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Sociology and Christianity? Attempting to bring sociology and Christianity together is like trying to mix oil and water. Christians seem to have as little regard for sociology as sociologists generally have for Christianity. However, in the middle of this conflict there is a group bold enough to call themselves "Christian sociologists"; they are not willing to be stereotyped but are seriously committed to both realms. This collection of essays covers topics that are typically addressed in introductory sociology courses. Written from a Christian point of view, these essays are also geared for a wide range of readers from undergraduates to professional sociologists who bring faith commitments to the sociological task. The editors' goal is to provide an understanding of societal forces that is informed by a Christian conscience. Toward that end, certain recurring themes are found in this book: the need for informed Christian social action, the conflict between the individual and the community, the conflict between freedom and determinism, and the significance of social sin.

Livingstone believed in 1856 that he had opened Central Africa to industry, commerce, and Christianity. He summoned Britain to plant a settlement that should destroy the slave trade by teaching the Christian faith to Africans and by developing the wealth of the country. Mackenzie led the mission that tried with Livingstone's help to plant this settlement. This book describes the ensuing tragedy; a tragedy that nevertheless helped to found Nysaland.

Representing a cooperative effort between archaeologists and New Testament Scholars, this volume presents a full account of all archaeological finds related to Philippi as it existed in the early Roman imperial period. In addition, it contains a discussion of the consequences of the discovery in Philippi of the early fourth-century ""Basilika of Paul"" and the subsequent construction of an octagon around an older tomb of a hero, suggesting that a cult of the martyr Paul flourished in Philippi during the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries. The volume also includes the first-ever publication of a recently discovered inscription mentioning a Jewish synagogue, photographs, and illustrations.Contents: ""Introduction"" by Helmut Koester""Colonia Iulia Philippensis"" by Chaido Koukouli-Chrysantaki""Paul and Philippi: The Archaeological Evidence"" by Charalambos Bakirtzis""Paul and Philippi: The Evidence from Early Christian Literature"" by Helmut Koester""Dead Paul: The Apostle as Martyr in Philippi"" by Allen Dwight Callahan

We all encounter times of physical illness as well as of emotional, psychological, and spiritual distress and pain. We are all in need of healing-in every aspect of life. In this important new book, a physician specializing in preventive medicine integrates learnings from both science and religion to present a holistic approach to well being that is rooted in a new understanding of Christian principles-an approach that has already proven effective in countless lives. Using examples of people who have been healed, Dr. Bakken shows how stress (fear, anxiety, anger, guilt, depression, loneliness, and unforgiveness) contributes to disease, and how spiritual growth (perfect love casts out fear) promotes health, healing, and wholeness. Both practical and inspiring, The Call to Wholeness is at once a convincing synthesis of several disciplines and an authentic witness to the healing power of Jesus Christ. It demonstrates that God is the author, renewer, and sustainer of all life, and the ultimate source of all healing. It challenges individuals, the Church, and the medical establishment to expand their view of reality in the context of a Christ-centered spirituality that can bring true and lasting wholeness to each and all of us.

Written by capable thinkers in the Believers' Church tradition, 'The People of God' addresses key issues in ecclesiology. The contributions represent a wide variety of mature theological reflection. Exploring these ecclesiological concerns from a theological, biblical, historical, and contemporary perspective, these essays reflect the unity and diversity of the Believers' Church heritage.

Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling: Critical Appraisals was the first anthology of essays on Kierkegaard's classic to be published in English. The authors are a remarkable collection of scholars, some already well known and some standing at the beginning of their scholarly careers. The list of authors includes Louis Jacobs, David A. Pailin, Merold Westphal, Paul Holmer, Edward F. Mooney, John Donnelly, C. Stephen Evans, David J. Wren, Mark C. Taylor, Nancy Jay Crumbine, and Jerry H. Gill. The collection contains comparative, historical, and analytic essays focusing on Kierkegaard's relations to the Akedah, the multiple tensions raised by Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. These essays abound with penetrating insights into many Kierkegaardian concepts that are important not just in Fear and Trembling but found throughout Kierkegaard's writings, such as paradox, resignation, faith, the absurd, the individual, the poet, the hero, immediacy, the ethical and its suspension, the leap of faith, offence, and silence.

Defense of the Bible begins with rational proofs for the historicity and accuracy of its documents. Christ and the Bible places the argument for the authority of scripture squarely on Jesus. With uncluttered logic and straightforward prose Wenham marshals Gospel evidence to show Jesus' own view of Scripture-that it is (1) historically accurate, (2) authoritative, (3) the standard for ethics, and (4) the verbally inspired revelation of God. He then considers why we should listen to Jesus when he makes such claims and why Christ's view should be the Christian view. The study substantiates Jesus' reliability influence on all New Testament writers. Finally, Wenham considers two related problems: first, which writings really belong in the Bible; second, the reliability of the text as now available. The presentation is easy to read and understand. This third edition updates and dialogs with recent developments.

