan, McCarthy and Martell rub shoulders with some you may be meeting for the first time. Appealing to literature students and people who simply enjoy reading, whether Christian or not, this study of God in novels invites us to open our minds and allow aspects of our culture to shape our understanding of God and to change our ways of talking about the divine.

The creative genius behind Founder's Building at Royal Holloway, University of London, arguably the most glorious building in England of the end of the nineteenth century, is widely respected and its architectural style is regarded as archetypally 'Victorian'. Yet its architect, William Henry Crossland, is little known, despite a substantial catalogue of buildings, most of which remain standing today. Bringing Crossland out of the shadows, this biography explores this mysterious and elusive figure in depth for the first time. Recently digitised documents and long-hidden archival material have thrown a powerful light on Crossland, which, together with the author's first-hand knowledge of his buildings, offer the reader an unprecedented appreciation and understanding of the man, his life and work, as well as his personal and artistic influences. W.H. Crossland fills a gap in nineteenth-century architectural knowledge, but it is also the touching story of an ambitious and talented man, who is long overdue to be recognised as one of the 'greats' among nineteenth-century architects. This book is intended for architects, architectural historians and anyone who is interested in the built environment, nineteenth-century history and intriguing personal stories.

A compelling analysis of the connection between violence and the sacred, using Rene Girard's mimetic theory to point the way towards Christian reconciliation.

Protestant ethics has often been associated with work and duty, excluding sensuality, sexuality and other pleasures. In an age of body worship as well as body loathing, Elisabeth Gerle explores new paths, embarking on a conversation with Martin Luther in dialogue with contemporary theologians on attitudes towards desire, ethics and politics. She draws on Eros theology to challenge traditional Lutheran stereotypes, such as the dichotomies between different forms of love, as well as between spirit and body. Gerle argues that Luther's spiritual breakthrough, where grace and gifts of creation became central, provides new meaning to sex and desire as well as to work, body and ordinary life. Women are seen in a new light - as companions, autonomous ethical agents, part of the priesthood of all. This had revolutionary consequences in Europe at the time, and it represents a challenge to contemporary theologies with a nostalgic appetite for austerity, asceticism and female submission. Luther's erotic and genderfluid language is a healthy challenge to oppressive political structures centred on greed, profit and competition. A revised Scandinavian creation theology and a deep sense of the incarnational mystery are resources for contemporary theology and ethics.

The story of Richard Aldington, outstanding Imagist poet and author of the best selling war novel, Death of a Hero (1929), takes place against the backdrop of some of the most turbulent and creative years of the twentieth century. Vivien Whelpton provides a remarkably detailed and sensitive portrayal of the writer from early adolescence. His life as a stalwart of the pre- war London literary scene, as a soldier, and in the difficult aftermath of the First World War is deftly rendered through a careful and detailed analysis of the novels, poems and letters of the writer himself and his close circle of acquaintance. The complexities of London's Bohemia, with its scandalous relationships, social grandstanding and incredible creative output, are masterfully untangled, and the spotlight placed firmly on the talented group of poets christened by Ezra Pound as 'Imagistes'. The author demonstrates profound psychological insight into Aldington's character and childhood in her nuanced analysis of his post- war survivor's guilt, and consideration of the three most influential women in his life: his wife, the gifted American poet, H.D.; Dorothy Yorke, the woman he left her for; and Brigit Patmore, his brilliant and fascinating older mistress. Richard Aldington: Poet, Soldier and Lover vividly reveals Aldington's warm and passionate nature and the vitality which characterized his life and works, concluding with his triumphant personal and literary resurrection with the publication of Death of a Hero.

A collection of essays in memory of the curator and scholar Terence Mitchell, exploring the history and archaeology of Ancient Persia.

Basilio Petra sees Christos Yannaras (b. 1935) as a philosopher and theologian whose refiguring, on the one hand, of Heidegger's refusal to define being in ontic terms and, on the other, of Wittgenstein's willingness to admit the inexpressible character of the mystical has led him to articulate a powerful vision of true human existence. This bold interpretation outlines the passage from an ontic 'mode of nature' governed by necessity to a 'mode of self-transcendence and self-offering' beyond the limitations of decay and death. In his native Greece, Yannaras revolutionised the way theology had been done for much of the twentieth century. This book examines the trajectory of Yannaras' thought from his initial encounter with Heidegger's philosophy to his formulation (via the tradition of the Greek Fathers) of a modern critical ontology. It is for both advanced students of philosophy and the growing scholarly audience interested in Yannaras' work. Written in accessible language that does not compromise intellectual rigour, it is the only survey of the development of Yannaras' philosophical thought as a whole.

An insightful examination of how the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and Communist China has evolved over the years.

A critique of contemporary bioethical thought, drawing on the Patristic tradition to develop a Christian anthropology that offers an alternative approach to bioethics.

A compilation of fifty-eight of the essential documents of the English Reformation from 1526 to 1700, invaluable for both students and scholars.

A new collection of essays exploring the questions raised by children's fiction, from textual puzzles to historical and cultural conundrums.

Neither Here nor There: The Many Voices of Liminality draws together the expertise, experience, and insights of a coterie of authors, all of whom relate the core concepts of liminality to their unique contexts. The experience of and inquiry into liminal phenomena have developed into a distinct discipline of study which now crosses and informs many areas of thought, including anthropology, sociology, theology, psychology, literature and education. New vistas of interdisciplinary study have opened as a result of sharing the common language and symbol system of liminality. This anthology reflects the current resurgence of liminality and provides a critical source book ideal for individual reflection, study groups, classes and seminars. From the inner workings of spiritual life to large social transformations, liminality now provides a powerful interpretive tool and effective method for spiritual direction, teaching and leadership.

