Martin Luther's Theology of Two Kingdoms in Buddhist and Christian Communities : transforming contemporary Myanmar society (2024) by 
Jesus Through Medieval Eyes : beholding Christ with the artists, mystics, and theologians of the Middle Ages (2023) by 
Antioch, Nicaea, and the Synthesis of Constantinople: revisiting trajectories in the fourth-century Christological debates by
In Antioch, Nicaea, and the Synthesis of Constantinople, Dragoș Andrei Giulea delineates a new map of the theological trajectories involved in the fourth-century Christological debates, and envisions the solution of Constantinople 381 as a synthesis of the two theoretical paradigms produced at the councils of Antioch 268 and Nicaea 325. The author argues that the main theological trajectories participating in the debate were the Antiochene, the Arian, the Nicene, the Homoian, and the pro-Nicene. Giulea redefines the pro-Nicene theology, which dominated the discussions of Constantinople 381, as a synthesis of the most effective metaphysical categories of Antioch and Nicaea. Basil of Caesarea initiated the pro-Nicene synthesis by developing a dual Trinitarian discourse, simultaneously securing ontological individuality and divine unity.
Expanding Energy: the dynamic story of Christianity in North America (2024) by 
The Threshold of Dissent : a history of American Jewish critics of Zionism by 
Lucas Cranach: from German myth to Reformation by
A revealing new account of the life and work of this early modern German printmaker. This captivating biography brings Lucas Cranach the Elder into the spotlight for the twenty-first century. The illuminating narrative unveils an artist whose vision transcended personal brilliance as he sought to elevate a nascent nation and foster a sense of community with his work. Perhaps Cranach's most remarkable achievement lay in forging a robust Lutheran community, endowed with a resounding message of salvation. Using prints (the prevailing medium of mass communication) and multiple versions of paintings, he developed an intricate symbolism that resonated with the populace in early modern Germany. Jennifer Nelson also explores his extensive repertoire of female nudes and shows how these seductive artworks not only tantalized his patrons but constructed for them a deep history of Germany's notional connections with ancient Greece and Rome.
The Christology of Erasmus : Christ, humanity, and peace by
Nothing is more central to the religious thinking of Erasmus of Rotterdam than the reality of Christ?in his eyes, that supreme revelation of divine mercy embodied in the life of Jesus of Nazareth to which Christian scriptures variously testify, but also the divine presence undergirding that life-centering ethic of love and peace, what Erasmus calls the "philosophy of Christ." The purpose of this book is to distill the Christological elements from his vast corpus in a manner that shows the range, coherence, and value of Erasmus' thinking on Christological questions. While Erasmus works within the broad parameters of orthodox teaching, his critical skills with languages, accent on rhetoric in theology, keen sense of irony, appreciation for the limits of human knowledge, incipient sense of history, emphasis on the welfare of humanity, and passionate defense of peace, give his work a distinctive stamp and thereby make a singular contribution to the history of Christology. What Erasmus contributes to discussions of the divinity of Christ is a counsel of restraint in metaphysical speculation, an accent on the revelatory breadth of the eternal Word of God, and an invitation to think of Christ incarnate as the eloquent oration of God. But the central impulse of the Christology of Erasmus is the affirmation of the full incarnation of Christ in human existence, abstaining as much as possible from docetic insulation of the divine from the struggles of human experience, in order to highlight the redemptive capacity of Christ for the transformation of human life. With that, the ethical capstone of Erasmus' reflections on Christ centers on the responsibility to imitate Christ's love for others, and thus for advancing the cause of peace in personal and social life. This books adds the voice of this remarkable Catholic humanist to the history of theological discussions in the early modern era, while also restoring its rightful place in the broader history of Christology.
