Bøker utgitt av Augsburg Fortress Publishers

In this important work, Child's thesis is that a canonical approach to the scriptures of the Old Testament opens up new possibilities for exploring the theological dimensions of the biblical text.

Here is a skillful tracing of two tracks in the evolution of musical genres that have evolved from black religion. Songs of protest developed from the spiritual through social-gospel hymnody to culminate in songs of the civil-rights movement and the blues. Born in rebellion, they envision the Kingdom of God.Songs of praise, by contrast, express adoration. Beginning with the "ring-shout," Spencer follows the history of intoned declamation through the tongue song, Holiness-Pentecostal music, and the chanted sermon of the black preacher. Spencer's approach, termed theomusicology, unlocks the wealth of African-American sacred music with a theological key. The result is a fascinating account of a people's struggle with God in history.

The conversations selected for this volume of Luther's Works have been carefully chosen from among more than seven thousand entries of the Weimar Edition with two aims in veiw: historical perspective and contemporary relevance. The annotations are precise and are related directly to the material at hand.

This volume includes selections from the Christmas Postil, specifically sermons on the Gospel lessons for Christmas Eve, the Early Christmas Service, St. Stephen's Day, the Sunday after Christmas, New Year's Day, and the Festival of the Epiphany.

This volume contains a selection of forty- three sermons arranged in chronological order. Beginning with what may be Luther's earliest extant sermon and ending with the last he delivered before his death, this collection of sermons can give the reader a glimpse into the Reformer's development as a preacher. The forty-three sermons in this volume represent but a fragment of Luther's total output. Even the two thousand sermons or more contained in the Weimar Edition of Luther's writings do not include all of Luther's sermons.

Luther wrote the 119 letters in this volume between 1507 and 1522, during the momentous years that saw him change from an obedient and determined priest of his Order to a vigorous critic of the sale of indulgences and finally to the leader of a reformed church. In these letters Luther discusses his posting of the Ninety-five Theses, the disputations at Heidelberg, Augsburg, and Leipzig, and the bull excommunicating him.

Conflict between the church of Rome and the reformers reached its most violent peak in the five years before the Council of Trent in 1545, a council the pope had been delaying for years. Luther had not only given up hope for a "free, Christian council," but had also come to the conclusion that the authority of such a council was limited to reaffirming the ancient faith of the apostles. This radical departure from Rome's interpretation of its own authority forms the basis of Luther's new doctrine of the church -- and also of his advice to Protestant princes on the problems of ecclesiastical property. It is this doctrine of the church which is the theme of the three treatises written during this period and included in this volume.

This volume includes two writings dealing with the plight of the common person who Luther felt had become a victim of the ecclesiastical establishment. These are followed by treatises taken from Luther's literary feud with three staunch supporters of Rome: Augustine Alveld, Jerome Emser [the "Leipzig goat"], and Albrecht of Mainz. The final treatise contains Luther's argument for congregational authority.

The final volume in the section entitled "Word and Sacrament" of Luther's Works traces the development of Luther's concept of the Lord's Supper from the time of the Marburg Colloquy in 1529 down to 1544, two years before his death.

Included in this volume therefore are four of the debates or disputations held in Wittenberg University between 1535 and 1542. Thirteen of the fourteen treatises appear in their entirety in an English translation for the first time with publication of this volume.

In Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families, psychiatrists and pastoral theologians come together in an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort to ensure accuracy of information concerning the medical dimensions of mental illness, interpret these illnesses from a faith perspective, and make suggestions relative to effective ministry. Readers will learn how science and a faith tradition can not only co-exist but work in tandem to alleviate the pain of the afflicted and affected.

* Offers the biblical and theological bases for Christian social ministry * Explores the new landscape for large-scale organizational social ministry

Just what is a proper use of the Bible, especially the New Testament, in Christian debates about acceptance of homosexuals? In addition to bringing clarity and honesty to issues of the relevance of the Bible, this work brings a little more light and a little less heat to the discussion, a little more acceptance of all persons on the "other side," and maybe even an awareness that in Christ there is really no "other side" at all.

Adolf von Harnack was the most outstanding student of early Christianityin modern times and one of the most persuasive exponents of liberaltheology. Although subsequent scholarship has strongly challenged manyof his conclusions, the questions he raised remain central to muchtheological endeavor.Despite their critique of Harnack, both Karl Barth and DietrichBonhoeffer - two of his most eminent students - recognized the immensecontribution he made to Christian theology in the modern era.This volume concentrates on the key texts and ideas in Harnack'sthought. It presents the essential Harnack for students and the generalreader.Martin Rumscheidt's introductory essay and notes on the selected textsset Harnack in his historical context, chart the development of histhought, and indicate the significance of his theology in thedevelopment of Christian theology as a whole.Substantial selections from Harnack's work illustrate key themes: History as a science in the service of theologyThe gospel, early Christianity, and the history of dogma and thechurchThe presence and influence of the 'religious genius' in the history ofChristianityThe religious-social imperative in the gospel and churchThe personal faith of the theologian

Russell Pregeant shows that reading the Bible "without interpretation" is impossible. The right question is which assumptions are appropriate. --from publisher description

Tom Christenson dares to turn philosophy inside out in this remarkable new book. Starting with the ongoing public debate over Gods existence, he approaches traditional arguments in philosophy of religion and peels back their veneers to uncover the questionable assumptions underlying each. This valuable, brief book drives the reader to reconsider how to think about the most fundamental questions which surround the matter of faith and religious belief. For Christenson, there are three key assumptions which need unpacking: that believing is the focal act of faith; that the basic religious question is about the existence of God; and that religious language is primarily referential.