Böcker utgivna av Wipf & Stock Publishers

Seasons of Faith and Conscience challenges religious activists and the wider church with an answer to the question: What is the connection between faith and politics? ""Every act of worship,"" Kellermann says, ""every occasion where the sovereignty of the word of God is acknowledged, is always and everywhere expressly political.""In a profound biblical and theological reflection, Kellermann begins by investigating the political implications of worship and liturgy, both in the Hebrew Bible and in the New Testament. He goes on to review the history of ""confessional politics,"" those situations in which Christians have felt their historical situation to be so grave as to call into question the very identity of the church. Recent examples include the Confessing Church in Nazi Germany and the Kairos document from South Africa. Kellermann explores analogies in our own situation--the continuing arms buildup, the international debt system, and the ""war against the poor"" in the Third World.Seasons of Faith and Conscience concludes with a series of moving meditations on the key seasons and events of the liturgical calendar: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost.

Ecumenical & Interreligious Perspectives: Globalization in Theological Education is a collection of articles on the wide-ranging effects of ecumenism on theological education. Fifteen eminent historians, theologians, missiologists, Christian educators, and ecumenists in the United Methodist Church and other denominations have addressed such topics as the critical redefinition of ecumenism, global inclusiveness, and the cultural assumptions implicit in interreligious dialogue. These important essays show that the seminaries are responding to the new global awareness with vigor and sensitivity. Together, they give us a picture of theological education that is spiritually and intellectually prepared to face the challenges of the twenty-first century. Russell E. Richey, Dean Emeritus of Candler School of Theology and William R. Cannon Distinguished Professor of Church History Emeritus, is author or editor of twenty books, including Denominationalism (1977, 2010) and Reimagining Denominationalism (1994, 2010).

Church leaders want to know that their leadership strategies are informed by Christian teaching and made credible by the authority of Scripture. In addition, pastors have an unquenchable thirst for new and unique approaches to leadership. These needs and many more are met as Robert Dale takes the reader through four primary leadership strategies in the New Testament.Focus is a strategy that one learns through study of Jesus' mission and leadership influence.Flexibility is the strategy learned as the Church expands through the Acts of Apostles.Future-Orientation is the strategy emphasized through the pastoral Epistles.Feasibility is the Strategy developed in the Book of Revelation, when the churches are in crisis or in survival mode.Each strategy is illustrated with practical application for the life of congregations so that leaders can sharpen leadership skills with integrity and authority.Robert D. Dale is professor of pastoral leadership and church ministries, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina. Dr. Dale has had a wide range of experience as a Baptist minister , consultant and supervisor in the Church Administration Department of the Baptist Sunday School Board, and seminary professor. He was educated at Southwest Baptist College (A.A.), Oklahoma Baptist University (B.A.), and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (B.D.; Ph.D.).

Ritual masking is an important institution in many traditional societies and has attracted much attention from Western scholars. In 'Ritual Masks', Pernet provides a thorough survey of masks and masking traditions in Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, based on a close analysis of the literature in several languages. Pernet's approach provides him with an opportunity to examine issues of importance to the history of religion and anthropology. These include the influence of theory on the interpretation of prehistoric documents; androcentrism in anthropology and the history of religions; and Western scholarship's recurrent problems in interpreting preliterate or traditional societies.FROM THE SERIES EDITOR'S PREFACE:Among the more intriguing aspects of the study of comparative religions has been the exoticism perceived in cultures that are radically other than our own. Perhaps no phenomenon has expressed this sense of otherness better than the ritual mask and its uses. In 'Ritual Masks: Deception and Revelations'...Henry Pernet examines closely actual masks and their contexts and uses, in light of which he tests major trends in Western interpretation of them. The author's findings, based on a very extensive analysis of the literature in a variety of languages, are that several of the widely accepted and perpetuated theories of masking are groundless, or at least very limited in application. The author's main conclusions are easily summarized: the mask is not universal, it has not existed in all times, it does not represent principally spirits or the dead, and the mask is not generally used to enable its wearer to become what is represented. - Frederick Mathewson Denny, University of Colorado-BoulderHenry Pernet received his Ph.D. in history of religions from the University of Chicago where his advisers were Mircea Eliade, Joseph M. Kitagawa and Frank E. Reynolds. As an historian of religions, Pernet served as the State expert overseeing examination in this field at the University of Lausanne, and as an expert for the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research on cultural pluralism and national identity. He sat on the committees of the Swiss Society for the Study of Folklore and of the Swiss Society for the Science of Religions. He edited a book series in history of religions and was a member of the board of the Editions Labor et Fides, Geneva.Pernet has published articles in professional journals on the subject of mask and masking and is the author of articles on this subject in The Encyclopedia of Religion. He was a member of the group charged with the translation of Carl Gustav Jung's works into French and was instrumental in the preparation of the French editions of several of Mircea Eliade's works.