Remarriage in Early Christianity by
What did early Christians believe about remarriage after divorce? The New Testament sends mixed messages about divorce. Jesus forbids it in Mark's and Luke's Gospels, but he seems to make an exception for victims of infidelity in Matthew's Gospel. Paul permits divorce in 1 Corinthians when an unbeliever initiates it. Yet other Pauline passages imply that remarriage after divorce constitutes adultery. A. Andrew Das confronts this dissonance in Remarriage in Early Christianity. Challenging scholarly consensus, Das argues that early Christians did not approve of remarriage after divorce. His argument--covering contemporary Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts, the Gospels, Paul's letters, and ante-Nicene interpretation--reveals greater consistency in early Christianity than is often assumed. Das pays special attention to the Greek words used in contemporary bills of divorce and in the New Testament, offering much-needed clarity on hotly contested concepts like porneia. At once sensitive and objective, Das finds an exegetically sound answer to the question of remarriage among early Christians. This bold study will challenge scholars and enlighten any Christian concerned with what Scripture has to say on this perennially relevant topic.
Above the Abyss: challenges of the diaspora church of the Augsburg Confession in Transylvania from the 19th-21st century by
The book focuses on the threat to free self-development and the effort to ward off a perceived threat of extinction as well as the development of self-preservation forces. The challenges for ethnic and religious minorities in the 19th-21stcenturies are explained and unfolded against the historical background that serves as a frame of reference. The royal privileges granted in medieval Hungary were abolished in the mid-19thcentury. The German-speaking people's church (Saxones) in Transylvania founded on this had to reorient itself, although a pioneer region of religious freedom had established itself behind the "Ottoman Curtain". Since the reception of the Reformation, the "Saxones" had been Protestant. At the end of the 19th century, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, this minority realised the concept of cultural Protestantism in its purest form: ethnicity and religion were understood to be congruent. Homogeneity of society was the ideal, and affiliation with the German Empire was intensified. Economy, science, culture, language as well as school and church were understood as a unity; segregation and emigration were frowned upon. This concept fell into crisis due to various developments, including economic ones - especially after the annexation of Romania in 1918. National Socialism was widely adopted, along with anti-Semitism. For exponents of the church leadership, the Confessio Augustana only served as a label. On the one hand, external pressure under communist rule brought about a (only conditionally possible) retraditionalisation, on the other hand, it led to the bleeding out of the congregations due to increased emigration. Free development has only started again since the political upheaval in 1989. The church, which has become small, conveys important impulses and serves as a bridge to ecumenism.
Strangers in a Strange Land : the Trappist Monastery of Saint Susan at Lulworth, Dorset, 1794-1817 by
The history of Saint Susan's monastery on the south coast of England is as remarkable as the tumultuous times in which it existed. Located at East Lulworth, it was founded in 1794 and existed for twenty-three years before political and other circumstances forced Dom Antoine Saulnier de Beauregard and his community to leave England for France in 1817. There they re-founded the old Cistercian abbey of Melleray in Brittany. Strangers in a Strange Landbrings the story of Saint Susan's monastery to light against the backdrop of a war between England and France, religious prejudice, conflicts of personality, lies, and misunderstanding. It introduces the dominant figure of the time, Dom Augustin de Lestrange, abbot of La Valsainte in Switzerland, as well as two others of major importance including the first prior of the house, Dom Jean-Baptiste Desnoyers, and the last and only abbot, Dom Antoine Saulnier de Beauregard.
Christian Imperial Feminism: White Protestant women and the consecration of empire by
Illuminates how white American Protestant women embraced a racially specific version of social inclusiveness that centered themselves as the norm Amidst the global instability of the early twentieth century, white Christian American women embraced the idea of an "empire of Christ" that was racially diverse, but which they believed they were uniquely qualified to manage. America's burgeoning power, combined with women's rising roles within the church, led to white Protestant women adopting a feminism rooted in religion and imperialism. Gale L. Kenny examines this Christian imperial feminism from the women's missionary movement to create a Christian world order. She shows that this Christian imperial feminism marked a break from an earlier Protestant world view that focused on moral and racial purity and in which interactions among races were inconceivable. This new approach actually prioritized issues like civil rights and racial integration, as well as the uplift of women, though the racially diverse world Christianity it aspired to was still to be rigidly hierarchically ordered, with white women retaining a privileged place as guardians. In exposing these dynamics, this book departs from recent scholarship on white evangelical nationalism to focus on the racial politics of white religious liberalism. Christian Imperial Feminism adds a necessary layer to our understanding of religion, gender, and empire.
