Evolving Grace : the spiritual history of a Christian doctrine by
Evolving Grace: The Spiritual History of a Christian Doctrine seeks to bring out the personal living significance and transformative power of the Christian faith throughout the ages. This book spans from Patristic foundations, through the elaborated systematic constructions of the Middle Ages, to the profound transformation induced by the Protestant Reformation and Roman Catholic responses to it, to twentieth century de- and reconstructions. This theological history, grounded in and reflective of the spiritual experience and development of real Christians in and from the past, contributes to the production and nurturing of a living theology in and for the present.
Tending the Garden : a history of Christian mysticism by
Mysticism in an ancient and important aspect of the Christian faith, yet it is highly misunderstood. Due to obscure language and concepts, not to mention occasionally eccentric personalities, the mystics can be difficult to approach. Once you peel back the layers of insider language, however, one begins to see a highly relatable group of people who were, first and foremost, concerned with tending to a personal and loving relationship with God. Tending the Gardenprovides the reader with a basic definition of and clarity around several terms and practices of Christian mysticism, as well as analyzing the lives and writings of important Christian mystics. Jennifer Wojciechowski proposes some ways in which we, as modern people living in an industrialized and disenchanted society, can benefit from knowing Christian mystical history and engaging in spiritual practices related to Christian mysticism. The book's aim is to demystify the mystics by making them understandable and relatable to modern believers. In this era of disenchantment and religious decline, Tending the Gardenwill introduce Christians to a rich and vibrant history of mystical prayer and relationship with God in order to spark curiosity and inspire a deeper spiritual life. The book will serve as an accessible introduction to and thematic historical overview of Christian mysticism.
Disgraced : how sex scandals transformed American Protestantism by
Disgraced is a sweeping religious and cultural history of Protestant sex scandals in nineteenth and twentieth century America. Suzanna Krivulskaya investigates the cultural consequences of scandal, what demands the public made of religion in response to revelations of pastoral misdeeds, and how Protestantism itself changed in the process. From the birth of the modern press to the advent of the internet age, the book traces the public downfalls of religious leaders who purported to safeguard the morality of the nation. Along the way, Protestant ministers' private transgressions journeyed from the privilege of silence to the spectacle of sensationalism. At first hesitant to report on sexual misconduct among the clergy in order to protect the reputation of Protestantism writ large, newspapers embraced the genre of pastoral scandal in the 1870s, when the biggest celebrity minister of the era, Henry Beecher, stood trial for adultery. Scandal reporting escalated in the following decades, creating multiple publicity crises, the likes of which continue to plague churches to this day. As Protestant institutions struggled to protect their reputations, they turned to secrecy and silencing-often foregoing opportunities for engaging in productive reckoning with the problem of sexual hypocrisy among their clergy. Sex scandals, it turns out, have not been mere aberrations in the history of modern Protestantism; they have, in fact, been key to its development. Disgraced shows how the persistence of stories about misbehaving Protestant ministers allowed the press to compete with the pulpit as a source of moral authority, forced denominations to confront the problems that scandal exposed, and emboldened public scrutiny of religious piety. In its broad scope and compelling storytelling, the book is a timely contribution to the current moment of cultural reckoning with religious hypocrisy, charismatic authority, and sexual abuse.
A Very Brief Introduction to Reformation Doctrine by
This book is for anyone who has an interest in the theology of the Reformation, irrespective of one's prior training in the field. Undergraduate students and laypersons will find it particularly helpful because it does not require any previous acquaintance with Reformation doctrines. All those who want to become minimally acquainted with Reformation thought would therefore find it useful to read or perhaps only browse because the chapters can be approached individually, which means that they can read in any order. Those who want to delve a little deeper into Reformation issues have a selection of over four hundred sources in the bibliography that can be consulted for further reference.
A Dream Eclipsed : the fractured quest for greater Lutheran unity by
In the last decades of the twentieth century, American Lutherans embarked on a journey fraught with peril and filled with promise: the formation of a new church intended to unite Lutherans throughout the country in a shared vision of ministry, service, and fellowship. Congregations, leaders, institutions, publications, programs--the whole ministerial infrastructure of three of the country's Lutheran church bodies--were reborn with the ringing in of the New Year in 1988. Yet, the birth of this new church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), was not universally celebrated. From his "front-row seat" as the ELCA's first secretary, Lowell G. Almen tells the story of the ELCA's birth, life, and growing pains as it sought to promote and embody Christian unity. A Dream Eclipsedis a memoir of the ELCA's first three and a half decades told from the wealth of Almen's personal and professional experience. It offers a unique view into the triumphs, tribulations, and ongoing work of the ELCA's founding era as the church looks forward to what lies ahead. In facing that future, Almen writes, "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the whole church always must be on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), taught by the resurrected Christ, informed by the words of Scripture, and renewed in faith through the breaking of the bread."