There are stages we find ourselves experiencing along our way to God. Mystery, a sense of new beginning, crossroad experiences, suffering, and transcendence are stages that challenge us time and again as we search for a closer relationship with the one we seek. Our pilgrimage is not linear but more of a spiral toward God.Michael Braswell is Professor Emeritus at East Tennessee State University. His previous books include Interview with Joab, God's Scoundrels and Misfits with Clemens Bartollas, An Unholy Alliance: The Sacred and Modern Sport with Robert J. Higgs, and Morality Stories with Joycelyn Pollock and Scott Braswell.

""What is the God of the philosopher? Can the philosopher, that is to say, can human reason, unenlightened by the revealed word, come to a true and secure understanding of 'He-Who-Is'? Is it possible for mere man, without the impact of a personal experience, intimate and intuitive, to arrive by means of an objective demonstration at an absolute affirmation that the Being we call God exists, or that He is Pure Act, Existence Itself, because without him the world of our experience is unintelligible, a complete contradiction?""And even if we admit, as all Christian philosophers must, that unaided reason is able by its own power to reach an objectively true and secure assent that God exists, is there any evidence, in the recorded history of our world, that man, without the directive knowledge of revelation, ever did secure by a metaphysical effort this absolute truth that the Ipsum Esse exists? Whatever be the answer to this difficult problem--and we do not pretend to know it--it is obvious that Father Holloway, in composing his philosophical approach to God, allowed himself to be guided by the knowledge of faith. Indeed, he must have prayed often for the enlightenment which the supernatural motion of divine grace brings even to the limited and imperfect intellect of a philosopher."" --From the Foreword by Henri Renard, S.J.

Renowned philosopher Frederick Ferre invites us to contemplate a new world to be constructed out of the debris of modernity. Hellfire and Lightning Rods displays a vision in which the dichotomies between religion, philosophy, science, and technology can be seen as too-narrow construals of a single, but polyvalent, organic world.Ferre wisely notes that the conceptual worlds of premodern animism, modern ""scientism,"" and biblical orthodoxy have major internal flaws and create immense practical problems. Yet, while they are largely unconvincing to persons who see the need for ""postmodern"" approaches, a successor to these views is nowhere near universally accepted. In that context, Ferre suggests that an important interim worldview that he calls ""multi-mythic organicism"" will help humanity recover spiritual dimensions now lacking. ""Ferre has succeeded admirably in showing the linkage between science, technology and religion."" --Joseph Bracken, S.J. ""Ferre is a visionary who dissolves dichotomies between religion, science, philosophy, and technology to create a single organic universe."" --The Other Side""Describes the crises of our modern scientific-industrial culture, suggests possible spiritual successors to our current 'technolatry,' and shows the need for Christian philosophers to come to terms with science and develop a postmodern faith."" --Theology DigestFrederick Ferre (1933-2013) was Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at The University of Georgia, editor of Research in Philosophy & Technology, and author of many books and articles, including the classic Language, Logic, and God. He was also a past president of the Metaphysical Society of America.

This book, translated for the first time into English, presents the major statement of the philosophy of Ludwig Feuerbach. Here, in his most systematic work, Feuerbach's thought on religion and on the philosophy of nature achieves its full maturity.Central to the thought of Feuerbach is the concept that man not God is the creator, that divinities are representations of man's innermost feelings and ideas. Philosophy should turn from theology and speculative rationalism to sound factual anthropology. ""My aim in these Lectures,"" writes Feuerbach, ""is to transform friends of God into friends of man, believers into thinkers, worshippers into workers, candidates for the other world into students of this world, Christians, who on their own confession are half-animal and half-angel, into men--whole men.""