Altar and Church: principles of liturgy from early Christianity by
An altar is a place of sacrifice or an offering table as a place of worship for deities. Whether what Christians use in worship today may be an altar is a matter of dispute among the denominations. Since the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, the altar has been the focus of many redesigns of Catholic church rooms. In doing so, one likes to orientate oneself on the early church. The Council refers to the "norm of the fathers". But how can this be reconciled with the widespread opinion that Christianity did not know any cult and no sacrifices in the beginning, but only love and sin feasts, celebrated in house churches? Only at a late stage, since the time of Emperor Constantine, did a real state cult with sacrifices, altars and magnificent sacred spaces develop, and the church still suffers from this historical ballast today. But is this really true? Or are these not rather clichés that need to be critically questioned? This volume cuts a few paths through the thicket and arrives at results that are as surprising as they are stimulating.
My Grandfather's Altar : five generations of Lakota holy men by
Richard Moves Camp's My Grandfather's Altar is an oral-literary narrative account of five generations of Lakota religious tradition. Moves Camp is the great-great-grandson of Wóptuȟ'a ("Chips"), the holy man remembered for providing Crazy Horse with war medicines of power and protection. The Lakota remember the descendants of Wóptuȟ'a for their roles in preserving Lakota ceremonial traditions during the official prohibition period (1883-1934), when the U.S. Indian Religious Crimes Code outlawed Indian religious ceremonies with the threat of imprisonment. Wóptuȟ'a, his two sons, James Moves Camp and Charles Horn Chips, his grandson Sam Moves Camp, and his great-great-grandson Richard Moves Camp all became well-respected Lakota spiritual leaders. My Grandfather's Altar offers the rare opportunity to learn firsthand how one family's descendants played a pivotal role in revitalizing Lakota religion in the twentieth century.
A godly contemplation : prayers and meditations by 
Monastic Ecological Wisdom: a living tradition by
Can early medieval monasteries serve as a model of sustainable development and environmental conservation in today's world? Inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Síand Benedictine communities around the world whose shared monastic values inform ecological practice, Monastic Ecological Wisdomuncovers the hidden story of early Christian and monastic care for the earth. In Monastic Ecological Wisdom, Samuel Torvend shows how it is possible that medieval monastic values and practices could assist in the careful conservation of what we claim is God's first gift, God's first gesture of grace: the earth and all that dwells with it. By reflecting on an ecological reading of New Testament texts, the Rule of St. Benedict, and early monastic engagement with the natural world as seen in the life of St. Benedict, such practices can serve thoughtful Christians today who care deeply about living in harmony with the earth and all who call it home.
Awakening to Justice: faithful voices from the abolitionist past by
"O where are the sympathies of Christians for the slave and where are their exertions for their liberation? . . . It seems as if the church were asleep." David Ingraham, 1839 In 2015, the historian Chris Momany helped discover a manuscript that had been forgotten in a storage closet at Adrian College in Michigan. He identified it as the journal of a nineteenth-century Christian abolitionist and missionary, David Ingraham. As Momany and a fellow historian Doug Strong pored over the diary, they realized that studying this document could open new conversations for twenty-first-century Christians to address the reality of racism today. They invited a multiracial team of fourteen scholars to join in, thus launching the Dialogue on Race and Faith Project. Awakening to Justice presents the groundbreaking work of these scholars. In addition to reflecting on Ingraham's journal, chapters also explore the life and writings of two of Ingraham's Black colleagues, James Bradley and Nancy Prince. Appendixes feature writings by all three abolitionists so readers can engage the primary sources directly. Through considering connections between the revivalist, holiness, and abolitionist movements; the experiences of enslaved and freed people; abolitionists' spiritual practices; various tactics used by abolitionists; and other themes, the authors offer insight and hope for Christians concerned about racial justice. They highlight how Christians associated with Charles Finney's style of revivalism formed intentional, countercultural communities such as Oberlin College to be exemplars of interracial cooperation and equality. Christians have all too often compromised with racism throughout history, but that's not the whole story. Hearing the prophetic witness of revivalist social justice efforts in the nineteenth century can provide a fresh approach to today's conversations about race and faith in the church.