Early Scholastic Christology 1050-1250 by
This book traces developments in Christology--and specifically the metaphysics of the union of divine and human natures in one person--from 1050 (the age of Anselm of Canterbury) to 1250 (the age of Albert the Great). During the first part of the period, the key issue is the conflict between Augustine's homo assumptus (assumed man) Christology, defended by the Victorines, and that of Boethius's Chalcedonian Christology, defended by Gilbert of Poitiers (sometimes known as the 'subsistence' theory). By 1180, the latter of these was almost universally accepted. A third view, apparently accepted by Peter Lombard among others, according to which it is not true that Christ as man is something--the non-aliquid Christology--was condemned in 1177. The second part of the book traces the way in which theologians attempted to develop the presentation of Conciliar Christology by working out inchoate solutions to some of the metaphysical questions that the issue raises: what is the nature of the hypostatic union between the two natures, or the human nature and the divine person--is it something created, or something uncreated? And, given that the human nature is a particular substance, what prevents it from being a person? Theologians used insights from both of the rejected theories (the homo assumptus Christology and the non-aliquid Christology) in attempting to answer these issues. The early thirteenth century saw both the founding of the universities of Paris and Oxford, and the founding of the Franciscan and Dominican orders. The book explores the impact of these religious identities on the formation of Christological teaching.
Enlightenment's Reformation: religion and philosophy in Germany, 1750-1830 by
How did we get from the religious core of the sixteenth-century Reformation to the notions of freedom popularised by Hegel and Ranke? Enlightenment's Reformation explores how two key cultural and intellectual achievements - the sixteenth-century Reformation and the late eighteenth-century birth of 'German' philosophy - became fused in public discussion over the course of the 'long' eighteenth century. Michael Printy argues that Protestant theologians and intellectuals recast the meaning of Protestantism as part of a wide-ranging cultural apology aimed at the twin threats of unbelief and deism on the one hand, and against Pietism and a nascent evangelical awakening on the other. The reimagining of the Reformation into a narrative of progress was powerful, becoming part of mainstream German intellectual culture in the early decades of the nineteenth century. Utilising Reformation history, Enlightenment history, and German philosophy, this book explores how the rich if unstable idea linking Protestantism and modern freedom came to dominate German intellectual culture until the First World War.
A postcolonial political theology of care and praxis in Ethiopia's era of identity politics : reframing hegemonic and fragmented identities through subjective in-betweenness Postcolonial Political Theology of Care and Praxis in Ethiopia's Era of Identity by
The author argues that identity politics eliminates Ethiopians' in-between spaces and identities and defines in-between spaces as political, social, religious, and geographical spaces that enable Ethiopians to co-exist with equity, solidarity, and justice. The elimination of in-between spaces and in-between identities creates either-or class, religious, ethnic, and gender categories. Therefore, the author proposes an in-between theology that invites Ethiopians to a new hybrid way of being to resist fragmented and hegemonic identities. The author claims that postcolonial discourse and praxis of in-between pastoral care disrupts and interrogates hegemonic definitions of culture, home, subjectivity, and identity. On the other hand, in-between pastoral care uses embodiment, belonging, subjectivity, and hybridity as features of care and praxis to create intercultural and intersubjective identities that can co-construct and co-create in-between spaces. In the in-between spaces, Ethiopians can relate with the Other with intercultural competencies to live their difference, similarity, hybridity, and complexity.
A Historical Theology of Worship : understanding freedom, order, and participation from the perspective of a Free Church tradition by
Why does the church worship as it does? Worship is central to the life and vocation of the church. Yet the church's understanding of worship is more often connected to practicalities and a congregation's likes or dislikes. This book seeks to take the reader beyond the practical; to explore where God is in worship and the impact worship should have on the life of the church. Through a historical narrative of the evolution of worship in a British Free Church (the United Reformed Church and its antecedents, the Congregational Church in England and Wales and the Presbyterian Church of England), freedom, order, and participation are identified as the key elements of worship. Investigation into their interrelationship develops a theology of worship that is applicable not only to churches of the Free Church tradition in Britain, but potentially to the universal church.
Ford's the Modern Theologians : an introduction to Christian theology since 1918 by
Captures the multiple voices of Christian theology in a diverse and interconnected world through in-depth studies of representative figures and overviews of key movements Providing an unparalleled overview of the subject, The Modern Theologians provides an indispensable guide to the diverse approaches and perspectives within Christian theology from the early twentieth century to the present. Each chapter is written by a leading scholar and explores the development and trajectory of modern theology while presenting critical accounts of a broad range of relevant topics and representative thinkers. The fourth edition of The Modern Theologians is fully updated to provide readers with a clear picture of the broad spectrum and core concerns of modern Christian theology worldwide. It offers new perspectives on key twentieth-century figures and movements from different geographical and ecclesial contexts. There are expanded sections on theological dialogue with non-Christian traditions, and on Christian theology's engagement with the arts and sciences. A new section explores theological responses to urgent global challenges - such as nationalism, racism, and the environmental crisis. Providing the next generation of theologians with the tools needed to take theological conversations forward, The Modern Theologians: Explores Christian theology's engagement with multiple ways of knowing across diverse approaches and traditions Combines introductions to key modern theologians and coverage of the major movements within contemporary theology Identifies common dynamics found across theologies to enable cross-contextual comparisons Positions individual theologians in geographical regions, trans-local movements, and ecclesial contexts Features new and revised chapters written by experts in particular movements, topics, and individuals Providing in-depth critical evaluation and extensive references to further readings and research, Ford's The Modern Theologians: An Introduction to Christian Theology since 1918, Fourth Edition, remains an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in Theology and Religious Studies, such as Introduction to Christian Theology, Systematic Theology, Modern Theology, and Modern Theologians. It is also an invaluable resource for researchers, those involved in various forms of Christian ministry, teachers of religious studies, and general readers engaged in independent study.