David Stacey believes that the meaning of oracles when they were first spoken is of primary importance for preachers and teachers today. In this commentary, he attempts to unravel the difficulties which even the best translations fail to make plain to place each passage in its original context. But the prophecies were repeatedly edited and re-used over a long period, and Dr. Stacey also examines this living ""Isaiah tradition,"" which he thinks is a valuable feature of the book. The work of the ancient editors can provide a model of the way we can understand the text today. Throughout the commentary the question is asked: ""If this is how the text was understood and used in various ancient settings, how can we accept it, understand it, and use it as authentic Scripture today?""David Stacey has worked in the field of biblical studies all his adult life. He has taught Old Testament in theological colleges and universities both in Britain and abroad, and is the author of several books on the Bible. Until his retirement in 1987, he was Principal of Wesley College, Bristol.

The Limba are rice farmers living in the hills of northern Sierra Leone who have, until recently, been somewhat despised by their neighbours. Yet they possess a subtle and fascinating literature, as illustrated by this detailed study of their stories, collected and translated by Dr. Finnegan. Their literary and artistic value emerges clearly when the significance of their 'oral' character is realized. The introductory chapters full consider such points as the importance of the actual delivery, the part played by the story-teller, and the changing forms arising from the originality of individual narrators. The book throws light on the general study of oral composition and performance as well as on the literary spirit of a previously unstudied West African people. Ruth Finnegan OBE, FBA, Emeritus Professor Open University. Her work has mainly been on oral performance, narrative, the ethnography of music, and communicating (including extra-sensory perception). Her publications include Oral Literature in Africa, The Hidden Musicians, Communicating: the Multiple Modes of Human Communication, Why Do We Quote? and, most recently, the novels Black Inked Pearl, Voyage of Pearl of the Seas, and The Helix Pearl. Born in Ireland, she now lives in Old Bletchley, southern England.

This classic study is an introduction to ""oral poetry,"" a broad subject which Ruth Finnegan interprets as ranging from American folksongs, Eskimo lyrics, and modern popular songs to medieval oral literature, the heroic poems of Homer, and recent epic compositions in Asia or the Pacific. The book employs a broad comparative perspective and considers oral poetry from Africa, Asia, and Oceania as well as Europe and America. The results of Finnegan's vast research illuminate and suggest fresh conclusions to many current controversies: the nature of oral tradition and oral composition; the notion of a special oral style; possible connection between types of poetry and types of society; the differences between oral and written communication; and the role of poets in non-literate societies. Drawing on insights from anthropology and literary scholarship, Oral Poetry attempts to create a greater appreciation of the literary aspects of this fascinating form of poetry. Finnegan quotes extensively from a wide variety of sources, mainly in translation. The discussion is presented in non-technical language and will be of interest not only to sociologists and social anthropologists, but also to all those interested in comparative literature and in folk poetry from cultures around the world. The re-issue of this text, widely used in folklore, anthropology, and comparative literature courses, comes at an appropriate juncture in interdisciplinary scholarship, which is witnessing the breakdown of traditional disciplinary boundaries and an increase in the comparative study of oral poetry. For this volume Ruth Finnegan has provided a new foreword relating the text to more recent developments.Ruth Finnegan OBE, FBA, Emeritus Professor Open University. Her work has mainly been on oral performance, narrative, the ethnography of music, and communicating (including extra-sensory perception). Her publications include Oral Literature in Africa, The Hidden Musicians, Communicating: the Multiple Modes of Human Communication, Why Do We Quote? and, most recently, the novels Black Inked Pearl, Voyage of Pearl of the Seas, and The Helix Pearl. Born in Ireland, she now lives in Old Bletchley, southern England.