Christology and Atonement : a scotistic analysis by
This scotistic study in analytical theology presupposes Conciliar Christology and aims at a more profound understanding of two vital and connected Christian doctrines: Christology and atonement. The beating heart of the first part is Duns Scotus's compelling analysis of the incarnation: his uniquely successful analysis of the "hypostatic union." Following Marilyn McCord Adams, Guus H. Labooy argues that the problem of Christological predication can be solved by probing the metaphysical backbone of "qua-propositions" (expressions like "as regards his Godhead" and "as regards his manhood"). Labooy dedicates the second part of the book to the analysis of atonement, especially to its most controversial aspect, "penal substitution." The Messiah dying for our sins is perhaps the storm centre of the confrontation between Christian faith and the secular intellectual mindset. Labooy argues on exegetical grounds that all the current models of atonement are complementary. None of them should be discarded and neither should penal substitution. The account of penal substitution (or vicarious penance) he defends is shaped with the decisive aid of Scotus's analytical tools.
Pain in the Belly : the Haugean witness in American Lutheranism by
"Contemporary American Lutheranism is an amalgamation of various influences and ethnic traditions, yet the contributions and enduring identity of the Haugeans, a Norwegian sub-tradition known for their variety of pietistic expression, have recieved little attention from historians in the process of American Lutheran merger of the previous decades. This book takes a closer look at the Haugean tradition within American Lutheranism and its distinct emphases. Most importantly, it demonstrates how this group of Lutherans carried forward their tradition within larger organizations. Seeking to serve as positive spiritual leaven within the larger batch of dough of the Lutheran tradition, the leaven of Haugeanism was not universally appreciated, causing for some pain in the belly upon consumption of this dough."
Hitler's Personal Prisoner: the life of Martin Niemöller by
This is the first fully researched biography of Martin Niemöller (1892-1984). It charts his life from his service in the Imperial German Navy, his work for the Inner Mission and as a Protestant pastor in the Berlin suburb of Dahlem from 1931. Niemöller's work as a leading figure of the Confessing Church and his contribution to the conflicts over church policy during the Third Reich are analysed and contextualised. Chapters on the post-war period chart Niemöller's contribution to ecumenism, anti-nuclear pacifism, and his role in rebuilding the West German Protestant Churches.From 1938 to 1945, Martin Niemöller was detained as 'Hitler's Personal Prisoner' in Nazi concentration camps. Liberated in April 1945, Niemöller was widely hailed as an icon of Christian resistance against the Nazi dictatorship. For many years, the Niemöller legend masked the problematic aspects of his life: his persistent antisemitism, on display even in the post-war period; his nationalism and support of the German war effort even whilst in concentration camp detention; and his disdain for parliamentary democracy. In his biography of the most important twentieth-century German Protestant, Benjamin Ziemann uncovers the 'historical' Niemöller behind the legend of the resistance hero. Carefully situating Niemöller's personal trajectory in his wider social milieu -- from the Imperial Navy to the West German peace movement -- Ziemann probes into core themes of twentieth century German history: militarism, National Socialism, German guilt, and moral reconstruction post-1945.