At a time when the Evangelical wing of the church is beginning to show some signs of soul searching over the issues of war and peace, the Pentecostals would do well to study their own heritage.Whether they accept or reject their earlier world view, they need to interpret the motivation for their original beliefs and those which they now hold.As people of the word of God, have Pentecostals altered their pacifistic views as a result of new biblical insights or cultural accommodation?-- From the Introduction

Throughout recorded history mankind has attempted to define perfection. This always has been a most perplexing task, almost as difficult as attaining perfection once the term has been defined. One of the most vexing problems facing the perfectionist has been how to elevate themselves above matter, especially the body, in order to emulate their god-model. Reaching Beyond: Chapters in the History of Perfectionism highlights the concept of perfection in primitive man, in both Old and New Testaments, and in a variety of perfectionist individuals and movements throughout Christian history, including the Montanists, the Medieval Apocalyptist, Joachim of Fiore; the rationalist, Thomas Aquinas; a leading Eastern Orthodox mystic, St. Symeon the New Theologian; Calvin and his followers; early modern Puritans and later primitivists; and the Pentecostals, who strive for both purity and preparation. In short, this book is a study of the human perfectionist impulse and its motivations. In certain cases, perfectionism is a reaction against limitation, inadequacy, incompleteness and evil-a rejection of comfortable, popular religion. In other instances, perfectionism is a more positive effort, a striving after holiness or knowledge, a preparation for the parousia or a quest for a return to primitive religious roots.

In With Roots & Wing, Jay McDaniel brings together insights from the natural sciences, Christian theology, and interreligious dialogue, breaking new ground in the search for a wholistic spirituality for our time. Taking this title from the Jewish proverb--that we must give our children both roots and wings--McDaniel shows how this applies to our spiritual lives as well. With Roots and Wings offers an alternative to the contemporary dilemmas of empty consumerism and rigid fundamentalism, consisting of three basic, interrelated approaches to being: to be rooted in the Earth and religious tradition; to be open to the insights of people of other faiths as well as to share our own; and to become centered on God. McDaniel shows where the new universe story of Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme and the Christian story meet and differ, where they complement, and where they supplement one another. With Roots & Wings shows how to experience both green grace that comes from opening one's self to the rhythms of the cosmos, and red grace symbolized in the crucifixion of Christ--both of which are vital to a Christian ecological spirituality and praxis. Most impressive is McDaniel's ability to absorb and reflect important lessons Christians can learn from Native Americans, from Buddhists and Hindus, from Muslims and Jews. The complexity of the issues he addresses and his ability to explain them simply and clearly makes With Roots and Wings must-reading for the general reader as well as ecological activists, clergy, and laity alike. Nothing else comes near it in depth, power, and insight.

A most needed and creative beginning in theological prolegomena, says Norman L. Geisler of Handmaid to Theology. In this work the long-neglected use of philosophy in evangelical theology is overcome. Philosophical Prolegomena does not in this case constitute an introduction to theology, preliminary material of which one must dispose before delving into the actual content of divine revelation. Instead it constitutes a handmaid to theology, the philosophical categories that necessarily help to shape each doctrine. In addition to demonstrating the inevitable reliance of theology on certain philosophical concepts, the author pleads for a clear distinction between biblical theology and systematic theology within the evangelical tradition. Particularly helpful . . . says Geisler, is the emphasis on the need to use biblically compatible concepts in order to construct a systematic theology. After two introductory chapters (What Is Prolegomena? and Prolegomena: The Starting Point), the author devotes two chapters to the doctrine of man, as many to the doctrine of revelation, three to the doctrine of God, and a final chapter to the doctrine of regeneration. This book turns over new ground in theological prolegomena, concludes Geisler. Its pace-setting insights could, and I hope will, signal a return to a proper harmony between philosophy and biblical theology in the practice of systematic theology among evangelicals.

