Религия: прочее
Различные книги в жанре Религия: прочееHomebrew Churches
With the continual appearance of evidence that the emerging generation (the iGens) is not at all enamored of institutional churches, and is ignoring or forsaking them, it seemed a good time to take a step back, take a deep breath, and take a fresh look at what the church was intended to be and do in the New Testament document. The author spells out the landscape and reviews the profile of recent generations, and then sets about to set forth the church as the communal component of God's new creation in Christ. He engages in some challenges to the traditional understanding of the church, but sets forth a lively proposal in which every participant becomes interactive with the others, hence small fellowships. The younger iGens are into relationships, not institutions. This book portrays the church in relational terms, i.e., a church delivered from captivity to institutions and church professionals, hence a book that is controversial and perhaps a bit «cheeky» . . . but constructively challenging. The title is somewhat highjacked from the phenomenon known as the homebrew computer club, which is made up of six early computer scientists from whose creativity and relationship emerged much of the present computer and internet age.
Ideology, Class, and the Hebrew Bible
This brief volume brings together three of Norman Gottwald's classic essays that address issues of social class and ideology as they pertain to the interpretation of the biblical documents. The small format makes them useful for classroom and small-group use, providing definitions, theoretical concerns, and applications to specific texts. The author has been a leader in the social-scientific analysis of the Bible for almost fifty years.
Contents Social Class as an Analytic and Hermeneutical Category in Biblical Studies Social Class and Ideology in Isaiah 40-55: An Eagletonian Reading Ideology and Ideologies in Israelite Prophecy
Womanist Sass and Talk Back
Womanist Sass and Talk Back is a contextual resistance text for readers interested in social (in)justice. Smith raises our consciousness about pressing contemporary social (in)justice issues that impact communities of color and the larger society. Systemic or structural oppression and injustices, police profiling and brutality, oppressive pedagogy, and gendered violence are placed in dialogue with sacred (con)texts. This book provides fresh intersectional readings of sacred (con)texts that are accessible to both scholars and nonscholars. Womanist Sass and Talk Back is for readers interested in critical interpretations of sacred (con)texts (ancient and contemporary) and in propagating the justice and love of God while engaging those (con)texts.
The War Stole My Soul with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): What Now?
When Reverend Mosby's son went to war, she, like so many other mothers, prayed for his safe return. Her prayers were answered. He came home, alive and whole. Or, so she thought.
The War Stole My Soul with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): What Now? is the result of a mother's mission to restore her son's faith in God and encourage his desire to live. In her quest to save her son from his despair, Reverend Mosby came to understand the debilitating effects of PTSD on the souls of veterans. She found there were no government resources to heal their broken spirits. Few church communities had either the knowledge of PTSD and its symptoms or the means to support its victims.
Reverend Mosby set out to educate those who could help those who suffer. She created a training program to raise awareness of PTSD among church leaders. Encouraged by the program's success, Reverend Mosby began speaking to church groups, veterans' organizations, corporations, and at conferences. And, now, through this book, she is expanding her reach so that no veterans and their caregivers will ever have to say: The War Stole My Soul with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): What Now?
Unveiling Paul’s Women
Whether people realize it or not, the ideas in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 have had a huge impact on the role of Christian women in the church through the centuries. These fifteen verses have shaped worship practices, church structures, church leadership, marriages, and even relationships between men and women in general. They have contributed to practices that have consistently placed women in a subordinate role to men, and have been used to justify the idea that a woman should not occupy a leadership or teaching position without being under the authority or «covering» of a man. It is strange, therefore, that academics and pastors alike continue to note how confusing and difficult it continues to be to make sense of these very verses. In this little book, Lucy Peppiatt not only highlights the problems associated with using this text to justify the subordination of women, but offers a clear and plausible re-reading of the text that paints the apostle Paul as a radical, visionary, church planter who championed women in all forms of leadership.
Spiritan Life and Mission Since Vatican II
The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) called for the renewal of all religious institutes in the Catholic Church. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) responded initially under the leadership of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Different interpretations of Vatican II caused divisions culminating in Lefebvre's departure from the congregation. From this difficult starting-point the Spiritans sought to redefine themselves in creative fidelity to their founding intention, the spirit of Vatican II, and the «signs of the times.»