A History of Women in 101 Objects by
Discover the hidden history of women--and the world--through this visual exploration of intimate objects and the surprising, sometimes shocking stories behind them. "I adored this book!"--Olivia Colman This is a neglected history. Not a sweeping, definitive, exhaustive history of the world but something quieter, more intimate and particular: a single journey, picked out in 101 objects, through the fascinating, manifold, and too often overlooked histories of women. With engaging prose, compelling stories, and a beautiful full-page image of each object, Annabelle Hirsch's book contains a curated and diverse compendium of women and their things, uncovering the thoughts and feelings at the heart of women's daily lives. The result is an intimate and stirring alternative history of humans in the world. The objects date from prehistory to today and are assembled chronologically to show the evolution of how women were perceived by others, how they perceived themselves, how they fought for freedom. Some (like a sixteenth-century glass dildo) are objects of female pleasure, some (a thumbscrew) of female subjugation. These are artifacts of women celebrated by history and of women unfairly forgotten by it. With variety and nuance, A History of Women in 101 Objects cracks open the fissures of what we think we know in order to illuminate a much richer retelling: What do handprints on early cave paintings tell us about the role of women in hunting? How is a cell phone related to femicides? What does Kim Kardashian's diamond ring have to do with Elena Ferrante? Wide-ranging, subversive, witty, and superbly researched, this is a book that upends all our assumptions about, and presentations of, the past, proving that it has always been as complicated and fascinating as the women who peopled it.
John Wesley's Doctrine of Justification by
John Wesley's Doctrine of Justification provides updated scholarship on this pivotal doctrine of Methodism, providing a deeper understanding of a major tenet of the Christian faith. Mark Olson offers a comprehensive treatment of the development and exposition of Wesley's doctrine of justification and how it changed throughout Wesley's life, including his early views rooted in Anglican heritage, the significant developments in Wesley's career, and contributions from notable figures like John Fletcher to his doctrine of general justification. The doctrine of justification was pivotal to John Wesley's understanding of a person's relationship with God. In Wesley's view, it defined one of the two general parts of salvation. It touched every aspect of the spiritual journey from birth (general justification) to conversion (present justification) to final judgment and glory (final justification). To properly understand Wesley's via salutis and theology, one needs to grasp the particulars of his doctrine of justification. The best way to do this is to tell the story of how he came to understand the doctrine over the course of his life. It is a complex story, with many twists and turns, that deserves to be fully told.
The Cambridge History of Reformation Era Theology by
The Cambridge History of Reformation Era Theology explores the key developments in both Protestant and Catholic theology ca. 1475-1650. Exploring the various settings and schools in which theology was formulated and taught, and the social backgrounds of its exponents--including women and non-university-trained men, as well as writers both in and outside Europe--it establishes how the major denominations took their positions and participated in a broader discourse. The volume examines specific theological themes from different denominational perspectives, demonstrating how theology affected the lives of believers via pastoral theology, canon law, and spirituality, and how theological ideas were linked to politics, warfare, science, and the arts. Written by an international team of leading scholars in the field, this History expands the range of theological discourse by introducing new topics and spokespersons, as well as global and ecumenical perspectives. It will remain the definitive place to begin any further study of theology during this period for years to come.er study of theology during this period for years to come.er study of theology during this period for years to come.er study of theology during this period for years to come.
Wrestling with the Reformation in Augsburg, 1530 by
In 1530, Holy Roman emperor Charles V called an imperial council in Augsburg, hoping to resolve religious dissention in the empire introduced by Martin Luther, whose 95 Theses, criticized the church's practice of offering promises of forgiveness from sins in exchange for money. Luther's allies in the town of Wittenberg presented the emperor with their theological positions. Another faction, aligned with Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli, offered more radical reforms. The Roman church responded with a defense of traditional doctrines, but by then, hope of a simple resolution to religious concerns had faded. By the time the council ended, local authorities in Augsburg recognized that its neutral, "middle way" position could not continue. The city would have to choose a side in the ongoing Reformation. In the game, students acting as members of the 1530 City Council of Augsburg must balance competing demands for reform from citizens who espouse the religious conservatism of Charles V, while considering the implications of various Reformation positions for the city's military defense, economic growth, and spiritual purity. Students will have to choose whether to align with the Zwingli or the Wittenberg faction, uphold the traditions of the church in Rome, or create a unique approach to religious practices.