Mysticism is a controversial topic that all too frequently receives one-sided coverage. On the one hand there are many enthusiasts who are willing to defend mysticism at almost any cost, including sacrificing logical and theological integrity. On the other hand there are philosophers and theologians who see mysticism as not much more than an evil to be stamped out. This book takes a careful look at the philosophical and theological questions involved and attempts to locate a modest place for mysticism within a genuine evangelical framework. Questions addressed in this book include such matters as: Is mysticism a perennial philosophy that appears in different guises but is always the same underneath? Can we argue for an objective reality behind all mystical experience? How can we understand the fact that mystics talk about something that they say is beyond language? How has mysticism shown up in various Christian traditions? Can we reconcile mysticism with the New Testament? The conclusion of this book is based on an understanding of mysticism as an unmediated link to an absolute. In that sense there is a form of mysticism taught in the New Testament, but it is a mysticism that does not require ecstatic experience and does not constitute a separate source of revelation. Nevertheless, this New Testament mysticism describes an integral part of biblical spirituality.

This work represents the first study in English in over twenty years on the theological thinking of Friedrich Schleiermacher. It invites the reader to try on the thinking in motion of a pivotal figure in Protestant theology. The author believes that Schleiermacher has been misunderstood and misinterpreted first by Brunner and Barth, and consequently by other present-day theologians. Because so few of the Barthian captives have themselves troubled to undertake the eminently worthwhile study of the man's mind, Dr. Niebuhr, with meticulous attention to Schleiermacher's own words, documents and assesses anew his thinking on Christ, religion, and theology. Schleiermacher's thought is described here through a series of moments. The first is his little-known dialogue, The Christmas Eve, which discusses human religion. The second and the third are his lectures on hermeneutics, which develop his conception of speech and understanding, and his lectures on ethics, which reflect on human reason and history. Part II of the book concentrates on the fourth moment, his magnum opus, The Christian Faith. What emerges is a systematic theology which organizes and focuses, in and for its own age--using, as it must, its own age's words, symbols, and concepts--the content of the consciousness of the church. To acquaint oneself with Schleiermacher's unending dialectic of nature and grace is an intriguing and rewarding experience.

Explaining why the English Augustan Age could more accurately be called the Age of Passion than the Age of Reason, this book recovers the interpretive and stylistic aims of Pope and his contemporaries and addresses objections that have lost Pope's Iliad the audience it deserves. Controversial even before the appearance of the first of its six volumes in 1715, the work remains so today, little read in spite of Samuel Johnson's declaration that it is the noblest version [translation] of poetry the world has ever seen. Steven Shankman shows that Pope's translation embodies a much finer understanding of the sense and spirit of the original than has been generally recognized. Examining relevant documents in the history of literary theory and literary style from antiquity through the eighteenth century, Professor Shankman offers a fresh and full interpretation of Pope's achievement. He also redeems some of Pope's shrewdest observations on key difficulties in the interpretation of Homer. The English Augustan poets could proudly say that, although many of their works were matched or surpassed by ancient Greece and Rome or by more contemporary Italy and France, they alone raised poetic translation to the status of great art. This book illuminates their accomplishment, and it has important implications for problems of literary translation that we face today.

Take a journey from doubt to belief It can be hard to share your faith with others, especially when people can't agree on whether there is even any actual truth. With that in mind, Chad Meister has developed a simple, logical way for you to help others move past relativism to a place where Christian belief makes sense: the Apologetics Pyramid. In Building Belief, Meister leads you up each step of the pyramid, beginning where many find themselves today--doubting if anything is really true. From there, he powerfully builds a case for absolute truth, the existence of God, universal morals and values, the reliability and divine inspiration of the Bible, the resurrection of Christ, and ultimately, the good news that Jesus is the Son of God who offers salvation to the world. "Join Chad Meister in this concise, clear, and compelling book as he builds a persuasive case for the truth of Christianity."--Lee Strobel, author, The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith "An excellent book to lead earnest enquirers from doubt to conviction about the basic truths of the Christian faith."--Norman L. Geisler, dean, Southern Evangelical Seminary and Bible College "Chad Meister is a force to be reckoned with, and this delightful little book is a timely resource to be studied by Christians and given to non-Christians."--J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology; author, Love Your God with All Your Mind "Building Belief is thoughtful, fresh, and full of personal and practical illustrations. Meister strikes just the right balance, providing a model for how apologetics ought to be done."--Paul Copan, Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach AtlanticUniversity "Meister offers both the tools and the method for making discussions with skeptics more fruitful."--Jay W. Richards, research fellow, Acton Institute; coauthor, The Privileged Planet