Zwingli: third man of the Reformation by 
Sacred Concrete : the churches of Le Corbusier (3rd revised ed.) by
Space and ritual Le Corbusier not only designed and built churches, but also engaged intensely with religion and faith and, through his oeuvre, had a significant impact on church architecture of the twentieth century. The book explains Le Corbusier's relationship with religion; it introduces his designs for La Sainte-Baume, the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut de Ronchamp, La Tourette monastery, and the church of St. Pierre, and investigates his impact on the ensuing modern church architecture in Europe. This includes the Jubilee Church by Richard Meier, the Ignatius Chapel by Steven Holl, the Santa Maria Church by Álvaro Siza, Tadao Ando's Meditation Space, and the Chapel of Reconciliation by Reitermann & Sassenroth. For the third edition, the introduction, the conclusion, and the bibliography have been revised and supplemented. The first comprehensive illustration of Le Corbusier's church architecture A detailed examination of the existing research material Third and revised edition
Divine Light : the art of mosaic in Rome, 300-1300 AD by
Dazzling mosaic pictures made of glittering shards of light-reflecting colored glass embellish Rome's oldest churches and tell an enduring story of beauty, faith, and artistry across a thousand years. This book brings these little-known masterpieces to life while exploring their meaning, historical context, and spiritual power. Through brilliant full-color photographs with lavish details, Wendy A. Stein presents twelve ensembles of mosaic preserved in nine churches. The subjects reveal their glory as their imagery is decoded, telling the story of an ideal Rome whose power was derived from both its imperial past and its Christian legacy. Together, the mosaics embody the interpretation of light as an expression of the divine. With a detailed map to easily locate the churches, this volume is a perfect travel companion.
Constantine and the Council of Nicaea, : defining orthodoxy and heresy in Christianity, 325 CE; Second Edition by
Before Constantine rose to power as the Roman emperor, the empire followed polytheistic beliefs. Any deviation from this tradition, particularly embracing Christianity, was met with severe punishment including imprisonment, torture, and execution. Christians were especially targeted as their faith was considered a "cult" at the time. However, after Constantine embraced Christianity, there was a significant shift. In 325 CE, Constantine summoned early Christian leaders to Nicaea (modern-day &304;znik in Turkey) to deliberate on matters pertaining to the governance and doctrines of a unified Christian church This gathering aimed to establish a single, cohesive, and catholic church that would unify the Roman world under one dominant religion. In the game, students immerse themselves in the theological debates that defined the challenges and disagreements within the church leadership, addressing fundamental aspects of Christian beliefs. Can the bishops assembled at the council resolve these issues, or will the church face division or dissolution? The outcome of this conference holds the power to shape the trajectory of Christianity for centuries to come.
Tracing the Ritual Body: Catherine Bell and rituals of the ancient biblical world by
This volume utilizes Catherine Bell's ritual theory to shed new light on the many rituals reflected in ancient Mediterranean texts. In recent decades scholars of religion have come to realize that ritual and bodily practices are just as important for religion as beliefs and doctrine. With the development of ritual studies in the 1990s there arose a critical framework for investigating ritual and practice. Only recently, however, has Bell's theorizing been employed to study the rituals portrayed in ancient texts. This cross-disciplinary examination assesses the utility of Bell's theorizing for studying the textual evidence for rituals of the ancient Near East, the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, and other early Christian literature. The contributors to this volume illustrate a path away from regarding rituals as inert and fixed and toward a more complex and vibrant interactive model of ritual behaviour. In this volume, as each scholar works to recover the traces of long-past rituals in a particular set of materials, these and other concepts are consciously employed to guide or challenge the investigation, pushing beyond previous conclusions about ancient rituals. The contributors' attention to theory, and especially the social context, practical function, and symbolic interpretation, set this collection apart from studies that consider the rituals in more traditional textual ways.
The Empire's Reformations : politics and religion in Germany, 1495-1648 by
The Empire's Reformations provides a concise overview of reform movements in 16th-century Germany that gave birth to the modern division of western Christianity into multiple denominations - Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist, and more. It exposes the origins of modern religious pluralism, both in battle for souls among these emerging camps and in the struggles of political leaders at every level to manage the threat that religious diversity posed to tranquillity and order in a rigidly hierarchical society. As such, it offers a prehistory of religious toleration, not as a positive value - few regarded toleration as inherently good - but as a strategy for keeping the peace. David M. Luebke considers the reformations of religion in the context of concurrent transformations in the political and judicial structures of the Holy Roman Empire, that sprawling confederation of principalities and city-states that embraced most regions where German was spoken. This allows Luebke to view the religious reforms through the lens of imperial politics, showing how the Empire differed from the Atlantic monarchies, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Mediterranean. On a different and equally significant level, he examines how ordinary people of all backgrounds experienced the controversy over religion and responded to reforms of doctrine and observance. The inclusion of both the imperial and local perspectives moves the Reformation beyond the familiar story of theological combat and reimagines it as something that had resonance throughout the world, impacting people's lives in the process.
