Muslims and Christians on Loving God and Neighbor. In late 2007 Muslim leaders from around the world together issued in the pages of The New York Times an open letter to Christian leaders invit...[More]

Muslims and Christians on Loving God and Neighbor. In late 2007 Muslim leaders from around the world together issued in the pages of The New York Times an open letter to Christian leaders inviting cooperation as a step toward peace. That letter, A Common Word between Us and You, acknowledged real differences between the two faiths but nonetheless contended that righteousness and good works should be the only areas in which they compete. The 138 signatories included over a dozen grand muftis, an ayatollah, and a Jordanian prince, and the document was widely considered a groundbreaking step toward reconciliation between Islam and Christianity two major religions with a great deal in common. / That original letter and a collaborative Christian response Loving God and Neighbor Together both appear in this remarkable volume. Building on those original momentous documents, A Common Word further includes subsequent commentary and dialogue between Muslim and Christian scholars addressing critical and frequently asked questions. All in all, this eventful book encapsulates a brave and encouraging move toward harmony and accord between two world religions so often seen to be at odds.[Less]

Conservative spokesman, author and pastor Dr. Joel C. Hunter forges a new path with 'A New Kind of Conservative.' Hunter takes a provocative look at how faith and politics have interacted in America, ...[More]

Conservative spokesman, author and pastor Dr. Joel C. Hunter forges a new path with 'A New Kind of Conservative.' Hunter takes a provocative look at how faith and politics have interacted in America, giving civic-minded people a balanced and biblically-based approach to political involvement. The author speaks as a conservative Christian with traditional biblical stands regarding abortion and homosexuality, but expands it to include other biblical concerns, such as the environment, poverty, justice issues, AIDS, etc. This is not the ideology and rhetoric associated with the extreme religious right, but rather a broader look at politics that the Bible would have us address. Hunter shows how religion and politics do not have to be at odds with one another, and offers the information and motivation needed to take responsible action. Can a Christian/biblical worldview effectively mesh with postmodern society and secular government? Should Christians be involved in political action and, if so, how? How can Christians more effectively relate and present their faith in the context of contemporary and political society? Readers, regardless of their beliefs, will find this thoughtful, helpful and compelling reading; it represents an emerging centrist evangelical movement.[Less]

How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good. Debates rage today about the role of religions in public life. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, various religions come to ...[More]

How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good. Debates rage today about the role of religions in public life. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, various religions come to inhabit the same space. But how do they live together, especially when each wants to shape the public realm according to the dictates of its own sacred texts and traditions? How does the Christian faith relate in the religious pluralism of contemporary public life?

While Volf argues that there is no single way Christian faith relates to culture as a whole, he explores major issues on the frontlines of faith today: 1) In what way does the Christian faith come to malfunction in the contemporary world, and how should we counter these malfunctions? 2) What should a Christian's main concern be when it comes to living well in the world today? and 3) How should we go about realizing a vision for human flourishing in relation to other faiths and under the roof of a single state?

Covering such timely issues as witness in a multifaith society and political engagement in a pluralistic world, this compelling book highlights things Christians can do to serve the common good.

"Our efforts as people of faith to bring our religious convictions into the public arena have clearly malfunctioned in recent years, but Miroslav Volf does not want us to retreat to a 'private faith' mentality. Instead he offers profound counsel about how faith-based public advocacy can promote the common good in our increasingly pluralistic world. This important book is packed with wisdom!" --Richard J. Mouw, president and professor of Christian philosophy, Fuller Theological Seminary[Less]

How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good. Debates rage today about the role of religions in public life. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, various religions come to ...[More]

How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good. Debates rage today about the role of religions in public life. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, various religions come to inhabit the same space. But how do they live together, especially when each wants to shape the public realm according to the dictates of its own sacred texts and traditions? How does the Christian faith relate in the religious pluralism of contemporary public life?