What is the mission of the corporate church? What is the mission of local churches regardless of denominations? What is the reason for the existence of the local church? These three questions not only deserve consideration by leadership but also need to be understood by the entire membership to enable productive kingdom work. It is so easy for a congregation to develop programs and activities based on what other groups are doing or on what are the perceived needs of the moment. These do have value; however, they tend to be based on our human concepts rather than the directives of Scripture.Terry Cross, Dean of the School of Religion at Lee University, describes this book as follows: ""Another book on the church? This one is different. Thirteen seasoned professors with some 400+ years of combined ministerial experience engage various aspects of the mission of the church. Much like the pulse that beats from a strong heart, the idea of partnering with God's mission as transformed participants in God's work reappears throughout the chapters. While the focus of attention is different for each author, the theme beats the same pulse throughout--the mission of God is the heart of God and must be the heart of the church.""With additional contributions from:Bob BaylesTerry CrossRolando Cuellar Tom Doolittle Jimmy Harper John Lombard Lisa Long Edley MoodleyMark Walker

Redemption and Relationship is an edited collection of essays written by Wycliffe College faculty, originating as homilies within the morning prayer chapel service. Each meditation follows the narrative in the book of Exodus, centering on two principal aspects of Israel's experience with Yhwh during this significant period in its national life: their redemption from Egypt and their discovery of Yhwh's identity through their relationship with him. At the end of each meditation the reader will find several questions which help facilitate further reflections for one's devotional life or a small group setting.

This volume includes ten lectures on the first century and ten on the second century. They are both topical and focused on various geographical regions.

Contents The Temptation The Calling of Philip and Nathanael Christ and the Samaritan Woman The Sons of Thunder Wisdom Justified of Her Children The Three Aspirants The New Piece on the Old Garment, and the New Wine in the Old Bottles The Transfiguration James and John Offering to Call Fire from Heaven on the Samaritan Village The Return of the Seventy The Pharisees Seeking to Scare the Lord from Galilee The Unfinished Tower and the Deprecated War Zacchaeus The True Vine The Penitent Malefactor Christ and the Two Disciples on the Way to Emmaus

Intertextuality and comparative midrash have become important terms in contemporary biblical studies. Several generations before these explorations, Selwyn was trying to pursue similar questions with regard to the use and reuse of Old Testament materials in the New. The present work is an attempt to discover the use of the Old Testament by the writers of the New. The oracles are precious words, and the words in the New Testament which were precious to the writers are words of the Old Testament. They were precious because they proved the great fact that Jesus was the Christ. The proof is known generally as the Argument from Prophecy. This volume, instead of being limited to the usual form of that Argument, endeavours to deal with the more extended use of the Old Testament in the New; for while the citation of the oracles is sometimes definite, it is sometimes indefinite, as in John 7:38 'as the scripture saith, ' and sometimes, again, where there is no mark of citation at all, they are assumed by the New Testament writers to be known, and whether known or not they are overwritten. . . . If an expression in the New Testament resembles or repeats another in the Old there is a possibility, which may or may not finally be raised to a certainty, that the resemblance or repetition is deliberate. This book endeavours to discover the extent, the cause, and the mode of that deliberation. --from the Prefac

This book is from the pen of one who has firsthand knowledge of Karl Barth. These chapters were written soon after Fred Klooster had returned from a full year's stay in Basel, Switzerland, where he was in almost daily contact with Barth, attending lectures, seminars, and colloquia. Klooster has succeeded admirably in giving a lucid presentation of Barth's theology, evaluating particularly Barth's views on divine election and reconciliation. As a result this book will appeal to all who are sincerely interested in contemporary theology.

In 'John Ploughman's Talk' I have tried to talk for ploughmen and common people. Hence refined taste and dainty words have been discarded for strong old proverbial expressions and homely phrases. I have aimed my blows at the vices of the many, and tried to inculcate those moral virtues without which men are degraded and miserable. Much that needs be said to the toiling masses would not suit well the pulpit and the Sabbath; these lowly pages may teach thrift and industry all the days of the week, in the cottage and the workshop: and if some learn these lessons I shall not repent the adoption of the rustic style. --from the Preface

The text of this edition is based on collations of three MSS. unknown to previous editors, together with a fresh collation of the two remaining authorities. Passages in which the LXX version appears to have suggested words or phrases are printed in uncial type. The translation aims at being literal. The notes are intended to be useful to students of a not very advanced type. We venture to hope that the Indices will be found serviceable. The somewhat full Table of Contents is intended to obviate the necessity of an Index Rerum. --from the Preface