Sheets of Scattered Sand : Cantonese Protestants and the secular dream of the Pacific Rim by 
Martin Luther's, Bible : perspectives on a rich legacy (2024) by
Martin Luther's 1522 September Testament marked a watershed in Bible translation, making Scripture available to ordinary German people in their own tongue and sparking similar efforts across Europe. Building on the nascent trend of vernacular Bible translations in the early sixteenth century, Luther's translation quickly became definitive linguistically, theologically and culturally, especially once the complete Bible was published in 1534, with production of New Testaments and Bibles in French, English and other languages keeping pace. Luther and his associates constantly revised and improved their methodology for translation and interpretation over a quarter-century of Bible publishing - efforts that helped shape Bible translation, reading and exegesis, for scholars and ordinary Christians alike, well beyond his lifetime. Martin Luther's Bible commemorates the September Testament, exploring the Wittenberg Bible project in its context and tracing aspects of its legacy in Europe and the wider world, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Essays from a range of leading experts draw upon the 2022 Martin Luther: Bible Translator, Illustrator and Publisher International Conference held at Union Theological College, Belfast. Together, they provide critical new insights into the linguistic, hermeneutical and theological history and influence of this landmark text.
A Promised Land : Jewish patriots, the American Revolution, and the birth of religious freedom (2024) by
"A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom highlights the key role Jews and Judaism played in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. As the most visible non-Christian religion, Judaism was central to the debate over religious freedom in America at a critical juncture. The decision to extend citizenship to all religions existed as a debate during the Founding generation. However, the debate was unambiguously decided against the idea of the nation being defined exclusively by Christianity. A Promise Land discusses the key struggle of early America to achieve the broadest possible definition of religious liberty in line with the separation of church and state"-- Provided by publisher.
Muhammad: a critical biography (2024) by
"We know a great deal about Muhammad,or so it seems. Islamic tradition contains an astonishing wealth of information about the founding figure of the Islamic faith, and most historians take for granted that this material is generally reliable. In his latest book, historian and Islamic scholar Robert Spencer shows that there is no agreement in the earliest Islamic sources about the most fundamental details of this towering figure's life. There are conflicting accounts of key details of his life, including the circumstances and contents of the first revelation he claimed to have received from Allah; the year of his birth; the length of his prophetic career; the name of the angel who supposedly appeared to him; and even his own name. Muhammad: A critical biography takes a detailed look at the Islamic traditions regarding Muhammad and lays bare their contradictions, inconsistences, and incoherence. He meticulously explains why competing traditions may have been invented and definitively demonstrates that, contrary to the complacency of establishment historians, the Muhammad of Islam is more legend than history, more fable than fact.
Clement of Alexandria and the Judgement of Taste (2024) by
"Clement of Alexandria and the Judgement of Taste: Pedagogical Rhetoric and Christian Formation provides a new account of Clement of Alexandria's Paedagogus as a programme in the formation of the judgement of taste, situating it in critical dialogue with modern approaches to the judgement of taste and aesthetics. The book's key questions are framed in light of Pierre Bourdieu's Distinction (1979): a landmark in twentieth-century scholarship on the theory of taste. J. M. F. Heath studies Clement's rhetoric and theology in the context of the Christian Second Sophistic, when Christians were experimenting with new ways of inhabiting the rhetorical and philosophical culture of the Greco-Roman world. The Paedagogus shows Clement's pedagogical method and rhetorical strategy at the early stages of Christian formation when his audience are not yet ready for abstract philosophical argument. This was a time for forming people's habits of judgement and preferences of 'taste', so as to ground their daily lives in deeper desires and aversions that are structured through a relationship with God. This was an immensely important stage of Christian formation: many people never got beyond this to any sort of philosophical curriculum, and yet, through engaging the 'tastes' of a wide audience, Christian leaders sought to spread the gospel--and succeeded in doing so. Even for the intellectual elites, personal formation through preferences of taste was part of how they embodied their desire for God, and the way they inhabited it through the sacramental and ascetic life of the church. Bourdieu's sociological and anthropological approach proves fruitful for understanding aspects of Clement's rhetorical method and purpose, but the study of Clement's theological rhetoric in its cultural context also, in turn, points the way to a theological response to Bourdieu's theory of taste." --
Ancient Christianities: the first five hundred years (2024) by