While Volf argues that there is no single way Christian faith relates to culture as a whole, he explores major issues on the frontlines of faith today: 1) In what way does the Christian faith come to malfunction in the contemporary world, and how should we counter these malfunctions? 2) What should a Christian's main concern be when it comes to living well in the world today? and 3) How should we go about realizing a vision for human flourishing in relation to other faiths and under the roof of a single state?

Covering such timely issues as witness in a multifaith society and political engagement in a pluralistic world, this compelling book highlights things Christians can do to serve the common good.

"Our efforts as people of faith to bring our religious convictions into the public arena have clearly malfunctioned in recent years, but Miroslav Volf does not want us to retreat to a 'private faith' mentality. Instead he offers profound counsel about how faith-based public advocacy can promote the common good in our increasingly pluralistic world. This important book is packed with wisdom!" --Richard J. Mouw, president and professor of Christian philosophy, Fuller Theological Seminary[Less]

A Short and Personal Introduction. Richard Mouw (president of Fuller Seminary) was first drawn to Abraham Kuyper's writings about public life in the turbulent 1960s. As he struggled to find the...[More]

A Short and Personal Introduction. Richard Mouw (president of Fuller Seminary) was first drawn to Abraham Kuyper's writings about public life in the turbulent 1960s. As he struggled to find the right Christian stance toward big social issues such as the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, Mouw discovered Kuyper's Lectures on Calvinism and, with it, a robust vision of active Christian involvement in public life that has guided him ever since.

In this short and personal introduction Mouw sets forth Kuyper's main ideas on Christian cultural discipleship, including his views on sphere sovereignty, the antithesis, common grace, and more. Mouw looks at ways to update and, in some places, even correct Kuyper's thought as he applies it to such twenty-first-century issues as religious and cultural pluralism, technology, and the challenge of Islam.[Less]

Christian theology evolves out of questions that are asked in a particular situation about how the Bible speaks to that situation. This book, African Christian Theology, is written to address question...[More]

Christian theology evolves out of questions that are asked in a particular situation about how the Bible speaks to that situation. This book, African Christian Theology, is written to address questions that arise from the African context. It is intended to help students and others discover how theology affects our minds, our hearts, and our lives. As such, it speaks not only to Africans but to all who seek to understand and live out their faith in their own societies

Samuel Kunyihop understands both biblical theology and the African worldview and throws light on areas where they overlap, where they diverge, and why this matters. He explores traditional African understandings of God and how he reveals himself, the African understanding of sin and way the Bible sees sin, and how the work of Christ can be understood in African terms.

The treatment of Christian living focuses on matters that are relevant to Christians in Africa and elsewhere, dealing with topics such as blessings and curses and the role of the church as a Christian community. The book concludes with a discussion of biblical thinking on death and the afterlife in which it also addresses the role traditionally ascribed to African ancestors.[Less]

From the author of the acclaimed "Simply Christian" and "Surprised by Hope" comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries--what is our purpose? As Christians, what are...[More]

From the author of the acclaimed "Simply Christian" and "Surprised by Hope" comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries--what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It's easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now.

Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don'ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, "After You Believe" reveals the Bible's call for a revolution--a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives.

We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.[Less]

From the author of the acclaimed "Simply Christian" and "Surprised by Hope" comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries--what is our purpose? As Christians, what are...[More]

From the author of the acclaimed "Simply Christian" and "Surprised by Hope" comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries--what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It's easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now.

Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don'ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, "After You Believe" reveals the Bible's call for a revolution--a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives.

