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Nursing involves skill, judgment, compassion, and respect for human life whether or not the nurse is a Christian. Is there anything distinctive, then, about Christian nurses?The authors of Transforming Care address the question of how Christian faith molds nursing practice. Suggesting that such faith entails something more essential than evangelism or a certain position on moral dilemmas, they deal with the ordinary, everyday nature of nursing practice.The first part of the book articulates the relationship between Christian faith and nursing practice while analyzing the concepts of nursing, person, environment, and health common to nursing literature. The second part describes and evaluates nursing practice in three different health care contexts: acute care settings, mental health facilities, and community care contexts. Sidebars throughout the book offer thought-provoking quotations from well-known authors and nursing experts.ContributorsCheryl BrandsenBart CusvellerMary Molewyk DoornbosMary FlikkemaRuth E. GroenhoutArlene HoogewerfKendra G. HotzClarence JoldersmaBarbara Timmermans

This is a collection of recent articles by one of the bestselling Old Testament professors in the U.S. Collins wrote the Fortress Press volume Introduction to the Hebrew Bible with CD-ROM (2004). An engaging writer, Collins explores a diversity of topics, from the role of the Bible in culture to major themes within the Bible: messianism, revelation, natural theology, and so on.

The question of whether and how people who have not had the chance to hear the gospel can be saved goes back to the beginnings of Christian reflection. It has also become a much-debated topic in current theology. In Will Many Be Saved? Ralph Martin focuses primarily on the history of debate and the development of responses to this question within the Roman Catholic Church, but much of Martin's discussion is also relevant to the wider debate happening in many churches around the world. In particular, Martin analyzes the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, the document from the Second Vatican Council that directly relates to this question. Contrary to popular opinion, Martin argues that according to this text, the conditions under which people who have not heard the gospel can be saved are very often, in fact, not fulfilled, with strong implications for evangelization.

Acceptable Words offers prayers that correspond with each stage of the writer's work -- from finding inspiration to penning the first words to "offering it to God" at completion. Gary Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney, experienced writers themselves, introduce each chapter of prayers with pithy pastoral reflections that will encourage writers in their craft.This welcome spiritual resource for writers includes both ancient and contemporary poems and prayers -- some of which were written especially for this volume. A thoughtful gift for any writer, Acceptable Words will accompany writers on their spiritual journey, lending words of praise and petition specifically crafted to suit their unique vocation.Watch the trailer:

For over a decade Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw has participated in Mormon-evangelical dialogue with a view to developing a better understanding between the two groups. His participation in these discussions has drawn severe criticism and even anger from people who believe such talks are pointless or even dangerous. This brief, highly accessible book is his answer. Advocating humility, patience, and a willingness to admit our own shortcomings, Mouw shows why it is necessary to move beyond stark denunciation to a dialogue that allows both parties to express differences and explore common ground. Without papering over significantly divergent perspectives on important issues like the role of prophecy, the nature of God, and the creeds, Mouw points to areas in which Mormon-evangelical dialogue evidences hope for the future. In so doing, he not only informs readers but also models respectful evangelical debate.

They say that a fisherman never runs out of stories. Lucky for readers of this book, William J. Vande Kopple wants to do more than regale us with tales of the one that got away. In this winsome collection, Vande Kopple spins fifteen funny, poignant yarns out of his experience as a father, angler, and believer.From its haunting opening vignette to more expansive recollections of road trips, family reunions, and solitary forays into nature, Vande Kopple effortlessly perceives the connections between families, fishing, and faith. He is steadfast in his faith yet comfortable with doubt (see the starkly untidy ending of -Not a Hair Shall Fall, - in which he and his son wrestle with both a big fish and the question of God's providence). He is contagiously exuberant yet mindful of the vicissitudes of aging (Have I waited too long? he wonders after a much-delayed fishing trip with his father in -Time Is Tapping on My Forehead-). He is an able raconteur whose spirits are never dampened for long (in -Longing, - he promises never to drive up to Canada on a whim again to fish-until the locals tell him about a river he just has to try).Fishermen and their longsuffering friends and family members will relish Vande Kopple's latest book. So, too, will nature lovers of all stripes-particularly those who know the beauty of the pristine wildernesses of Michigan and Northwestern Ontario. In any case, whether or not readers share Vande Kopple's love for fishing, these stories are sure to catch those who are angling for a good story!

In this volume A. E. Harvey asks, Is the notion of Holy Scripture still credible? In particular, in the light of modern critical study and postmodern literary theory, does the New Testament still qualify as a holy book? Arguing that the New Testament must continually subject its credentials to examination for historical reliability, internal consistency, and general plausibility, Harvey tests the Bible''s historical credibility and plausibility in seven concise chapters. In dialogue with historical criticism, he compares the New Testament to other ancient documents, examines its presentation of Jesus, and considers the New Testament''s validity as a moral guide in the twenty-first century. Harvey''s careful examination leads him to conclude that a good case can still be made for the New Testament''s authority and holiness, subject to continual reassessment in the light of further advances in understanding and criticism.