"A new narrative history of the origins and development of ancient Mediterranean Christianity from the time of the apostle Paul up to the fifth century CE"-- Provided by publisher."How, over the course of five centuries, one particular god and one particular Christianity came to dominate late Roman imperial politics and piety The ancient Mediterranean teemed with gods. For centuries, a practical religious pluralism prevailed. How, then, did one particular god come to dominate the politics and piety of the late Roman Empire? In Ancient Christianities, Paula Fredriksen traces the evolution of early Christianity-or rather, of early Christianities-through five centuries of Empire, mapping its pathways from the hills of Judea to the halls of Rome and Constantinople. It is a story with a sprawling cast of characters: not only theologians, bishops, and emperors, but also gods and demons, angels and magicians, astrologers and ascetics, saints and heretics, aristocratic patrons and millenarian enthusiasts. All played their part in the development of what became and always remained an energetically diverse biblical religion. The New Testament, as we know it, represents only a small selection of the many gospels, letters, acts of apostles, and revelations that circulated before the establishment of the imperial church. It tells how the gospel passed from Jesus, to the apostles, thence to Paul. But by using our peripheral vision, by looking to noncanonical and paracanonical texts, by availing ourselves of information derived from papyri, inscriptions, and archaeology, we can see a different, richer, much less linear story emerging. Fredriksen brings together these many sources to reconstruct the lively interactions of pagans, Jews, and Christians, tracing the conversions of Christianity from an energetic form of Jewish messianism to an arm of the late Roman state"
American Heretics : religious adversaries of liberal order (2024) by
"A penetrating account of the religious critics of American liberalism, pluralism, and democracy--from the Revolution until today. The conversation about the proper role of religion in American public life often revolves around what kind of polity the Founders of the United States envisioned. Advocates of a "Christian America" claim that the Framers intended a nation whose political values and institutions were shaped by Christianity; secularists argue that they designed an enlightened republic where church and state were kept separate. Both sides appeal to the Founding to justify their beliefs about the kind of nation the United States was meant to be or should become. In this book, Jerome E. Copulsky complicates this ongoing public argument by examining a collection of thinkers who, on religious grounds, considered the nation's political ideas illegitimate, its institutions flawed, and its church-state arrangement defective. Beholden to visions of cosmic order and social hierarchy, rejecting the increasing pluralism and secularism of American society, they predicted the collapse of an unrighteous nation and the emergence of a new Christian commonwealth in its stead. By engaging their challenges and interpreting their visions we can better appreciate the perennial temptations of religious illiberalism-as well as the virtues and fragilities of America's liberal democracy." --
Becoming What We Are : classical and Christian readings of modernity by
Becoming What We Are is a collection of essays and reviews written in the last decade by the late Jude Dougherty, which covey a perspective on contemporary events and literature, written from a classical and Christian perspective. These essays convey a worldview much in need of restating when, according to Dougherty, Western society seems to have lost its bearings, in its legislative assemblies and in its judicial systems as well. Dougherty writes as a philosopher, specifically as one who has devoted most of his life to the study of metaphysics. In these pages Dougherty examines the Jacobians, the empirical world of Hume, Locke and Hobbes, and Kant, the metaphysics of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics and Aquinas that opens one to God and provides on with a moral compass, and critiques the work of Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and John Dewey. Becoming What We Are spends some time inquiring into the character of a few great men viz. George Washington, Charles De Gaulle and Moses Maimonides. Dougherty draws upon and shows respect for numerous contemporary authors who are engaged in research and analysis similar to his. The intent is, with the aid of others to restate some ancient but neglected truths. But more than that to show that true science is possible, that nature and human nature yield to human enquiry, that science is not to be confused with description and prediction.
The Spirit of Justice: true stories of faith, race, and resistance (2024) by 
Karl Barth and Pentecostal Theology : a convergence of the world and the spirit (2024) by
"The essays in this volume evaluate and build on Barth's theology from the perspective of Pentecostal theology and, thereby, contribute to constructive Pentecostal systematic theology by using Barth as a valuable dialogue partner. At present, a theological conversation of Pentecostals with Barth does not exist and this volume fills this void. More widely, it will aid all those who seek a convergence of the Word and the Spirit in theology
Jesus and the Making of the Modern Mind, 1380-1520 by
For his fifteenth-century followers, Jesus was everywhere - from baptism to bloodcults to bowling. This sweeping and unconventional investigation looks at Jesus across one hundred forty years of social, cultural, and intellectual history. Mystics married him, Renaissance artists painted him in three dimensions, Muslim poets praised his life-giving breath, and Christopher ("Christ-bearing") Columbus brought the symbol of his cross to the Americas. Beyond the European periphery, this global study follows Jesus across - and sometimes between - religious boundaries, from Greenland to Kongo to China. Amidst this diversity, Jesus and the Making of the Modern Mind, 1380-1520 offers readers sympathetic and immersive insight into the religious realities of its subjects. To this end, this book identifies two perspectives: one uncovers hidden meanings and unexpected connections, while the other restricts Jesus to the space and time of human history. Minds that believed in Jesus, and those that opposed him, made use of both perspectives to make sense of their worlds. This book includes over one hundred images, tables and audio clips.