We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.[Less]

"Recent disputes like the "ground zero" mosque controversy have their roots in historical conflicts, according to Yale professor and author Volf (Exclusion and Embrace). The author, who grew up in wha...[More]

"Recent disputes like the "ground zero" mosque controversy have their roots in historical conflicts, according to Yale professor and author Volf (Exclusion and Embrace). The author, who grew up in what was then Yugoslavia, explains that Christians' ability to live in community with Muslims depends on their answer to one question: is the God of the Qur'an the same as the God of the Bible? With a conversational tone and the backing of both sacred texts, the author argues that while beliefs about God may differ, the object of worship for both religions is the same (or at least the objects are "sufficiently similar"). Such "claims are spicy," but come after careful consideration. Volf provides a thorough examination of theology to show the complexity of what seems a simple question of terminology. Perhaps the most stirring and involved debate concerns the comparison of the Christian Trinity to Allah. On such a heated topic, readers will appreciate Volf's sense of humor and optimism. Though the text may not convince those who fear religious pluralism, his timely call for Christian love toward Muslims should at least lead to further dialogue, if not increased social cooperation. This is an important book." (Mar.) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.

"ALLAH offers a constructive vision for a new pluralism. The claim that Muslims and Christians worship the same God yet have different understandings of that one God is an expression of just such pluralism. If a "clash of civilizations" is good for fighting each other, this new pluralism is good for building a common future together. Volf is ideally suited to reach a large, motivated audience for this book. He is leading expert about religion and conflict and is the chief spokesperson for The Common Word, the world's leading interfaith dialogue initiative between Christians and Muslims that has been unprecedented in its importance, scope and global traction. An ongoing project, The Common Word has spawned conferences at leading institutions around the world, a documentary film, specialty books, and a robust online community"

Three and a half billion people--the majority of the world's population--profess Christianity or Islam. Renowned scholar Miroslav Volf's controversial proposal is that Muslims and Christians do worship the same God--the only God. As Volf reveals, warriors in the "clash of civilizations" have used "religions"--each with its own god and worn as a badge of identity--to divide and oppose, failing to recognize the one God whom Muslims and Christians understand in partly different ways.

Writing from a Christian perspective, and in dialogue with leading Muslim scholars and leaders from around the world, Volf reveals surprising points of intersection and overlap between these two faith traditions:

- What the Qur'an denies about God as the Holy Trinity has been denied by every great teacher of the church in the past and ought to be denied by Christians today.
- A person can be both a practicing Muslim and 100 percent Christian without denying core convictions of belief and practice.
- How two faiths, worshipping the same God, can work toward the common good under a single government.

Volf explains the hidden agendas behind today's news stories as he thoughtfully considers the words of religious leaders and parses the crucial passages from the Bible and the Qur'an that continue to ignite passion. "Allah" offers a constructive way forward by reversing the "our God vs. their God" premise that destroys bridges between neighbors and nations, magnifies fears, and creates strife.

Miroslav Volf is the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture."One of the most celebrated theologians of our time." (Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury)[Less]

"Recent disputes like the "ground zero" mosque controversy have their roots in historical conflicts, according to Yale professor and author Volf (Exclusion and Embrace). The author, who grew up in wha...[More]

"Recent disputes like the "ground zero" mosque controversy have their roots in historical conflicts, according to Yale professor and author Volf (Exclusion and Embrace). The author, who grew up in what was then Yugoslavia, explains that Christians' ability to live in community with Muslims depends on their answer to one question: is the God of the Qur'an the same as the God of the Bible? With a conversational tone and the backing of both sacred texts, the author argues that while beliefs about God may differ, the object of worship for both religions is the same (or at least the objects are "sufficiently similar"). Such "claims are spicy," but come after careful consideration. Volf provides a thorough examination of theology to show the complexity of what seems a simple question of terminology. Perhaps the most stirring and involved debate concerns the comparison of the Christian Trinity to Allah. On such a heated topic, readers will appreciate Volf's sense of humor and optimism. Though the text may not convince those who fear religious pluralism, his timely call for Christian love toward Muslims should at least lead to further dialogue, if not increased social cooperation. This is an important book." (Mar.) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.

