Bøker utgitt av Wipf & Stock Publishers

Ecumenism in postwar Asia, institutionalized in the Christian Conference of Asia, displayed a remarkable this-worldliness from its inception in the 1940s. This tendency was in contrast to the tension between the church-centric and world-centric approaches to Christian mission that marked conciliar mission thinking in the West. This work examines the development of such this-worldly holiness in Asian ecumenism, focusing on M. M. Thomas of India and C. S. Song from Taiwan.Special attention is drawn to the idea of ""God's this-worldly presence"" that considers God as redemptively at work in world history apart from the church. The study first compares the development of this-worldly holiness in the West and Asia and then examines the thinking of Thomas and Song. The chapters on these two theologians discuss their backgrounds, the basic concerns motivating their intellectual searches, and responses to the questions arising from such concerns. These chapters also try to understand how these theologians view the relationship between God and the world. In so doing, the study highlights the significance of the idea of God's this-worldly presence shared by Thomas and Song in spite of differences in their backgrounds, approaches, and theological formulations.Having compared Thomas and Song, the study concludes that the idea of God's this-worldly presence became central to Asian ecumenism because it offered a common unifying vision to Asian Christians who come from a region characterized by tremendous diversity. The idea helped them to see the diverse peoples, cultures, and religions in Asia under one God who transcends the diversity and still takes it seriously.

A truly livable and decidedly witty lay spirituality from the most amusing Christian intellectual of our time.From his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, and children's classics, The Chronicles of Narnia; from his poems and novels; from his literary criticism and theological explorations C. S. Lewis has laid down, albeit unwittingly, a spirituality that the ""mere Christian""--something of an invention of Lewis's--can live with from Monday through Saturday. On Sunday Lewis would expect the mere Christian to be in his or her own church.In this book, Bill Griffin, renowned Lewis scholar and biographer, captures the spirituality from Lewis's own writings and presents it in a manner reminiscent of Lewis's own.""Few people today could have accomplished what William Griffin has done in this work. He has exegeted for us a central feature of the life and thinking of C. S. Lewis, namely, his spirituality . . . and he has done it with zest and aplomb. I commend it to you.""--Richard Foster, founder of Renovare, a Christian renewal para-Church organizationWilliam Griffin, author of the biography Clive Staples Lewis: A Dramatic Life, is an editor, novelist, journalist, literary agent, and publishing consultant. He has anthologized the works of not only C. S. Lewis but also J. B. Phillips. Dorothy L. Sayers, Fulton J. Sheen, and Billy Graham.

A college professor tells students how to get the most out of college.Giving advice that reads like a personal letter to high school and college students, Professor Jacob Neusner discusses:- How to select a college- What is a major, and how will it affect your career- What are the humanities- How to grade your professors - what they do- How teaching works in college- Freshman bliss- Cynical seniors- Campus sexProfessor Neusner outlines what you should expect from, and demand from, the college of your choice.Professor Neusner can be counted on to see through conventional wisdom and put his finger on underlying truths. In this book, he enthusiastically reminds young people that they can control the educational process. A wonderful graduation present for high school seniors. David C. Burnham, Headmaster, Moses Brown School

One of America's most prominent worship leaders allows us to go on a liturgical journey with him. Out of his experience, Bishop Frederick Hilborn Talbot provides an exciting and useful guide for church leaders who understand that revitalizing worship is central to revitalizing the church itself.In African American Worship: New Eyes for Seeing, Talbot balances the cultural setting of African American churches and the wider experience of the church universal through the ages. He draws together his own wide and long experience, African background, Caribbean and United States churches, as well as the strong influence of the Wesleyan Revival. Outstanding church leaders, scholars in theology, and pastors commend this exceptional account of the African American experience of worship as a model for the future for churches of all denominations.This is a remarkable and splendid work! What is written here ought to be read by every preacher, theological student, and lay person of the Christian church. It is a magnificent account of the African American spiritual heritage. But much more, it is a help for all who seek to plan and engage in authentic worship. We have needed this volume for a long time. I commend this book for serious study and wide application.--Gardner C. Taylor, Pastor Emeritus, Concord Baptist Church of ChristHere is a significant model and impetus for any church seeking both the roots and future of its worship. . . . This is a balanced account . . . centering on the experience of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He has provided a guide for church leaders who understand that revitalizing worship is central to the revitalization of the church itself.--Catherine Gonzalez, Professor Emerita, Columbia Theological SeminaryWhat a book! This scholarly, yet engaging book should become required reading for all African American students in the Schools of Divinity. After artfully sharing nuggets from the gripping story of his journey from British Guyana to Allen University, Yale University, and beyond, Bishop Talbot extracts some soulful fundamentals of African American worship. Many of all Christian groups will discover in this work new eyes for seeing, new ears for hearing, and a new heart for feeling the very presence of God in worship! Get this book!--Bishop Frederick James, Retired, African Methodist Episcopal ChurchAs one touched by his ministry as a Bishop greatly concerned about the worship life of congregations, I can attest to the depth of his interest in sharing a new vision for the liturgical life of the AME Church in particular, and the ecumenical church in general. I highly endorse and recommend African American Worship: New Eyes for Seeing. Without a doubt, this document will become a valuable textbook and resource for teachers and students in seminaries. It is written in a such a way that it can serve as a helpful resource for individuals and groups preparing for ministry--pastors, as well as lay persons.--Melva Wilson Costen, Professor, Interdenominational Theological Center, author of African American Christian WorshipFrederick Hilborn Talbot is a graduate of Allen University, Yale Divinity School, the Pacific School of Religion, Columbia Theological Seminary, and has been a Resident Fellow at Harvard University. He was elected the ninetieth Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1972 and has also served in the Diplomatic Service of the Government of Guyana.