Christian engagement with economics tends to baptize pre-existing sociopolitical perspectives, thereby assuming a predetermined metaphysical narrative. What happens when the story of the development of economics, told from an anthropological and sociological perspective, is juxtaposed with a biblical theology that focuses primarily on relationships? Wagenfuhr tests a theological method grounded in three kinds of relationships: Creatorcreature,estrangement, and Reconciler-reconciled, by comparing these with a fourth relationship: the economic. He argues that economic relationships, and the worlds they create throughout history, are the fruit of relationships estranged from God. Much theology has committed itself to a metaphysic rooted in the reality of economics and his told a metaphysical story that tends to legitimize current sociopolitical realities. Wagenfuhr argues that reconciliation with God is entirely subversive to economic relationships. No economic relationship or system is established or justified by God; but neither does he reject them. Instead, the love of God in Christ speaks the economic language of a people, with a critical edge, leading to loving subversion of any and all economic relationships.This book argues for a robust theology that offers the post-Christendom church a renewed sense of the total scale of God's mission of reconciliation.

"e;Why does God hate me?"e; "e;How can I believe in a God who has allowed my suffering?"e; These are just two of the difficult spiritual questions that survivors of child sexual abuse struggle with. In addition, survivors often have mixed feelings about the church because of perceived judgment and indifference, their own shame, or their discomfort with certain aspects of worship. Of the many after-effects of sexual abuse, spiritual wounds are the least talked about, yet they are central to adult survivors who seek to heal and find faith and meaning in their lives. With grace and gentleness, this book seeks to answer survivors' spiritual questions and address some of the common misconceptions that often develop when young victims attempt to understand what has happened to them. Healing the Ravaged Soul explores the origins of their spiritual issues with clear psychological insights and guides survivors on a spiritual journey toward healing, wholeness, and a deeper relationship with God.

Seeing Animals traces the significance of animals to humankind from prehistory to the present day, as objects of worship, means of survival and valued companions. But do animals still matter in our increasingly urbanised and technological age? This book shows that they matter not only because the world would cease to exist without them, but also because we too are animals and how we see them reflects our regard for ourselves and each other. Animals affect people's lives in a multitude of ways: in art and literature, in daily work, for hunting and sport, as helpers and guides, and not least as essential providers of nourishment and warmth. By closely observing the enormous diversity of animal behaviour, characteristics and habits, whether in the wild, on the screen or as part of domestic life, we will be both humbled and enriched. So wherever you live, whatever your lifestyle, this book encourages you to go out and search for animals, to look at them and learn to see them, not as lesser creatures but as fellow travellers and cohabitants on our extraordinary planet.

A thorough defense of C.S. Lewis' Argument from Desire that expands and updates an often neglected argument for the existence of God.

She was dirty and dusty. Her curly hair had seen neither a comb nor water for months. In one hand she carried a package of cigarettes and in the other a solvent rag. Young Namusisi had no home, no family, no money for school fees, and no one to love her or care for her. She survived in the culture of the buy aye on the streets, parking lots, and porches of the city of Kampala, Uganda. But one day she met Daddy Kefa and her life was changed. He took her to his childrenis home where she was provided for and was shown the love of Christ. Namusisi was just one of more than 6,000 Ugandan street children who were rescued from a meaningless and hopeless life by the efforts of a compassionate, selfless, and godly man. The book contains the poignant stories of many of those destitute children stories of how they came to live on the streets and of how their lives were changed. Here are stories of a people ravaged by a demonic dictator, a people who had lost all sense of humanity and were struggling under emotional, physical, and spiritual poverty. From the Dust tells how the efforts of one man made a difference to so many who were groping in a dark world of sin and hopelessness. It is the story of the love of God to the lost and dying, and of how that love made a difference to so many Africans and can still make a difference to those who will trust in him.

Traces the development of the surname over the centuries, from its conception, to its unquestioned acceptance. This book states that this development was subject to historical events and social change, occurrences which shaped the lives of our ancestors as they advanced toward a more complex society and ordered civilization.

The worldwide Anglican movement is a vibrant and flourishing, if sometimes troubled, international phenomenon. The Anglican movement, at its best, has always been about people rather than structures or institutions. This book introduces sixteen men and women from the Church of England, spread over the centuries from the early middle age onwards.

A systematic re-examination of the First Book of Samuel and its treatment of Saul, shedding new and unexpected light on the character of the first King of Israel.

The first scholarly biographical study on one of the most fascinating figures in 20th century Christianity, who has been neglected for many years by professional historians. Geoffrey Fisher worked to modernize the Church of England and to develop the worldwide Anglican Communion. His historic meeting with Pope John XXIII, his participation in national debates on the Suez Crisis and nuclear weapons, and his role in crowning Queen Elizabeth II made him a well-known figure in post-war Britain. A short and accessible book that will be essential to both the professional scholar and the interested amateur who wish to gain a greater understanding of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion during the turbulent post-war period.

A comprehensive history of religion in Victorian England, covering such topics as religion and science, religion and society, the press, literature and art, worship, new critical methods, federation and reunion.