"ALLAH offers a constructive vision for a new pluralism. The claim that Muslims and Christians worship the same God yet have different understandings of that one God is an expression of just such pluralism. If a "clash of civilizations" is good for fighting each other, this new pluralism is good for building a common future together. Volf is ideally suited to reach a large, motivated audience for this book. He is leading expert about religion and conflict and is the chief spokesperson for The Common Word, the world's leading interfaith dialogue initiative between Christians and Muslims that has been unprecedented in its importance, scope and global traction. An ongoing project, The Common Word has spawned conferences at leading institutions around the world, a documentary film, specialty books, and a robust online community"

Three and a half billion people--the majority of the world's population--profess Christianity or Islam. Renowned scholar Miroslav Volf's controversial proposal is that Muslims and Christians do worship the same God--the only God. As Volf reveals, warriors in the "clash of civilizations" have used "religions"--each with its own god and worn as a badge of identity--to divide and oppose, failing to recognize the one God whom Muslims and Christians understand in partly different ways.

Writing from a Christian perspective, and in dialogue with leading Muslim scholars and leaders from around the world, Volf reveals surprising points of intersection and overlap between these two faith traditions:

- What the Qur'an denies about God as the Holy Trinity has been denied by every great teacher of the church in the past and ought to be denied by Christians today.
- A person can be both a practicing Muslim and 100 percent Christian without denying core convictions of belief and practice.
- How two faiths, worshipping the same God, can work toward the common good under a single government.

Volf explains the hidden agendas behind today's news stories as he thoughtfully considers the words of religious leaders and parses the crucial passages from the Bible and the Qur'an that continue to ignite passion. "Allah" offers a constructive way forward by reversing the "our God vs. their God" premise that destroys bridges between neighbors and nations, magnifies fears, and creates strife.

Miroslav Volf is the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture."One of the most celebrated theologians of our time." (Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury)[Less]

What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church. Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion--the same invaluable data as its predecessor, "Soul Searching: The Religious an...[More]

What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church. Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion--the same invaluable data as its predecessor, "Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers"--Kenda Creasy Dean's compelling new book, "Almost Christian," investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice.

In "Soul Searching," Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton found that American teenagers have embraced a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism"--a hodgepodge of banal, self-serving, feel-good beliefs that bears little resemblance to traditional Christianity. But far from faulting teens, Dean places the blame for this theological watering down squarely on the churches themselves. Instead of proclaiming a God who calls believers to lives of love, service and sacrifice, churches offer instead a bargain religion, easy to use, easy to forget, offering little and demanding less. But what is to be done? In order to produce ardent young Christians, Dean argues, churches must rediscover their sense of mission and model an understanding of being Christian as not something you do for yourself, but something that calls you to share God's love, in word and deed, with others. Dean found that the most committed young Christians shared four important traits: they could tell a personal and powerful story about God; they belonged to a significant faith community; they exhibited a sense of vocation; and they possessed a profound sense of hope. Based on these findings, Dean proposes an approach to Christian education that places the idea of mission at its core and offers a wealth of concrete suggestions for inspiring teens to live more authentically engaged Christian lives.

Persuasively and accessibly written, "Almost Christian" is a wake up call no one concerned about the future of Christianity in America can afford to ignore.

"A lot of youth workers have been a bit depressed since the National Study of Youth and Religion revealed what we'd long suspected about American teen religiosity: it's pretty darn benign. But in Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean helps us turn the corner from the moralistic, therapeutic deism that afflicts our churches to a hope-filled, consequential faith that has the potential to change the lives of young people and, with a little help from the Holy Spirit, just might transform our world." -- Tony Jones, author of "The New Christians": Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier[Less]

God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation The American Gospel-literally, the good news about America-is that religion shapes our public life without controlling it. In this vivid bo...[More]

God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation The American Gospel-literally, the good news about America-is that religion shapes our public life without controlling it. In this vivid book, New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham tells the human story of how the Founding Fathers viewed faith, and how they ultimately created a nation in which belief in God is a matter of choice.