The Wars of the Lord: the Puritan conquest of America's first people by
The epic, tragic story of the Puritan conquest of New England through the eyes of those who lived it Over several decades beginning in 1620, tens of thousands of devout English colonists known as Puritans came to America. They believed that bringing Christianity to the natives would liberate them from darkness. Daniel Gookin, Massachusetts's missionary superintendent, called such efforts a "war of the Lord," a war in which Christ would deliver captive souls from Satan's bondage. When Puritan soldiers slaughtered hundreds of indigenous men, women, and children at Fort Mystic in 1637, during the Pequot War, they believed they were doing God's will. The same was true during King Philip's War, perhaps the bloodiest war in American history. The Puritan clergyman Increase Mather described this conflict, too, as a "war of the Lord," a war in which God was judging the enemies of his people. Matthew J. Tuininga argues that these two "wars" are inextricably linked. Puritan Christianity, he shows, shaped both the spiritual and military conquests of New England from beginning to end. It is not only that the people who did these things happened to be Christians; it is that Christianity was the framework they used to guide, interpret, and defend every major act of peace or war. They made sincere efforts to treat Natives according to Christian principles of love and justice as they understood them, and their sustained missionary efforts demonstrate how serious they were about saving native souls. Yet they appealed to Christianity just as confidently when they subjugated, enslaved, or killed native peoples in the name of justice. A mission they saw as spiritual, peaceful, benevolent, and just devolved into a military conquest that was virtually genocidal. This book tells the story of how this happened from the perspective of those who lived it, both colonists and Native Americans.
Women in Christianity in the Medieval Age by
This volume offers a comprehensive introduction to and investigation of the multivocality of women's experience in the Middle Ages. In medieval Europe women saw their role in the Christian Church and society progressively confined to conflicting models of femininity epitomised by the dichotomy of Eve/Mary. Classical views of gender, predicated on misogynistic dichotomies which confined women to matter and the corruption of the flesh, were consolidated in powerful male-dominated clerical institutions and widely disseminated. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, however, women's corporeality and somatic spirituality contributed to and influenced burgeoning modes of piety centred around the cult of the Virgin Mary and the veneration of the suffering body of Christ on the Cross. This shift in devotional practices afforded women as bodily beings the space for an increased level of self-expression, self-realisation, and authority. Ranging from philosophical and theological enquiry to education and art, as well as medical sciences and popular beliefs, the essays in this collection account for the complexities and richness of the conceptualisations and lived experiences of medieval Christian women. The book will be especially relevant to students and scholars of religion and history with an interest in medieval studies and gender. Whilst expounding the key strands of thinking in the field, it engages with and contributes to some of the latest scholarly research.
Revising Pentecostal History : Scandinavian-American contributions to the development of Pentecostalism by
Modern Pentecostalism in America began around the turn of the twentieth century, and most historians of this history have drawn from the available English-language sources. Very few historians of American Pentecostalism knew of source materials in the Scandinavian languages of Norwegian and Swedish. This present volume argues that American Pentecostal history cannot be understood apart from both the texts and the people who participated in and contributed to the Pentecostal movement in America, including first-generation immigrants from Scandinavia and second-generation Scandinavian-Americans. Revising Pentecostal History describes ways in which Scandinavian-Americans have contributed to and played a role in the development of the Pentecostal movement. The volume presents crucial findings from rarely, if ever, used sources that inform how American Pentecostalism is understood. These findings prompt a revising of Pentecostal history.
Why Aquinas Matters Now by
Oliver Keenan brings the medieval philosophy of Thomas Aquinas to life. Thomas Aquinas is more than a medieval curiosity. He was a reluctant revolutionary, a scholar, poet and saint whose work unleashed an epoch-defining explosion of philosophical creativity in the thirteenth century. Writing at a time of war, injustice, poverty and alienation, Aquinas' thought reaches across the ages and speaks to us today. As Oliver Keenan argues, Aquinas matters now not because he was right about everything but because he can teach us a new way of looking at the world. A powerful voice for community, justice, friendship and peace, Aquinas' profoundly non-violent philosophy shows us how to be human in a deeply dehumanizing world. The era that he knew was defined by conflict and divisive politics, much like our own - his unfailing belief in the power of communication to overcome alienation and despair is an important lesson for us all. This book brings Aquinas' challenging but deeply rewarding philosophy to life for readers new to his work, as well as those already familiar. Oliver Keenan has spent his working life researching and engaging with Thomas Aquinas, culminating in this moving and original account of why he matters now - perhaps more than ever.