[Wren's] work is fresh, daring, and suggestive, and at the same time informed, critical, and disciplined. . . . Wren has combined an exceedingly thoughtful theoretical presentation of the linguistic problem and a step-by-step practical walk-through of the issues. . . . It takes a poet, not a clerk, to voice what has been disclosed by God. Wren is such a poet; he invites us to fresh evangelical cadences that will themselves liberate. Theology Today [Wren] makes an inventive effort to help cure the disease that is devastating the worship scene. He himself writes extraordinary hymn texts that are 'beyond patriarchy, ' and he hangs them in 'galleries' in his book. . . . He gives us a readable, convincing book centered on the language question but profoundly theological in its implications. National Catholic Reporter A book of tremendous value to liturgists, theologians, members of the newly forming men's liberation movement, clergy and policymakers, and anyone interested in the issue of inclusive God-language, including those who are curious about why it matters in the first place. . . . Part of the value of What Language Shall I Borrow? is Wren's graceful, imaginative presentation of his facts. Although there is ample cognitive input, it is interspersed with moving hymn texts, practical workshop ideas and fascinating narratives. The Presbyterian Outloo

For centuries women, youth, and the poor have been seen as objects of Christian ministry, but rarely as those who do ministry themselves. This is so much the case that in some quarters today ministry and mission are bad words, reeking of older and paternalistic models of Christian ""service.""In this challenging book, Cheryl Sanders demonstrates how mission can be updated. Far from being regressive or irrelevant in a multicultural, nonpatriarchal world, Christian mission can come alive when it is not just ministry to but ministry by marginalized groups seeking justice.Ministry at the Margins is an important Christian ethicist's rousing call to ""find grace to articulate a theology of inclusion and to establish inclusive practices and multicultural perspectives that harmonize with the gospel we preach and honor the Christ we proclaim."" Essential reading for pastors, church leaders, students, urban missionaries, and campus ministers.

Reading A Light to the Gentiles, a classic biography by the renowned spiritual writer and psychologist, Adrian van Kaam, has as much potential to change each reader's life as the light of divine grace changed the life of Venerable Francis Libermann, son of a Rabbi and a Christian convert whose destiny rested in the hands of Divine Providence. It is clear that the author's love for Libermann deeply affected his own understanding of the dynamics of purifying formation, illuminating reformation, and unifying transformation. The Jew of Saverne understood the Paschal Mystery as few Christians have. Libermann carried the cross--his crucifying epiphany with the joy of his resurrection epiphany, letting go of the old man of flesh and becoming a new man in Christ Jesus. This is at once a work of exquisite scholarship and a labor of love that highlights the brilliance of a founder of a religious community, a great educator, and evangelizer, a suffering servant, and a man of immense gentleness and compassion for abandoned souls everywhere. No other life of Libermann so fills our spirit, heart, mind, and soul as this one.

A leading expert on John Calvin brings together the reformer's most profound reflections on what it means to live a fully Christian life. The Christian Life includes excerpts from Calvin's impressive theological writings and illuminating sermons, as well as a selection of his stately prayers. Editor John H. Leith focuses on Calvin's spirituality, which arose out of the reformer's conviction that theology's primary importance is to encourage piety, to edify, and to transform human life and society. Calvin's writings have much to tell about the manner and style of Christian living. The writings gathered in The Christian Life draw upon Calvin's own heartfelt commitment to the ideals of life in Christ and to the responsibility to the community he served as pastor, preacher, teacher, and counselor. Here, then, is Calvin's own pattern for the conduct of the fully Christian life, which stresses that it is in Christian people living in Christian community and in society that we see most clearly the reality of faith. The Christian Life shares Calvin's thinking on such essential questions as the nature of sin; the importance of self-denial and cross-bearing to the Christian life; maintaining the proper balance between the present life and the life to come; the role of grace; the concept of Christian freedom; the place of prayer; the centrality of community; ideas of the elect and predestination; and the deepest purposes of God for his people. He relates all issues to the fundamental question of piety and how Christians can best attune themselves to God's unfolding plans in everyday life. This compact volume makes available to readers as never before some of the most accessible and rewarding writings of this foremost figure in the history of Christian thought. The selections in The Christian Life will introduce the reader to an influential form of Christian piety; but above all, they provide a clue to how Christians today may live and cope with the problems of personal and public life in a highly pluralistic and secular culture, in which the traditional guides and support for Christian living seem to have lost vitality and vigor.

Elijah will win and warm your heart as you travel with him through these pages. The author has presented a delightful down-to-earth portrayal of the peerless prophet. It has been the aim of the writer to probe mental attitudes, desires, emotional reactions and general character of both the prophet and others involved. There is provided for our learning both principle and illustration in a host of life situations. Thus from the experiences of this man of God, rich spiritual truths have been drawn and made applicable to life where we live it. Dr. Wood has written in a style that will be pleasing to both preachers and laymen. The reader will find this book stimulating, informative and challenging.