At a time when our country seems divided by extremism, American Gospel draws on the past to offer a new perspective. Meacham re-creates the fascinating history of a nation grappling with religion and politics-from John Winthrop's "city on a hill" sermon to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence; from the Revolution to the Civil War; from a proposed nineteenth-century Christian Amendment to the Constitution to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s call for civil rights; from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.

Debates about religion and politics are often more divisive than illuminating. Secularists point to a "wall of separation between church and state," while many conservatives act as though the Founding Fathers were apostles in knee britches. As Meacham shows in this brisk narrative, neither extreme has it right. At the heart of the American experiment lies the God of what Benjamin Franklin called "public religion," a God who invests all human beings with inalienable rights while protecting private religion from government interference. It is a great American balancing act, and it has served us well.

Meacham has written and spoken extensively about religion and politics, and he brings historical authority and a sense of hope to the issue. American Gospel makes it compellingly clear that the nation's best chance of summoning what Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature" lies in recovering the spirit and sense of the Founding. In looking back, we may find the light to lead us forward.

"In his American Gospel, Jon Meacham provides a refreshingly clear, balanced, and wise historical portrait of religion and American politics at exactly the moment when such fairness and understanding are much needed. Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to our own time has only to read this exceptional book."-David McCullough, author of 1776.

see also The Myth of a Christian Nation[Less]

From 'An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land': "America is a fallen nation. Americans exist in time, in the era biblically called the Fall. America is a demonic principality, or co...[More]

From 'An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land': "America is a fallen nation. Americans exist in time, in the era biblically called the Fall. America is a demonic principality, or conglomeration of principalities and powers in which death furnishes the meaning, in which death is the reigning idol. Enshrined in multifarious forms and guises, it enslaves human beings, exacts human sacrifices, captures and captivates Presidents as well as intimidating and dehumanizing ordinary citizens."

Strong statements, yes, but timely in the biblical context which forms William Stringfellow's perspective of our contemporary situation. Identifying America as a fallen nation with the parable of Babylon in the Book of Revelation - not with Jerusalem the holy nation, as Americans are naively and vainly wont to do - Dr. Stringfellow issues as trenchant an indictment of our society as has been made since Philip Wylie's 'Generation of Vipers'.

William Stringfellow was a practicing attorney and a prominent Episcopalian layman who frequently contributed to legal and theological journals.[Less]

A Remarkable True Story of Hope and Triumph Amid the Horror of Tehran's Brutal Evin Prison
Embark on a chilling journey inside one of the world's darkest and most dangerous places: Evin, th...[More]

A Remarkable True Story of Hope and Triumph Amid the Horror of Tehran's Brutal Evin Prison
Embark on a chilling journey inside one of the world's darkest and most dangerous places: Evin, the notorious Tehran prison. Here, prisoners are routinely tortured, abused, and violated. Executions are frequent and sudden. But for two women imprisoned for their Christian faith--Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh--this hell on earth was a place of unlikely grace as they reflected God's love and compassion to their fellow prisoners and guards. Against all odds, Evin would become the only church many of them had ever known.In "Captive in Iran," Maryam and Marziyeh recount their 259 days in Evin. It's an amazing story of unyielding faith--when denying God would have meant freedom. Of incredible support from strangers around the world who fought for the women's release. And of bringing God's light into one of the world's darkest places--giving hope to those who had lost everything, and showing love to those in despair.[Less]

The Passionate Religious Vision Of Ancient Britain And Ireland Early Celtic Christianity was a different kind of Christianity--earth-centered, mystical, poetic, humorous, individualistic--and t...[More]

The Passionate Religious Vision Of Ancient Britain And Ireland Early Celtic Christianity was a different kind of Christianity--earth-centered, mystical, poetic, humorous, individualistic--and the texts it produced are perfectly attuned to our age. These ancient texts, freshly translated, have been collected in a beautifully designed volume with elegant two-color Celtic ornamentation and an affordable price that make it the ideal gift book.