Luther und Die Frühneuzeitliche Auslegung der Abrahamerzählung by
Mit der Figur und Geschichte des Erzvaters Abraham nimmt die Arbeit ein prominentes Thema in den Blick. Zahl- und variantenreich ist die Verarbeitung und Deutung der Abrahamerzählung (Gen 12-25) in Kunst, Literatur und Theologie. Hierzu zählt nicht zuletzt die Fülle an Bibelkommentaren, die sich in der Reformations- und Frühen Neuzeit mit ihrer Interpretation befassen - angefangen bei den Genesisauslegungen der drei großen Reformatoren Luther, Zwingli und Calvin. Die Arbeit orientiert sich an zwei Forschungsdiskursen, die sich ab den 1950er Jahren etabliert haben. Zum einen vertieft sie die bereits bestehenden Erkenntnisse zu Luthers Abrahambild, insofern sie theologisch reflektiert, wie die Korrelation von Wort und Glaube Luthers Verständnis des Erzvaters prägt. Zum andern fragt sie nach der Rezeptions- und Auslegungsgeschichte jener alttestamentlichen Erzählung, indem sie andere, zeitgenössische Deutungen exemplarisch auf Luther bezieht. Dadurch entsteht ein facettenreiches Bild, welches auf breiter Basis die Interpretationen des Wittenberger Reformators differenziert - in theologischer, schrifthermeneutischer und exegetischer Hinsicht.
Becoming Fire: through the year with the desert fathers and mothers by
Revised edition of Tim Vivian's Becoming Firecontinues to inspire readers with ancient wisdom for modern Christian contemplation. The sayings of the desert monks of the fifth and sixth centuries continue to inspire readers with their wisdom, and those who read them as the ancients did, slowly and reflectively, still learn from the insights they offer. In this revised edition of Becoming Fire: Through the Year with the Desert Fathers and Mothers, Tim Vivian arranges these stories in short daily readings and invites readers to savor the monks' advice as guides to Christian living. This volume provides: sayings and stories for each day of the year to use for lectio divina. saints and revered persons from the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Episcopalian traditions. sayings from the Philokalia and the fourth-fifth century monastic writers Neilos of Ancyra and Hyperechios, among others. In addition, there is a glossary of important monastic terms with cross-references to the fuller glossary in volume two of The Sayings and Stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Cistercian Publications, 2023). Perfect for students and enthusiasts of the desert tradition and desert monasticism.
The Universal Way of Salvation in the Thought of Augustine by
This work examines Augustine's critique of his Roman predecessors to reveal key aspects of Christ's mediation of the universal way of salvation. Porphyry of Tyre had noticed that Christianity can make a claim that pagan religion and pagan philosophy cannot: that all types of human being can be saved through the one salvific action of Christ mediated sacramentally through the one Catholic Church. Augustine's response to Porphyry is grounded firmly on Christology, especially on what Augustine sees to be the unique act of Christ as mediator, based in turn on Christ's unique position as true God and true man, which in turn is capable of healing the whole man and, by healing the whole man, also healing each of the parts of the soul. Christ himself, as concretely universal, is capable of saving each and any type of human being, no matter which part of the soul rules within him, Augustine counters, which is not a claim his pagan interlocutors can replicate. In addition to careful considerations of ancient authors like Plato, Cicero, Varro, and Porphyry, this book also ranges through Plutarch, Shakespeare, and contemporary political thinkers like Pierre Manent and Leo Strauss; scholars of religion such as Michael Bland Simmons, theologians such as Erik Peterson and Ernest L. Fortin, as well as well-known Augustine scholars such as James Wetzel, G.R. Evans, John Cavadini, Robert Dodaro, Mary Keys, Michael Foley, Rowan Williams, Oliver O'Donovan, John Rist, and many others.
Luteranismo en el Caribe : la misión luterana en Puerto Rico by
Luteranismo caribeñocuenta la historia de la iglesia luterana en Puerto Rico desde una perspectiva caribeña. Rodríguez intercala la investigación de archivo con comentarios convincentes y relatos personales, destacando el poder y la agencia de los luteranos puertorriqueños y antillanos en medio del legado multifacético de los esfuerzos misioneros euroamericanos en la isla. Es posible que los lectores no se sorprendan al saber que el primer misionero luterano en Puerto Rico fue un luterano sueco-americano; sin embargo, es posible que no sepan que su acogida y éxito en la isla dependió de la hospitalidad de un sastre afrocaribeño de Jamaica. Un sinuoso viaje de interacciones entre los sínodos luteranos estadounidenses y una creciente iglesia puertorriqueña generó asociaciones, tensiones y posibilidades que continúan hasta el presente. Puerto Rico y las islas vecinas se unieron a la Iglesia Luterana Unida en América como Sínodo del Caribe en 1952. Hoy en día, siguen siendo parte de la actual Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Estados Unidos, mientras que muchas otras denominaciones protestantes en la isla han formado iglesias "nacionales" puertorriqueñas. Rodríguez explora las continuas tensiones inherentes a este legado, aportando tanto su experiencia académica como su experiencia personal a este primer relato exhaustivo de la iglesia luterana en Puerto Rico.