Debate over whether or not Jesus can be best interpreted within an apocalyptic scenario has continued to dominate historical Jesus studies since Schweitzer and Bultmann. In The Prophet Jesus and the Renewal of Israel Richard Horsley shows that the apocalyptic scenario -- with its supposed expectation of the end of the world, the fiery last judgment, and the parousia of the Son of Man -- is a modern scholarly construct that obscures the particulars of texts, society, and history. Drawing on his wide-ranging earlier scholarship, Horsley refocuses and reformulates investigation of the historical Jesus in a thoroughly relational-contextual approach. He recognizes that the sources for the historical Jesus are not separate sayings, but rather the sustained Gospel narratives of Jesus'' mission. Horsley''s new approach finds Jesus the popular prophet engaged in a movement of renewal, resistance, and judgment against Roman imperialism, Jerusalem rulers, and the Pharisees.

Inspiration for churches seeking to develop whole-person ministries Dust and Breath invites the Christian community into an expansive vision of salvation that includes ministries of health and healing. Inspired by the work of a remarkable ministry in Memphis, Tennessee, Kendra Hotz and Matthew Mathews show why the church must care about both faith and health.In 1987 Dr. G. Scott Morris opened a medical clinic called the Church Health Center in a poor Memphis neighborhood. What began as a clinic for the working uninsured has grown into a nationally recognized faith-based healthcare organization. In this book Hotz and Mathews articulate the theological significance of the Church Health Center and other church ministries like it. Replete with real-life stories and practical examples, Dust and Breath shows how such ministries can help give hope and restore wholeness to communities in amazing ways.

Engaging feminist hermeneutics and philosophy in addition to more traditional methods of biblical study, Salty Wives, Spirited Mothers, and Savvy Widows demonstrates and celebrates the remarkable capability and ingenuity of several women in the Gospel of Luke. While recent studies have exposed women''s limited opportunities for ministry in Luke, Scott Spencer pulls the pendulum back from a negative feminist-critical pole toward a more constructive center. Granting that Luke sends somewhat mixed messages about women''s work and status as Jesus'' disciples, Spencer analyzes such women as Mary, Elizabeth, Joanna, Martha and Mary, and the infamous yet intriguing wife of Lot -- whom Jesus exhorts his followers to remember -- as well as the unrelentingly persistent women characters in Jesus'' parables.

In Dust Bound for Heaven Reinhard Hutter shows how Thomas Aquinas's view of the human being as dust bound for heaven weaves together elements of two questions without fusion or reduction. Does humanity still have an insatiable thirst for God that sends each person on an irrepressible religious quest that only the vision of God can quench? Or must the human being, living after the fall, become a -new creation- in order to be readied for heaven?Hutter also applies Thomas's anthropology to a host of pressing contemporary concerns, including the modern crisis of faith and reason, political theology, the relationship between divine grace and human freedom, and many more. The concluding chapter explores the Christological center of Thomas's theology.

Following up on their previous volume, Called to Be Church: The Book of Acts for a New Day, biblical scholar Robert Wall and pastoral leader Anthony Robinson here join forces again. Featuring both exegetical study and dynamic contemporary exposition, each chapter of Called to Lead first interprets the text of 1 and 2 Timothy as Scripture and then engages 1 and 2 Timothy for today''s church leaders. The book covers many vexing issues faced by church leaders then and now -- such issues as the use of money, leadership succession, pastoral authority, and the role of Scripture. Through it all, Called to Lead shows how Timothy remains a text of great value for the church today

Nearly twenty percent of adolescents have developmental disabilities, yet far too often they are marginalized within churches. Amplifying Our Witness challenges congregations to adopt a new, practice-centered approach to congregational ministry -- one that includes and amplifies the witness of adolescents with developmental disabilities. Replete with stories taken from Benjamin Conner's own extensive experience with befriending and discipling adolescents with developmental disabilities, Amplifying Our WitnessShows how churches exclude the mentally disabled in various structural and even theological waysStresses the intrinsic value of kids with developmental disabilitiesReconceptualizes evangelism to adolescents with developmental disabilities, emphasizing hospitality and friendship.

In Sharing God''s Good Company David Matzko McCarthy explores the role and significance of the saints in Christians'' lives today. While examining the lives of specific saints like Martin de Porres, Thérèse de Lisieux, and Mother Teresa, McCarthy especially focuses on such topics as the veneration of martyrs, realism and hagiography, science and miracles, images and pilgrimage, and why the saints continue to captivate Christians and inspire devotion. Although books about saints abound, Sharing God''s Good Company takes a uniquely philosophical and theological approach to the topic. Interested general readers and Catholic scholars alike will find McCarthy''s book refreshing and informative.