This book is a guide to understanding both liberation thought and its implications for the unpoor. It argues that our captivities are directly tied to the desperate conditions of the marginalized, both those in the Third World and those in our midst. The theme of the book is ""proclamation of the good news of the saving wholeness offered in Jesus Christ."" The author believes that Christians can work for true liberation while working within the democratic system.""Does liberation theology have anything to say to middle class congregations in the United States? Or is it strictly a Latin American phenomenon that withers if transplanted? Bayer demonstrates that we in the First World have much to learn from the liberation theologians. His careful and compelling case may serve to loosen some of our moorings, but it will also help us cast off shackles forged by our consumer society.""--John Eagleson, Editor-in-Chief, Orbis BooksCharles H. Bayer is a retired minister and has published numerous articles in The Christian Century, National Catholic Reporter, and other periodicals. He is also the author of Resurrected Church: Christianity After the Death of Christendom.

Discovering the Gospels: Four Accounts of the Good News answers many of our questions about the gospels. Author Margaret Nutting Ralph introduces us to the methodology and insights of biblical scholarship while involving us in thoughtful dialogue. Because it is written clearly in easily understood terms, this book is an invaluable aid for anyone asking mature questions about the gospels. It is especially suited for schools, Bible study programs, and faith sharing groups.

The doctrine of sovereign grace is here maintained and handled in a practical manner. It has been my endeavor, in the following pages, not only to state and defend the capital truths of the gospel, in a doctrinal way; but also to point out their peculiar importance, as happily adapted to awaken the conscience, and comfort the heart; to elevate the affections, and influence the whole conduct in the way of holiness. However the doctrine of Reigning Grace may be decried as licentious, it is that very truth which God in all ages has delighted to honor; which the Divine Spirit has owned for the information and comfort, for the holiness and happiness of sinful men. Were I not fully persuaded of this, rather than appear as an advocate for it, I would condemn my tongue to everlasting silence, and my pen to perpetual rest.

In recent years scholars have paid increasing attention to the richness and diversity of North American contributions to Christian worship. This volume of articles by James F. White summarizes a major segment of liturgical history (1955-1995). Characteristic North American emphases, such as liturgy and justice, are highlighted along with other issues growing out of the worship context of the New World.James F. White (1932-2004), who was Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Studies at the University of Notre Dame, devoted his professional life to teaching liturgy and equipping others for this ministry. He was intensely involved in liturgical reform and authored sixteen other books on liturgy.

Compiled in conjunction with the theological commission of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT), Global Voices for Gender Justice is a detailed anthology of essays written by theologians from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and U.S. minority groups who share their theological analysis of gender issues.Topics include: voices of unchurched Korean women, black male heterosexuality, gendered forms of racism (a Native American woman's perspective), Latin American feminist theology and gender theories, culture/gender in Latin America, gender and new and renewed images of the divine, the shifting gender role of women, harmonizing masculine and feminine in the male gender, gender concern (a male perspective in holistic paradigm), the portrait of women in the parables, a critical review of a feminist interpretation of the Hebrew canon patriarchy, and gender mainstreaming in African theology (an African woman's perspective).Contributors: Jung-Ha Kim, Andrea Smith, Silvia Regina de Lima Silva, Diego Irarrazaval, Ana Maria Tepedino, Judith Na Bik Gwat, Oswald B. Firth, J. B. Banawiratma, Kemdirim O. Protus, Ramathate T. H. Dolamo. Philomena N. Mwaura, and Dwight N. Hopkins.

""John situates certain events in Jesus' ministry specifically during four Jewish festival seasons: Sabbath, Passover, Tabernacles, and Dedication. According to John, Jesus replaces these feasts in his special relationship to the Father, making them obsolete. The Book of Signs [John 1:19-12:50], is important for this study because it is here that John explores the significance of Jesus in light of the symbolism of the Jewish feasts. . . . We will therefore focus our discussion predominately on the Book of Signs, pointing out in the course of our study where the festival motifs are resumed in the Book of Glory [John 13:1-20:31].""--from the Introduction

The Shape of Zion is a practical and functional resource that provides a public profile of the organizational backbone of black congregations within the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA), and historically black congregations including:African Methodist EpiscopalAfrican Methodist Episcopal ZionChristian Methodist EpiscopalChurch of God in ChristNational Baptist Convention of AmericaNational Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.Progressive National Baptist ConventionResearch for this resource was initiated to enhance the capability of religious denominations in the use of congregational studies. It will provide pastoral leadership with principles and guidance, allowing congregations to compare themselves to other faith groups and congregations. Questions for reflection, decision, and action are also included.Michael I. N. Nash received his DMin from Boston University. An ordained United Methodist minister, he is associate professor of ministry and context at the Interdenominational Theological Center. He is co-author of Hidden Wholeness: An African American Spirituality for Individuals and Communities (United Church Press, 1997).Christine D. Chapman received her MDiv from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and a PhD from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is President of the Millennium Foundation, Inc., and an adjunct professor at the Interdenominational Theological Center.