Swing Low : a history of Black Christianity in the United States, Volume 1 (2024) by 
The Significance of the Trinity : a Thomistic reading (2024) by 
The Islamic Moses : how the Prophet inspired Jews and Muslims to flourish together and change the world (2024) by
"A theological and historical exploration of the connection between Islam and Judaism through the single most-mentioned character in the Quran: Moses. There is one human mentioned in the Quran more than any other: Moses. Why is it that the Jewish prophet dominates the Islamic scripture? Because he is the role model for Muhammad, Islam's own prophet. Because Islam, just like Christianity, is deeply intertwined with Judaism -- although surprisingly little attention has been given to this fascinating connection between the two religions. Author and journalist Mustafa Akyol takes readers on a theological and historical walk through that much-neglected side of the Abrahamic triangle: the Judeo-Islamic tradition. Using Moses' presence in the Quran as a jumping-off point, Akyol explores the first historical encounter between Muslims and Jews, the creative symbiosis and mutual enrichment that occurred between the two belief systems in medieval times, and the modern emergence, development, and perception of the two religions. At a time of bitter conflict in the Middle East, The Islamic Moses dives into the older, deeper, and often unexpectedly brighter story of Jews and Muslims. Readers of any background will be surprised by the common historical and theological ground that exists between the two religions, and will come away with a better understanding of both.-
Exvangelical and Beyond : how American Christianity went radical and the movement that's fighting back (2024) by
A pioneer of the Exvangelical movement examines how a toxic right-wing movement took over American Christianity -- and why people are leaving the church and speaking out against it. With the rise of Trumpism, the American evangelical movement has more political influence than ever -- yet at the same time, people are leaving Christianity in record numbers. Why are so many people walking away from the right-wing religion they were raised in, and what are they doing to overcome the past? Writer and podcaster Blake Chastain is uniquely positioned to understand this phenomenon. Raised evangelical, he went to a Christian college intending to become a pastor -- until he found himself unable to reconcile his faith with the prejudice and even abuse he saw being done in God’s name. He created the popular hashtag #exvangelical and the hit podcast of the same name, and soon became part of a growing movement of people walking away from toxic religion and using the unique tools of the internet to speak out, find healing, and build new communities. In Exvangelical and Beyond, Chastain delves into evangelicalism's deep roots in American politics and society, and explains why and how so many Christians -- and ex-Christians -- are forging a new path online. Blending history, personal narrative, and incisive analysis, this is a must-read for anyone who has left the church, is deconstructing their own faith, or simply wants to understand religious culture in America. -
Slaves of God: Augustine and other Romans on religion and politics by
A provocative look at the central role of slavery in Augustine's religious, ethical, and political thought Augustine believed that slavery is permissible, but to understand why, we must situate him in his late antique Roman intellectual context. Slaves of God provides a major reassessment of this monumental figure in the Western religious and political tradition, tracing the remarkably close connections between Augustine's understanding of slavery and his broader thought. Augustine is most often read through the lens of Greek philosophy and the theology of Christian writers such as Paul and Ambrose, yet his debt to Roman thought is seldom appreciated. Toni Alimi reminds us that the author of Confessions and City of God was also a Roman citizen and argues that some of the thinkers who most significantly shaped his intellectual development were Romans such as Cicero, Seneca, Lactantius, and Varro--Romans who had much to say about slavery and its relationship to civic life. Alimi shows how Augustine, a keen and influential student of these figures, related chattel slavery and slavery to God, and sheds light on Augustinianism's complicity in Christianity's long entanglement with slavery. An illuminating work of scholarship, Slaves of God reveals how slavery was integral to Augustine's views about law, rule, accountability, and citizenship, and breaks new ground on the topic of slavery in late antique and medieval political thought.
Turning Points in American Church History: how pivotal events shaped a nation and a faith (2024 ebook version) by
"An excellent resource for those eager to learn more about the evolution of American Christianity."--Publishers Weekly "Well-informed and highly readable."--Christianity Today (5-star review) American history has profoundly shaped, and been shaped by, Christianity. This engaging introduction provides a brisk and lively yet deeply researched survey of these intertwined forces from the colonial period to the present. Elesha Coffman tells the story of Christianity in the United States by focusing on 13 key events over four centuries of history. The turning points are as varied as the movements they track, including a naval battle, a revival, a schism, a court case, an outpouring of the Spirit, an act of terrorism, the election of a bishop, and the election of a president. Coffman highlights women and men from a range of traditions and shows how, throughout these events, Christians endeavored to discern what it meant to live faithfully in the diverse and rapidly changing place that became the United States. This book helps readers understand their own faith and the landscape of American religion. Each chapter includes a hymn, a prayer, relevant historical images, excerpts from primary sources, and resources for further reading. Foreword by Mark A. Noll.
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"-
Asceticism and Society in Crisis: John of Ephesus and the lives of the eastern saints (2024 ebook) by 
Christianity and the Eastern Slavs: Russian culture in modern times, Volume II (of 3), 2024 ebook by 
The Making of a Heretic: gender, authority, and the priscillianist controversy. (2024 ebook) by 
Wondrous in His Saints: counter-reformation propaganda in Bavaria.(2024 ebook) by 
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.
Here's a selection of the latest (Summer/Fall 2024) full-text journal articles in Church History from a variety of history journals:
Recent (Fall 2024) articles on Church History--ATLA Religion, including ATLA Root Review
Here are some other recent (Spring 2024) full-text journal articles in Church History from these 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 recent issues (44.3), accessed via Luther Library's subscription to ATLA -Religion Database. Here's a few samples: New Journal Articles in Church History & Theology, 2024