Methodism and American Empire : reflections on decolonizing the church by
Living into a less colonial way of being together.Methodism and American Empire investigates historical trajectories and theological developments that connect American imperialism since World War II to the Methodist tradition as a global movement. The volume asks: to what extent is United Methodists' vision of the globe marred by American imperialism? Through historical analyses and theological reflections, this volume chronicles the formation of an understanding of The United Methodist Church since the mid-20th century that is both global and at the same time dominated by American interests and concerns. Methodism and American Empire provides a historical and theological perspective to understand the current context of The United Methodist Church while also raising ecclesiological questions about the impact of imperialism on how Methodists have understood the nature and mission of the church over the last century. Gathering voices and perspectives from around the world, this volume suggests that the project of global Methodism and the tensions one witnesses therein ought to be understood in the context of American imperialism and that such an understanding is critical to the task of continuing to be a global denomination. The volume tells a tale of complex negotiations happening between United Methodists across different national, cultural, and ecclesial contexts and sets up the historical backdrop for the imminent schism of The United Methodist Church.Contributors are The Rev. Dr. Israel (Izzy) Alvaran, The Rev. Dr. Cristine (Tintin) Carnate-Atrero, Taylor Denyer, Lloyd Nyarota, Joon-Sik Park, The Rev. Dr. Darryl W. Stephens, Jørgen Thaarup, and Philip Wingeier-Rayo.
The Concept of Woman: a synthesis in one volume by
A comprehensive account of women in Western thought, from ancient Greece, through the Middle Ages, to today In her sweeping, three-volume study, Sister Prudence Allen examined how women and men have been defined in relation to one another scientifically, philosophically, and theologically. Now synthesized for students, The Concept of Woman is the ideal textbook for classes on gender in Catholic thought. Allen surveys Greek philosophers, medieval saints, and modern thinkers to trace the development of integral gender complementarity. This doctrine--a living idea according to the criteria of John Henry Newman--affirms the equal dignity of men and women and the synergetic relationship between them. Allen pays special attention to John Paul II's contributions to this holistic idea of gender. Readers will gain valuable context for current debates over womanhood and come to a greater appreciation of human personhood.
Missionary Diplomacy : religion and nineteenth-century American foreign relations by
Missionary Diplomacy illuminates the crucial place of religion in nineteenth-century American diplomacy. From the 1810s through the 1920s, Protestant missionaries positioned themselves as key experts in the development of American relations in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and the Middle East. Missionaries served as consuls, translators, and occasional trouble-makers who forced the State Department to take actions it otherwise would have avoided. Yet as decades passed, more Americans began to question the propriety of missionaries' power. Were missionaries serving the interests of American diplomacy? Or were they creating unnecessary problems? As Emily Conroy-Krutz demonstrates, they were doing both. Across the century, missionaries forced the government to articulate new conceptions of the rights of US citizens abroad and of the role of the US as an engine of humanitarianism and religious freedom. By the time the US entered the first world war, missionary diplomacy had for nearly a century created the conditions for some Americans to embrace a vision of their country as an internationally engaged world power. Missionary Diplomacy exposes the longstanding influence of evangelical missions on the shape of American foreign relations.
Protestant Missionary Children's Lives, C. 1870-1950: empire, religion and emotion by
Protestant missionary children were uniquely 'empire citizens' through their experiences of living in empire and in religiously formed contexts. This book examines their lives through the related lenses of parental, institutional and child narratives. To do so it draws on histories of childhood and of emotions, using a range of sources including oral history. It argues that missionary children were doubly shaped by parents' concerns and institutional policy responses. At the same time children saw their own lives as both 'ordinary' and 'complicated'. Literary representations boosted adult narratives. Empire provided a complex space in which these children navigated their way between the expectations of two, if not three, different cultures. The focus is on a range of settings and on the early twentieth century. Therefore, the book offers a complex and comparative picture of missionary children's lives.