Library Journal (08/01/1991):
This modest anthology offers excerpts from saints' lives, histories, legends, prayers, morality plays, proverbs, and poetry. The texts, conflated from the various available sources, have been recast into modern English by the editor, who also adds a plan for a "modern Celtic pilgrimage." His introduction commends Celtic Christianity as a "spirituality for our time," since it "embraced the natural order," gave women equal status, and was suspicious of hierarchical rigidity (i.e., Roman-stratified Christianity). Van de Weyer traces these Celtic virtues to three influences: Druidic religion, which "placed great emphasis on love" (no mention of such practices as human sacrifices); the "great British heretic" Pelagius's moral self-reliance and social awareness; and the stubborn individualism of the desert fathers. While such enthusiasms seem to owe as much to Rousseau and the spirit of the 1970s as to Celtic Christianity, the freshness and variety of the texts collected here make this a pleasant addition to inspirational collections.--Anneliese Schwarzer, formerly with "Library Journal"

Contributor Bio: Van De Weyer, Robert
Van de Weyer has written or edited more than forty books on religion, history, politics, and philosophy. For twenty years, he lectured in political economy at Cambridge and Anglia Universities. Ordained in the Church of England in 1981, Van de Weyer now ministers to an independent church that explores and celebrates the validity of all great world religions. He writes full-time and frequently appears on radio and television.[Less]

The End Of Church And The Birth Of A New Spiritual Awakening. "In her latest book, religion expert Diana Butler Bass offers a fresh interpretation of this transformation and identifies a new sp...[More]

The End Of Church And The Birth Of A New Spiritual Awakening. "In her latest book, religion expert Diana Butler Bass offers a fresh interpretation of this transformation and identifies a new spiritual awakening taking place inside and outside the church. Based on new research and a careful reading of history, CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION argues that traditional Christianity has focused on three prescriptions, in this order:
- This is what to believe (theology)
- This is how to behave (practice)
- This is who you are (experience and community)
However, as modern people began to increasingly question their basic beliefs about their faith, disillusionment ensued and Christians began leaving the church as national studies reveal. Spirituality, by contrast, works in the reverse: people experience a connection to the divine directly and through community, are moved to change and serve others, and eventually discover what they believe.

CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION shows how this new bottom-up approach represents the real mission and message of Jesus and explains the dramatic spiritual awakening we are witnessing today. Replete with both statistical analysis and the testimonies of grassroots movements around the country, Bass's latest book shows us how to approach our own faith with a newfound freedom that is both life-giving and service driven. CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION will appeal to both the news media and the large audience that made her first Harper book, Christianity For the Rest of Us, a success."

Diana Butler Bass, one of contemporary Christianity's leading trend-spotters, exposes how the failings of the church today are giving rise to a new "spiritual but not religious" movement. Using evidence from the latest national polls and from her own cutting-edge research, Bass, the visionary author of 'A People's History of Christianity,' continues the conversation began in books like Brian D. McLaren's "A New Kind of Christianity "and Harvey Cox's "The Future of Faith," examining the connections--and the divisions--between theology, practice, and community that Christians experience today. Bass's clearly worded, powerful, and probing "Christianity After Religion" is required reading for anyone invested in the future of Christianity.[Less]

The End Of Church And The Birth Of A New Spiritual Awakening. "In her latest book, religion expert Diana Butler Bass offers a fresh interpretation of this transformation and identifies a new sp...[More]