Spiritan Life and Mission since Vatican II recounts this journey of renewal in three parts: the Spiritan world before Vatican II and the election of Archbishop Lefebvre as superior general in 1962; the «ad experimentum» period culminating with a new rule of life in 1986; and the implementation of this new rule as interpreted through inter-congregational discourse, particularly the general chapters of 1992, 1998, and 2004.
The development of thinking on the church's mission and the congregation's rediscovery of the founding charisms of Claude Poullart des Places and Francis Libermann provide the parameters for this positive interpretation of the Spiritan journey of renewal. Its evolution in the third millennium into a multicultural, international missionary community of some three-thousand members from over sixty countries in service of the Missio Dei bears testimony to this.
Pastoral Care for Survivors of a Traumatic Death
Modern life has led to an increase in traumatic deaths, such as accidents, murders, suicide, and other types of unanticipated, violent death. Family members and friends grieving a traumatic death face enormous shock, numbness, and despair, as well as the need to find hope and God's mercy and grace in the midst of chaos, difficult questions, and confusion. The Christian church and faith community often do not provide appropriate pastoral care to help the bereaved overcome their despair.
Jeonghyun Park explores the unique characteristics and dynamics of traumatic grief, or grief in response to traumatic death, and present several approaches to pastoral care. The survivors of a traumatic death are likely to ask pastors spiritually despairing and tough questions, such as, Where is God in this tragic death? If we have to accept this new reality, where can we find God's grace and mercy, power, and justice? Pastors and other spiritual leaders can provide comfort to the loved ones of victims of traumatic death by assisting them with their questions concerning a «helpless God» and a «cruel God.» This book offers new insights through specific pastoral care models and guidance for families needing healing, recovery, and meaningful rituals.
Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual Gifts: A Christ-Centered Perspective is just that, centered on Christ. It provides a new perspective on spiritual gifts, seeing the person and work of Christ as the foundation for the gifts of the Spirit. The coming of Jesus into the world opens the way for the whole people of God to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit and to share in God's work in the world. The book takes a broad New Testament approach to exploring the gifts, carefully examining the meaning of the gifts by considering the Gospels, Acts, and the epistles. The focus is on seeing each gift as an extension of what Jesus did in his ministry. The gifts of the Spirit equip the church to carry on Jesus' work. Every gift is a means of proclaiming the gospel. God gives his gifts with two purposes in mind: to build the church by bringing people to Christ, and to build up the church by maturing each believer. Consequently, Pentecostals, Charismatics, and conservative Christians alike must embrace spiritual gifts because God desires to transform the world through his equipped people.
What Do We Know about God?
God has been around for a long time–in fact from the very beginning–but what do we actually know about him? Perhaps this is a silly question, because many people will regard the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as unknowable. Nevertheless, this book explores the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) to unearth just what is revealed about the nature and persona of the Deity. Early chapters discuss the first signs of religious beliefs, and the origins of the major religions. Ten chapters are devoted to what the Scriptures reveal about God's origin, attributes, and activities. These include miracles, making laws, punishing, rewarding, answering prayers, and predicting a future Messiah. A final chapter summarizes and draws conclusions. The sheer number of details gleaned from the biblical texts helps the reader to see God as an entity, with a personality who has attributes, likes, and dislikes. He rejoices, but also laments; he has a presence, he is available, he hears our prayers. Those who were a little unsure about the authenticity of God should have their confidence in him strengthened by the amount of information presented. They can then explore this further for themselves.
Witnesses to a Great Miracle
It was God's love for His creation that allowed Moses, Elijah, James, Peter, and John to unfold God's plan for all mankind. These saints were sanctified and chosen to be witnesses to the transfiguration and deity of God's only Son Jesus Christ. These witnesses were recognized and honored by God for their obedience and faithfulness. All of mankind has been richly blessed by these men of God, as they became servants of God in accomplishing many great miracles.
These specific saints were allowed to see Jesus in all His glory as He was transformed from His earthly body to the holy splendor of His heavenly body. This experience was terrifying for the apostles and was seared into their very being. From that day forward God would use the apostles James, Peter, and John in unfolding God's love and plan for all of mankind.
First Kings 19:12 reads, «And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.»
God spoke to Elijah and to the souls of men in a still small voice of love, grace, and mercy.