The Lutheran Theology of the Holy Spirit: from Luther to the writers of the Formula of Concord by
Questions about Lutherans and the Holy Spirit? This book probes Lutheranism from Luther to the Formula of Concord (1517-1577) and presents a striking consistency regarding the Holy Spirit among Lutheran Reformers. The Holy Spirit dominated Luther's writing, not only in theology, but in all aspects of living out God's will. Six of the theologians researched in this book were also pastors dealing with enormous challenges from government interference, war, religious disputes, and, as Luther declared, "The rage of the devil." The solution was not brilliant arguments or "best practices." The solution to a Christian's guilty conscience or lukewarm faith was not trying harder or doing good works. Rather, it was to confess failure, to eliminate self-dependence, and to cry out to the Holy Spirit, who alone is totally sufficient in every situation.Theologians, pastors, missionaries, Sunday-school teachers, workers and retirees, moms and dads, students and kids--everyone--is powerless to accomplish anything in the kingdom of God. Only the Holy Spirit is able to change hearts and meet needs. He graciously responds to all who call. Yes, the work of the Holy Spirit and his power is Lutheran, for Luther in the sixteenth century and for Lutherans today.
The Dreadful History and Judgement of God on Thomas Müntzer: the life and times of an early German revolutionary by
"You will be gripped and inspired by this exciting story-I couldn't put it down." -Lyndal Roper, author of Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet On the 500th anniversary of the German Peasant Wars, a brilliant portrait of Thomas Munzter: radical millenarian preacher, revolutionary and iconoclast 'The princes are nothing but tyrants who flay the people; they fritter away our blood and sweat on their pomp and whoring and knavery.' These were the words of Thomas Müntzer at the head of the massed ranks of a peasant army in the year 1525. Ranged against him were the might of the princes of the German Nation. How did Müntzer, the son of a coin maker from central Germany, rise in just a few short years to become one of the most feared revolutionaries in early modern Europe? In this brilliant work of historical excavation, Andrew Drummond charts the life and times of the man Martin Luther denounced as a 'Ravening Wolf' and 'False Prophet'. Drummond shows us Müntzer as a human being. Far from the bloodthirsty devil of legend, he was a man of considerable learning and principle, deeply sympathetic to the misery of the peasantry and the poor. In his short life - he was beheaded at thirty-five - Müntzer promised to fundamentally upend German society. Seeking to save Müntzer from the condescension of history, Drummond guides us through the religious and political disputes of the Reformation, placing his life and thought in the context of those turbulent years. The result is a portrait of an often contradictory but always radical figure, one who continues to inspire movements of the poor across the globe.
In the Darkest of Days: Exploring Human Sacrifice and Value in Southern Scandinavian Prehistory by
This book collects recent works on the subjects of sacrificial offerings, ritualized violence and the relative values thereof in the contexts of Scandinavian prehistory from the Neolithic to the Viking era. The volume builds on a workshop hosted at the National Museum of Denmark in 2018 which inaugurated the beginning of the research project 'Human Sacrifice and Value: The limits of sacred violence' and was supported by the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo. The volume brings together research and perspectives that attempt to go beyond the who, what and where of most archaeological and anthropological investigations of sacrificial violence to address both the underlying and explicit forms of value associated with such events.The volume re-opens investigations into notions of value relating to diverse evidence and suggested evidence for human sacrifice and related ritualized violence. It covers a broad spectrum of issues relating to novel interpretations of the existing archaeological materials, but with a focus on the study of value and value dynamics in these diverse ritual contexts, engaging in questions of identity, cosmology, economics and social relations. Cases span from the Scandinavian Late Neolithic and Nordic Bronze Age, through to the well-known wetland deposits and bog bodies of the Iron Age, to Viking era executions, 'deviant' burials and contemporaneous double/multiple graves, exploring the implications for the transformation of sacrificial practices across Scandinavian prehistory.Each contribution attempts to untangle the myriad forms of value at play in different incarnations of human offerings, and provide insights into how those values were expressed, e.g., in the selection and treatment of victims in relation to their status, personhood, identity and life-history.