The pastor who seeks to preach expositionally through Psalms faces a daunting task, for the sermon series would take several years to complete and many of the sermons would seem repetitious because of similar psalms. To respond to this challenge the author has used the book theology method to analyze the Book of Psalms into twenty-eight theological themes, providing the preacher with material for approximately a one-year series on the book. Each chapter includes a list of applicable theological propositions that can be preached or taught to contemporary audiences. Then the chapter concludes by linking the topic to New Testament passages. This monograph contains over seventy tables, mainly charting the Hebrew terms used for a particular theme. Careful textual and exegetical notes provide guidance for translation and interpretation of many verses. Furthermore, relevant Hebrew word studies inform theological understanding. Backing up the analysis are numerous references to Psalm commentaries, both classical and contemporary.""This helpful volume provides a comprehensive summary of twenty-eight key theological themes emphasized in the book of Psalms. . . . The treatment is thorough, well organized, and not lacking in practical application. This book will be of great benefit for those who wish to preach or teach thematically and theologically through the Psalter.""--Richard A. Taylor, Senior Professor of Old Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary ""Pastors and teachers need two broad categories of books in their libraries: exegetical commentaries, and works that analyze the theological messages of the biblical books. Bell's book falls into the latter category, of which there is a general paucity. Analysis is a higher-order level of reasoning, and those who do it skillfully render a remarkable service to ministers of God's word to God's people. Bell's book is a valuable asset for such ministers.""--J. Randolph Jaeggli, Bob Jones University SeminaryRobert D. Bell has taught Old Testament and theology seminary courses at Bob Jones University (Greenville, South Carolina) since 1968. He retired in 2017. He is the author of The Theological Messages of the Old Testament Books (2010) and co-author of Hebrew Handbook (2007). Bell has published over 50 articles about the Old Testament in Biblical Viewpoint. He has also reviewed numerous books for this publication.

Love, seduction, betrayal, violence, riddles, and myth all find their place in the biblical story of Samson. Samson is the last of the judges, with 20 percent of the book devoted to him--more than any other judge. From the beginning, Samson is unlike any other judge, which the author suggests when narrating Samson's birth. Samson is destined, even before his birth, to deliver Israel. He doesn't lead his people into battle, he acts alone; his battles are personal vendettas. Samson fights with a lion, defeats the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, captures foxes, sets Philistine fields on fire, and carries the Gates of Gaza on his shoulders. So what stands behind these stories? Was Samson a mythological hero like Hercules and Gilgamesh? Like other men in the Hebrew Bible, Samson can't resist foreign women. Time after time, he follows Philistine women who eventually betray him. Samson is defeated not by physical strength, but by the powers of seduction, making this story a tragedy. Who were these women and how did they defeat Samson? Readers of this volume will rediscover Samson and better understand his achievements and failures. This study will afford a provocative and useful insight into the character of Samson.""Both a superhuman and sinner, Samson will continue to captivate the imagination of generations to come. With his careful attention to biblical nuance, Dr. Bar has managed to bring to life the intriguing story of the most controversial and eccentric judge of the Old Testament. This book untangles both the multifaceted narrative and the complex character of its hero. Bible lovers will much appreciate this detailed study.""--DR. SHMUEL SHEPKARU, Professor of Jewish Intellectual and Religious History at the University of Oklahoma and author of Jewish Martyrs in the Pagan and Christian WorldsDr. Shaul Bar, Director of the Bornblum Judaic Studies Program at the University of Memphis. He is the author of A Letter Has Not Been Read: Dreams in the Hebrew Bible (2001), I Deal Death and Give Life: Biblical Perspectives on Death (2010), God's First King: The Story of Saul (2013), Daily Life of the Patriarchs: The Way It Was (2014), and A Nation Is Born: The Jacob Story (2016).

