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This book talks about the Christian faith in ways that connect with people who are searching for a clear center to their faith. As Harnish describes it, we are all ordinary people on an extraordinary journey toward a center that will hold true, a life-giving center defined by faith in God revealed through Jesus Christ.

This volume provides an anthology of about 40 primary source documents that describe the work of religious communities that took care of pilgrims and the sick in the late antique and early medieval world. The project identifies letters, diary accounts, instructions, sermons, travelogues, and community records and rules that give us a window into a world of early communities that saw it as their duty and their privilege to care for the sick, to safeguard the pilgrim, and to host the stranger. Each document is placed in historical, geographical, and social context as it contributes to an emerging picture of these communities. The volume addresses the motivations and practices of communities that risked extending hospitality. Why did these communities take great risks for the socially vulnerable? What stake did they have in pilgrims and the sick? What communal experiences supported and sustained both the communities and their audiences? How was hospitality cultivated?

Runyon sets Wesley's own discussion of the "way of salvation" in the larger context of Christian doctrine, beginning with the Creation (and the Fall) and moving through the drama of salvation towards its eschatological fulfillment in the "new creation" of all things.

Mohney presents eight New Testament women and the lessons they have for us today. From familiar women such as Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene to lesser known women such as Lydia and Dorcas, Mohney explores the unique circumstances of each woman and the practical and spiritual insights we can glean from her story. Each chapter begins with a refreshing retelling of the biblical woman's story, followed by suggested lessons or insights we can apply in our own lives. A scripture text is also provided so that we may read the biblical account for ourselves. The author's conversational style and numerous anecdotes make for enjoyable reading and discussion. Study questions for individual or group use are provided at the end of each chapter. The 8 women are: 1. Mary, the Mother of Jesus: 2. Peter's Wife: She Inspired Her Husband 3. Mary and Martha 4. Mary Magdalene 5. Mary, The Mother of Mark 6. The Woman with the Issue of Blood (from Luke 8:43-47) 7. Priscilla 8. Lydia

A comprehensive look at the sacraments in today's mainline Protestant churches. This volume shows how the church can utilize the power of physical symbolism-- embodied in both the "outward and visible" and the "inward and spiritual"--to enrich worship.

The essays in this volume all share a common assumption: in order to know where you're going, you have to understand where you've been. If the spiritual and theological descendents of John Wesley are to meet the challenges of spreading scriptural holiness in an increasingly complex world, then they will need to grasp the core beliefs and values that have always guided their tradition. In this important volume, a distinguished group of interpreters of Wesleyan tradition, all of whom are John Wesley Scholars of A Fund for Theological Education, identify the central convictions and practices of the Methodist movement. Their purpose in making this identification is two-fold. First, they insist that these convictions and practices lie at the heart of what the Wesleyan/Methodist family is, and has been. Second, and more important, they claim that in these distinctive beliefs lies the future of the "people called Methodist." If renewal and growth in witness and mission is to occur, the authors argue, it will come through a reclamation and reinterpretation of such cental beliefs as salvation by grace through faith, the authority of Scripture, disciple-making within community, the vocation of Christian holiness, and the church's mission to the world.

This volume examines commitment in the context of the individual and institutional response to God's call to be God's people. "The call from God is a call to the altar, to the holy, in a simple do-able way," explains the author. "Right now we are a little like an aborted African chant in the mainline church; there is a call, but no response." Donna Schaper outlines various reasons for this disconnect between call and response, and she offers ten concrete ways of responding to the gospel through specific actions that will help persons reconnect with their commitment to be the people of God.

Seeing the Text integrates language study with theories and methods of interpretation. The purpose of the book is to help students increase their facility with the biblical languages while at the same time incorporating exegetical and literary skills and methods. The book thus not only provides a wider theoretical and methodological horizon for language study but also builds a solid, text-based foundation for further biblical studies. Because it is increasingly the case that seminarians do not have the opportunity to study both Greek and Hebrew, examples in both languages are included whenever possible to create a metalinguistic theoretical understanding. The book is, therefore, designed and suitable for both intermediate Hebrew students and intermediate Greek students. Finally, the book includes suggestions for using the computer to facilitate language learning and exegetical work in order to help students develop the skills necessary to sustain their language skills with the aid of computer software when they are no longer engaged in formal study. For further information about author Mary Schertz, click here.

Carter writes a piece which will stir the sympathies of pastors thwarted by their own efforts to emulate a congregation's successful predecessor. Within months, these pastors see little success as fatigue and burn-out set in. All Christians are graced with specific and distinctive spiritual gifts. Too often pastors forget that God has given them particular gifts for ministry. While all pastors must attend to the different tasks of congregational ministry, they need to discover those functions for which they have been particularly gifted. When they begin to make these gifts the focus of their ministry, then deep personal satisfaction and connection with others results. This book is written to help pastors overcome the false belief that if their ministry is to succeed, it must emulate that of a high-profile orator. Carter explains that when we make our distinctive gifts the center of our ministry, we lose the illusion that we are in control, and instead trust that God will complement us with others' gifts to meet the needs of God's people. Key Features: includes a "consumer guide" to spiritual gift inventories; resource lists including retreat centers, congregations, and publications. Key Benefits: Provides pastors a biblical/theological framework for understanding ministerial gifts.

In this revised edition of Ethics, McClendon infuses his claim for the priority of ethics within the theological task with a new urgency and offers a more complete explanation of how the interaction of faithful practices and gospel story give rise to a way of life that is distinctively Christian.

Belief matters! This book is written for two purposes. The first is to reminds us that what we believe does matter. The second is to explain the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church--matters of our belief. Intended for use by both laypersons and clergy, this book describes and exposits the four official Doctrinal Standards of The United Methodist Church. The standards will be explored in the following order: Explanatory Notes, Sermons, Articles of Religion, Confession of Faith. The book also includes a study guide, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading.

This new rule book for the 21st century helps church leaders understand how to make the transition to the megachurch culture while retaining Christian integrity.