The problem with too much Christianity today is that we replace the person of Jesus with a doctrine of grace. Living in denial of Jesus' teaching on judgment and holiness, too many Christians take refuge from the sayings of Jesus in doctrines of forgiveness that they hope will bolster up their sense of self-worth before God. Andy Angel tackles this dysfunctional spirituality head-on, opening up the journey of learning and love into which th ...
The contemporary church's debate on the inclusion of same-sex individuals and their relationships has devolved into diametrically opposed positions. Rather than resolving the argument, the conversation between the two sides reflects the impasse that is taking place in denominations across the West. It is clear that the dispute cannot be resolved while couched in these terms. In this timely work, Steven Schafer invites the reader to ...
This book describes the sociocultural context that shaped Christian initiation for many early Jamaican congregants within the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Christian initiation in early-twentieth-century Jamaican AME churches included the practice of two water rituals for children within most of its congregations–first, the christening or sprinkling of water on infants, and second, immersion when the child reached the age of consent ...
In April 1740, Jonathan Edwards, minister of Northampton, Massachusetts, preached a discourse on Hebrews 12:22-24 comprising eight sermons. At this point, he had been the senior pastor of that town for just over a decade, and had seen his congregation through the historic Connecticut Valley Awakening of the mid-1730s, when several hundred souls were reportedly savingly converted. This first volume of Sermons by Jonathan Edwards on the Church con ...
Christians have always looked to models within the Christian faith to guide their lives. At a time when the church is more identifiable by ugly partisan politics–what we call «crappy Christianity»–than by compassionate neighbor love, this book highlights the lives and work of seven individuals who are pursuing their Christian calling in humility and profound love for and service to others, this book highlights the lives and work of seven individ ...
New discoveries arise alongside memories in every Christmas sermon that Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834) ever delivered. This book invites readers into an informed experience of Christmas through eleven sermons. In these pages readers watch Schleiermacher lay discovery and memory side by side, because this is how his own famed systemic theological views of Christian faith and life developed throughout his life. These sermons evoke first curi ...
How can we live in the world without falling either to the dangerous pitfalls of Christian legalism or the lure of unbridled hedonism, especially in a generation that rejects most formal expressions of Christianity? Saint Paul suggests that there is only one way–to walk in step with the Spirit, while bearing the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives. Because this is a daily process, one fraught with success and failure, the following volume of ...
In the #MeToo times in which we live, there are few hard and fast rules that govern personal encounters and sexual liaisons. Consent, so long as it is neither coerced nor forced, dictates all. Astute students of the Bible will see this aspect of our current social milieu reflected in the book of Genesis. Genesis is not a book about laws. There are no «thou shall» or «thou shall not» commandments given over by God to humanity. Instead, its narrat ...
Phillip Carson, Indiana born and raised, is faced with the decision of moving to California in early adolescence for the sake of his mother's health. He follows his parents to the Los Angeles area, where the adventure of his life begins. There he meets Susan Giles, a light in his life during the more innocent time of high school. They become an item, and she returns to his life post-college when he is dealing with three adversaries and his ...