Empowering English Language Learners showcases strategies of those who teach English as a second language in pre-schools, graduate schools, secular public schools, and private Christian schools. What makes this book unique is the way each teacher evaluates teaching strategy through personal experience. This book explains what works and what doesn't.With additional contributions from:Dean BorgmanJulia DavisJean DimockCherry GortonSeong ParkOlga SolerVirginia D. WardGemma Wenger""Like the neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan, what if the help needed in the story is the learning of English? Would you give? Empowering English Language Learners is a book that takes you to experience what happens when the Christian value of being a 'neighbor' is embraced in teaching English to the non-English speakers in different settings. Lively and practical!""--Seong Hyun Park, Dean of Boston Campus and Assistant Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary""Empowering ELLs is a very important topic for all teachers. Many strategies for successfully empowering ELLs have been made by experienced and effective teachers and administrators in secular and Christian settings to students of all age levels. I highly recommend this book as an indispensable resource for all.""--Aida Besancon Spencer, Senior Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminaryJeanne C. DeFazio is the editor of Berkeley Street Theatre: How Improvisation and Street Theatre Emerged as a Christian Outreach to the Culture of the Time, coeditor of Redeeming the Screens with William David Spencer and Creative Ways to Build Christian Community with John P. Lathrop. She also co-authored, with Teresa Flowers, How to Have an Attitude of Gratitude on the Night Shift. William David Spencer is Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Theology and the Arts at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Boston Campus/Center for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME). He is the author of more than two hundred articles, stories, poems, chapters in books, reviews, editorials, and with his wife writes the blog From the Timeless to the Timely: Applying Scriptural Truths Today. He is also co-author or editor of sixteen books.

Like sounds of beautiful music, worship can renew us for God's glory and our good by the invigorating power of God's reverberating Word. It is God's story that redeems all our stories. We want to tell it again and again as best we can, clearly conveying its message, meaning, richness, claim, and call. Through its every facet and component, worship that is biblically expositional can heighten how we proclaim God's story, faithfully and creatively pointing to the One who alone offers us true identity, security, and destiny. ""If you seek me you will find me, if you search with all your heart,"" declares the Lord. With the ancient prophets and apostles we must repeat and repeat and repeat the most wonderful truth that God wants to be found. In Christian worship such tremendous and tender encounter is available to us as nowhere else.""Reverberating Word artfully articulates a theology of worship that promises to bring pastors, musicians, and congregations together. Denham integrates the work of the pastor and the art of the musician in a vision for mutual inspiration in the service of faithful biblical exposition. Reverberating Word is the fruit of an accomplished musician that gives words to the heart's desire of many pastors and musicians who long to experience a shared vision of worship."" --Douglas D. Webster, professor of pastoral theology and preaching, Beeson Divinity School""In Reverberating Word, Michael Denham explores the purpose, promise, and power of expositional worship. Providing a wide array of Scriptural references that illustrate ""big ideas"" as themes for worship, along with practical insights about the roles of preaching and music in worship, this accessible ""user's guide"" is a valuable resource for pastors, ministers of music, and all who help plan, organize, and lead worship across the broad spectrum of the church."" --Jonathan Alger, President, James Madison University""Denham is committed to challenging us to examine and find the best ways of intentionally expositing Holy Scripture within the church, while placing music and the arts in their proper and most powerful place in worship. Thoroughly grounded in biblical perspective, this book offers a pragmatic exploration of worship planning, musical styles, repertoire, performance practice, and more; all with an eye toward challenging and helping those who serve as arts leaders in the church.""--Michael D. Wilder, Dean of the Conservatory of Music, Arts, and Communication, Wheaton CollegeMichael Denham has served twenty-one years as Director of Music Ministries at The National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, where he helps shape worship to draw deep meaning and powerful experience from Scripture. A graduate of Wheaton College, he also studied at the University of Illinois, Dallas Theological Seminary, the Hochschule ""Mozarteum"" in Salzburg, Austria, the University of North Texas College of Music, and Beeson Divinity School of Samford University.