Entangling Web : the fractious story of Christianity in Europe by
Europe has a tremendously important role in the history of Christianity and was the continent with the most Christians from roughly the year 900 to 1980. However, Europe is now home to only 22 percent of all Christians in the world, down from 68 percent in 1900. The major trend of European religion in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has been secularization--disestablishment and decreased influence of state churches, lower importance of religion in the public sphere, the decline of religious beliefs and practices, and individual religious switching from Christianity to atheism and agnosticism. One hundred years ago, it was true that the typical Christian in the world was a white European. Given current trends, however, Europe is clearly no longer the geographic nor demographic center of world Christianity. Yet, that does not mean Europe has no role in the future. It is still the home of major Christian communions, such as Catholics (Rome), Anglicans (Canterbury), Russian Orthodox (Moscow), and Lutherans (Geneva). European mission agencies are active throughout the world providing theological education and social welfare programs, combatting climate change, and advocating for gender equality.
Dutch Reformed Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire, c.1550-1620 : a Reformation of refugees by
"Examines the diverse experiences of Reformed Protestant religious refugees fleeing war and persecution in the Netherlands for cities and towns in the Holy Roman Empire in the late sixteenth century. Starting in the mid-sixteenth century, widespread persecution and war forced tens of thousands of Reformed Protestants in the Netherlands to flee their homes for new communities in England and the Holy Roman Empire. This book follows those refugees who escaped to large cities and small towns to the east and southeast, up the Rhine River watershed. The comprehensive approach taken here examines these forced migrations from political, intellectual, social, cultural, religious, and linguistic perspectives, including using a large prosopographical database to track refugees' movements and experiences. It challenges scholars' claims that Reformed Protestants developed more doctrinal, volunteeristic, and well-organized churches particularly capable of surviving the challenges of persecution and exile. Instead, the authors show, refugees proved remarkably willing to compromise and adapt, even as they built new relationships with the unfamiliar people they met abroad. Based on an extensive collaboration between two senior scholars with different training and intellectual backgrounds and the team of researchers they led, this book challenges conventional wisdom about refugees and forced migrations in early modern Europe. This book is based on research conducted as part of a project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), titled "The Rhineland Exiles and the Religious Landscape of the Dutch Republic, c.1550-1618. This title is available under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-NC-ND"-
Women and the Christian Story: a global history by
"This is a story about Christian women. It is a story of martyrs, mystics, missionaries, leaders, preachers, theologians, saints, and prophets." For most of its two-thousand-year history, Christianity has told its stories from the perspective of men, mostly powerful men, and almost always men in control of the "official" narrative. These masculine narratives tell only part of the story because they obscure the rich and essential contributions, large and small, of Christian women throughout time. If the stories of women have been overlooked generally, stories of women from outside the Western tradition have been even more seriously overlooked. In this exciting, readable, and fresh new history of Christianity, Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski foregrounds the story of Christian women for a new era. Be they powerful or nameless, saintly or flawed, women across two millennia and six continents are lifted up and allowed to speak fully to their part in the spread of the faith. Wojciechowski's book works perfectly as a classroom text while welcoming general readers of all backgrounds and interest levels.
Everyday religiosity and the politics of belonging in Ukraine by 
Sacred rivals : Catholic missions and the making of Islam in nineteenth-century France and Algeria by 
The Oxford handbook of religion and Europe by Here's a selection of the latest (Spring 2024) full-text journal articles in Church History or Theology from four leading journals, Themelios, European Journal of Theology, Concordia Theological Quarterly, and Christian Century:
Enjoy the latest articles (some by Luther Sem's own Faculty), from Word & World, most recent issues (44.1), accessed via Luther Library's subscription to ATLA -Religion Database. Here's a few samples: New Journal Articles in Church History & Theology, 2024