Thomas Merton once described the Precautions and Counsels of St. John of the Cross as "the most detailed and concrete and practical set of rules for arriving at religious perfection I have ever seen." Yet many today need assistance in discovering the treasures these brief works contain. In this book, Susan Muto continues her efforts to open up the riches of John of the Cross for modern audiences. She shows how these challenging texts, first written for sixteenth century friars and nuns, are firmly rooted in the values of the Gospel, and offer essential practical and spiritual wisdom for contemporary men and women of every age and way of life. Also included are a translation of the Precautions and Counsels by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., as well as a preface by the translator.

Donald E. Gowan offers new insights into what may be the Old Testament's earliest treatment of the problem of suffering: the book of Habakkuk. That small, obscure part of the Old Testament tucked away somewhere in the middle of the minor prophets, --as Gowan put it--Habakkuk has been a middle child of too many Bible students' non-attention. Yet Gowan makes no claim that this book should be more central than it has been. Instead, he shows his own personal, pastoral, and scholarly involvement with this powerful tract. After an introductory chapter, the author examines each of Habakkuk's three sections. Gowan offers his own translation of the text, applying a critical approach, and providing a decisive commentary. Gowan compares the first section's dialogue between the prophet and God (Habakkuk 1:1--2:4) with other Old Testament dialogues about God's justice. He also discusses God's response, But the just shall live by faith, as a meaningful answer to Habakkuk's questions. While the woe-oracles of the second section (Habakkuk 2:5-20) have not seemed very important in the past, Gowan shows how they form a mock funeral dirge sung in advance of a great tyrant's death. He then applies this insight to the problems of tyranny and liberty today. The psalm (Habakkuk 3) which concludes the book is discussed in terms of Israelite traditions, theophany, faith, and history. The central focus is placed on Habakkuk's striking personal statement concerning the ability of the man of faith to live through suffering joyfully. Recognizing the relationship of our suffering to that of Christ, Gowan concludes The Triumph of Faith in Habakkuk by drawing together relevant themes from Habakkuk's time and Jesus's experience

In 1906 at 312 Azusa Street in Los Angeles a revival began that set in motion a global movement that has affected half a billion people. In The Azusa Street Revival and Its Legacy, twenty writers, representing the international scholarship of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Renewal communities, reflect on the significance of the movement now and for the future.

Not a reference tool, this unique work is a teaching-learning guide to studying the Book of Revelation. The focus is on showing how rather than on telling that. Charts followed by leading questions and statements help both faculty and students to see how St. John adopted and adapted his sacred texts (as well as Jewish and Greco-Roman resources) in light of his convictions about and experience of Jesus. Noticing the dominance of words and themes leads one to discover the primary concerns of the Author and his readers. Observing how John internally arranged his visions provides a clue as to the kind of work it is and how it was meant to function.

Beginning with the desires of our hearts and ending with the priesthood of all believers, this series of meditations traces a path through some central concerns of the Reformation. Along this path, the authors, all faculty at Wycliffe College, engage with biblical passages which were important at that time and remain just as vital today in working out what it means to be a Christian, what it means to be the people of God. It seems appropriate, given the central place Scripture had for the reformers, that we should follow their lead in looking to the Bible in the context of the life of the church. While some church communities enthusiastically proclaim their Reformation roots, others look askance at particular reformers and seek to distance themselves from the whole of the Reformation. Yet the Reformation is not an era we in the West can simply ignore; it is bred in our bones, runs through our veins, and shapes our life together in myriad ways. These meditations are not simply historical explorations or an exercise in documenting past events. Rather, the authors grapple with questions which we continue to struggle with today--questions of faith and grace, sin and salvation, work and worship. These meditations will provoke discussion and broaden our theological understanding while guiding us into a deeper understanding of the faith.""This anthology of sermons draws us into the heart of the Reformation. The reader can hear the voices of the Wycliffe Faculty as they eloquently and elegantly address the salient thoughts of the Reformers. Ranging from diverse themes, such as the Law/Gospel dichotomy, idolatry, grace, the priesthood of believers, the primacy of Scripture, and the absence of God, they bring the Word itself nearer to us all. A faithful compendium and an engaging read.""--Andrew Stirling, Senior Minister, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto""The Word Is Near You brings the Protestant Reformation's unique emphasis on Scripture out of history's archives and close to home. By rediscovering the Reformation with all its strengths and weaknesses, we who are its children will better understand ourselves and what God is saying now. This fresh, insightful, multifaceted read will assist us in listening with greater discernment to God's voice and in speaking God's word with increased clarity in the church and society today.""--Paul Louis Metzger, Professor of Theology & Culture, Multnomah University & SeminaryPeter M.B. Robinson is the Professor of Proclamation, Worship, and Ministry at Wycliffe College.