The End Of Church And The Birth Of A New Spiritual Awakening. "In her latest book, religion expert Diana Butler Bass offers a fresh interpretation of this transformation and identifies a new spiritual awakening taking place inside and outside the church. Based on new research and a careful reading of history, CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION argues that traditional Christianity has focused on three prescriptions, in this order: - This is what to believe (theology) - This is how to behave (practice) - This is who you are (experience and community) However, as modern people began to increasingly question their basic beliefs about their faith, disillusionment ensued and Christians began leaving the church as national studies reveal. Spirituality, by contrast, works in the reverse: people experience a connection to the divine directly and through community, are moved to change and serve others, and eventually discover what they believe. CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION shows how this new bottom-up approach represents the real mission and message of Jesus and explains the dramatic spiritual awakening we are witnessing today. Replete with both statistical analysis and the testimonies of grassroots movements around the country, Bass's latest book shows us how to approach our own faith with a newfound freedom that is both life-giving and service driven. CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION will appeal to both the news media and the large audience that made her first Harper book, Christianity For the Rest of Us, a success."

Diana Butler Bass, one of contemporary Christianity's leading trend-spotters, exposes how the failings of the church today are giving rise to a new "spiritual but not religious" movement. Using evidence from the latest national polls and from her own cutting-edge research, Bass, the visionary author of 'A People's History of Christianity,' continues the conversation began in books like Brian D. McLaren's "A New Kind of Christianity "and Harvey Cox's "The Future of Faith," examining the connections--and the divisions--between theology, practice, and community that Christians experience today. Bass's clearly worded, powerful, and probing "Christianity After Religion" is required reading for anyone invested in the future of Christianity.

[Less]

A Study Of Thought And Action From Augustus To Augustine. This book is considered one of the great works of scholarship published in the last century. The theme of "Christianity and Classical C...[More]

A Study Of Thought And Action From Augustus To Augustine. This book is considered one of the great works of scholarship published in the last century. The theme of "Christianity and Classical Culture" is the fundamental change in thought and action that occurred from the reign of Augustus to the time of Augustine. The classical world sought to practice politics and understand the world in purely rational terms, but the difficulties of this program were already evident as Christianity began developing a completely new understanding of the human world. It is from this revolution in ideas that our modern world was forged. W. H. Auden wrote of an earlier edition in "The New Republic" "Since the appearance of the first edition in 1940, I have read this book many times, and my conviction of its importance to the understanding not only of the epoch with which it is concerned, but also of our own, has increased with each rereading."

About the author
Charles Norris Cochrane (1889-1945) was educated at the University of Toronto and Oxford (Corpus Christi College). He taught at the University of Toronto, then served overseas for Canada in World War I before going back to Oxford for his M.A. in 1919. Returning to Toronto, he became Assistant Professor of Greek and Roman History, then Dean of Residence, and finally full professor and the head of the department of Greek and Roman History.
[Less]

Explore the faith of Christianity--from its origins to its role in the 21st century. Explore the history, faith, and cultural communities that make up Christianity in this beautifully illustrated guid...[More]

Explore the faith of Christianity--from its origins to its role in the 21st century. Explore the history, faith, and cultural communities that make up Christianity in this beautifully illustrated guide to the Christian world, past and present. Part of the "Eyewitness Book" series for ages eight and up. (large size: 11.33" L x 8.81"W)[Less]

How Faith Intersects with Public Life. Christians across the spectrum have soured on religious involvement in politics, tempted either to withdraw or to secularize their public engagement. Yet ...[More]

How Faith Intersects with Public Life. Christians across the spectrum have soured on religious involvement in politics, tempted either to withdraw or to secularize their public engagement. Yet the kingdom of God is clearly concerned with justice and communal well-being. How can Christians be active in public life without getting mired down in political polarization and controversy?

For too long, the question of faith in public life has centered on what the Bible says about government. Charles Gutenson, a theologian respected by both evangelical and mainline Christians, argues that we should ask how God intends for us to live together before considering particular public policies and governmental institutions. By concentrating on the nature of God, we can move past presuppositions regarding the role of government and form a reasonable framework for engaging in healthy discussions about how best to serve the common good. This lucidly written book will appeal to readers interested in ethics, theology, and politics and includes a foreword by bestselling author Jim Wallis.[Less]