Called to Believe is an abridgment and condensation of the more comprehensive text, Called to Believe, Teach, and Confess. It offers an accessible, introductory overview of the major doctrines of Christianity. Written from a Lutheran Christian perspective, this book is a helpful resource for those within that tradition and to others who seek a deeper and broader understanding of Christian teaching. Firmly rooted in Scripture, this book directs the reader back to the Bible. It emphasizes the interrelatedness of all Christian teachings, with its central teaching being the doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It also includes the text of the three ecumenical creeds accompanied by a brief introduction to their historical background.This book is ideal as an introductory text for university or advanced high school students and for other Christian adults who seek to expand their knowledge of God's revelation and its application in human lives. It introduces and uses classic theological vocabulary and terminology, while offering clear definitions and application. Key terms, study questions, and a glossary help make this a valuable resource. Suggested readings from Scripture, and secondary sources guide the reader into deeper study.Steven P. Mueller is Professor of Theology and Dean of Christ College at Concordia University, Irvine, California. He is the author of Not a Tame God: Christ in the Writings of C. S. Lewis.

Must religion and science conflict?Can a man of science find a spiritual path?Meet Tim, a chemical engineer, who gradually finds his exclusive reliance on science being called into question by the events of his life, by his dreams, and by discussions with his coworker Matt and Matt's wife June. Their conversations probe, debate, and explore whether science alone is sufficient to explain everything, how science and religion might coexist, whether science might lead toward a spiritual path, and what sort of spirituality might be both life-transforming and congruent with modern science. Tim struggles, resists, and, in spite of himself, finds his viewpoint slowly changing. Tim's story illustrates the finding of a spiritual path in a scientific age, not through a drastic crisis but rather through a gradual process of becoming open to new experiences and rethinking old assumptions.James W. Jones, PsyD, PhD, ThD, has earned doctorates in both religious studies and clinical psychology, as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Uppsala in Sweden. He is a professor of religion and adjunct professor of clinical psychology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey; a lecturer in psychiatry and religion at Union Theological Seminary in New York; an adjunct professor of medical humanities at Drew University; and a visiting professor at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. His other books include Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Religion (1991), Religion and Psychology in Transition (1996), and Terror and Transformation: The Ambiguity of Religion (2002).

The Year's Work in Medievalism: 2004 is based upon but not restricted to the 2004 proceedings of the annual International Conference on Medievalism, organized by the Director of Conferences for Studies in Medievalism, Gwendolyn Morgan, and, for 2004, Christa Canitz of the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton. The essays of the current volume center on the question of individual responsibility in humanizing one's society through the use of medievalism.- Gwendolyn A. Morgan, ""Medievalism and Individual Responsibility""- Karl Fugelso, ""Defining Medievalism in Nineteenth-Century Commedia Illustrations""- Renee Ward, ""Remus Lupin and Community: The Werewolf Tradition in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series.- Nancy M. Thompson, Architectural Restoriation and Stained Glass in 19th-Century Siena: The Place of Light in Giuseppe Partini's Purismo- Barbara Gribling, Nationalism and the Image of the Black Prince- Clare A. Simmons, Small-Scale Humor in the British Medieval Revival- Brian C. Johnsrud, ""The Monsters Do Not Depart"": Re-Unifying Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and Christian in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings- Jaimie Hensley, J.R.R. Tolkien and Walther von der Volgelweide: Faerie and Reality- Peter G. Christensen, From Waste Land to Grail and Back Again Naomi Mitchison's To the Chapel PerilousThe editor of this volume and General Editor of The Year's Work in Medievalism series, Gwendolyn A. Morgan, is Professor of British Literature and Languages at Montana State University-Bozeman.

Paul has poured twelve years of student ministry experience into ""Blueprint of a Student Ministry"". He has been favored to be a part of growing and influential student ministries. His ministry has grown spiritually solid and transformed students to become leaders of the local church. The passionate purpose of this book is to equip future leaders with a blueprint of how to do everyday student ministry effectively. ""Blueprint of a Student Ministry"" is a collection of basic principles and practical applications to student ministry. Every student pastor or minister loves students. Every youth worker wants to make a difference and be a part of the process of life change. So what is the difference between wanting it and making it happen? Practical application of biblically true principles; and that is what ""Blueprint of a Student Ministry"" provides. This book is for anyone considering youth work or desiring to get a better handle on the practical side of everyday student ministry.Paul Hudson is Executive Pastor of Second Baptist Church, Conway, Arkansas.