What makes good sermons? And how do they come to be? Appropriating insights from the history of rhetoric and modern communications theory, Robin Meyers proposes that truly effective sermons involve more than moralistic proselytizing or "three points and a joke." Rather, the preacher must enter into dialogue--not only with Scripture and the congregation but creatively with him- or herself as well. This willingness to listen to one's own sermon, this willingess to be freshly persuaded, will help enable the preacher to communicate with greater passion, insight, poetry, and clarity.

Professor Holifield locates the southern theologians in their broader American setting and in the context of European debates about reason, revelation, science, and moral philosophy. He thus explores a wide range of topics that clarify the history of southern--and American--religion: the presuppositions of liberalism and the logic of conservatism; the influence of Scottish Common-Sense Philosophers, British theologians, and German Biblical critics; the foundations and functions of southern social ethics; the didactic uses of ritual; and the continuing effort of nineteenth-century theologians to demonstrate the reasonableness of both the Christian religion and the whole natural order.""In this minutely documented study, Professor Holifield, a brilliant . . . scholar, demolishes the myth that the Old South's clergy were ardent devotees of emotional religion but showed very little interest in a rational faith. In fact, the urban areas contained a considerable number of Catholic and Protestant leaders who were well acquainted with theological developments on the Continent and in Great Britain, and who produced carefully reasoned works in theology and moral philosophy. To be sure, their patterns of thought were predominantly orthodox, but they were by no means uncritical of the various types of orthodoxy. Professor Holifield has opened important new vistas on southern theology, and his penetrating exploration demands serious attention.""--H. Shelton Smith, Duke UniversityE. Brooks Holifield is C. H. Candler Professor of American Church History, Candler School of Theology, Emory University. His first book was The Covenant Sealed: The Development of Puritan Sacramental Theology in Old and New England, 1570-1720.

How can Christians become more loving family members? How can they care for each other most effectively?Designed both for families and for counselors, Christian Marriage and Family is a complete guide to family caregiving. John Patton and Brian H. Childs discuss common problem that arise in various types of families and show how these problems can be resolved successfully.Among the issues covered:The problems of singlenessPreparing for marriage or remarriageLiving as a couple in a one-generation householdLiving in a nuclear family of two or more generationsDealing with divorceLiving in a blended family

Introducing the Edward Carnell Library (Nine Titles Listed Inside)In Television: Servant or Master?, Carnell develops a balanced approach to this rambunctious new medium of communication. Among his conclusions is the refreshing recognition that the rigid fundamentalist stand against Hollywood moving pictures has suddenly been rendered defunct. Arguing convincingly that all of life is mixture, that nothing natural or human is either wholly good or wholly bad, he stresses that television's future will depend on how human beings sort out its peril and potential.At a time when the wildly popular new medium of television was just beginning to saturate the country, evangelicalism's leading philosopher-theologian of the 1950s and 1960's gave Americans some badly needed biblical and scholarly perspective.--Rudolph Nelson, author ofThe Making and Unmaking of an Evangelical Mind: The Case of Edward Carnell""Edward John Carnell was--in my estimation--the brightest and the best of the neo-evangelical leaders. He was a courageous thinker who was not afraid to think new thoughts in the service of biblical orthodoxy. The Carnell Library is a gift to today's evangelical movement.""--Richard J. MouwPresident, Fuller Seminary""[Carnell's] fertile mind and ready pen blazed fresh theological trails as he sought to defend and proclaim the Christian faith as a world and life view."" --Dr. David Allan HubbardFormer President of Fuller Theological SeminaryEdward John Carnell (1919-1967) was an ordained Baptist minister who served for three years as Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Gordon Divinity School. He taught apologetics at Fuller Theological Seminary from 1948 to 1967 and served there as the second president from 1954 to 1959.

Introducing the Edward Carnell Library (Nine Titles Listed Inside)A Philosophy of the Christian Religion is not a defense of the Christian faith in the conventional sense. The gamut of contending values and the systems of thought preoccupying the contemporary mind are analyzed here with admirable comprehension and lucidity. These competing philosophies are severally evaluated by the whole perspective of the Christian system and demonstrated as partial, here-and-now values, incapable of satisfying the demands of the whole man.""Christianity is a coherent religion. It never asks the heart to trust values which the reason is obliged to discard as contradictory. No value commitment is completely satisfying until the complete man is satisfied.""--from the preface