Philip Schaff’s classic work colloquially known as The Early Church Fathers is an invaluable resource filled with the primary documents and early theological building blocks for the Christian church. Comprised of thirty-eight volumes, it is broken into three parts: the Ante-Nicene Fathers, and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First and Second Series.
The book looks into the liturgy of the Mar Thoma Church. The Mar Thoma Church claims to be eastern and reformed. An enquiry is made into the liturgy of the passion week and the Eucharist to look into the theology of Atonement (work of Christ) and the nature of the Holy Spirit respectively. The measuring rod to determine the Eastern and the Reformed nature is the Eastern Fathers such as Gregory Nazianzen, Athanasius, St. Basil, etc., and the Reformer John Calvin. The theology of atonement (work of Christ) and the nature of the Holy Spirit as laid out in the liturgy of the Mar Thoma Church are compared to the teachings of the Eastern Fathers and Reformer John Calvin. Some observations are made and accordingly conclusions are drawn. Based on the conclusions some implications are made for the Mar Thoma Church.
Understanding Religious Conversion begins with emphasis on the value of respecting religious/theological interpretations of conversion while coordinating social scientific studies of how personal, social, and cultural issues are relevant to the human transformational process. It encourages us to bring together the perspectives of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and religious studies into critical and mutually-informing conversation for establishing a richer and more accurate perception of the complex phenomenon of religious conversion. The case of St. Augustine's conversion experience superbly illustrates the complicated and multidimensional process of religious change. By critically extending the contributions of the literature within Lewis Rambo's interdisciplinary framework, Dong Young Kim presents a more integrated picture of how personal, social, cultural, and religious/theological components interact with one another in the process of Augustine's conversion. In doing so, he has struggled with how to relocate more effectively and practically the conversion narrative of Augustine within the context of pastoral care and ministry (and the field of the academy)--in order to facilitate a better understanding of the conversion stories of the church members as well as to enhance the experiences of religious conversion within the Christian community.
Paperback edition of the fifth volume of the "Christocentric Theology Series" published by Christ in You Ministries. This volume considers the three divine onenesses of the Christian faith - the Trinitarian oneness of Father, Son and Holy in one Being, the Christological oneness of deity and humanity in the one Person of Jesus Christ, and the oneness of Christ and the Christian in one spirit.
The Gospel of John: Theological-Ecumenical Readings brings together leading Catholic, Orthodox, and Evangelical theologians to read and interpret John's Gospel from within their ecclesial tradition, while simultaneously engaging one another in critical dialogue. Combining both theological exegesis and ecumenical dialogue, each chapter is uniquely structured with a main essay by a Catholic, Orthodox, or Evangelical theologian on a section of John's Gospel, followed by two responses from theologians of the other two traditions. The chapter concludes with a final response from the main author. Readers are thus provided with not only a deep and engaging reading of the Gospel of John but also the unfolding of a rich theological-ecumenical dialogue centered on an authority for all Christians, namely, the Gospel of John.
In the early years of contesting patriarchy in the academy and religious institutions, feminist theology often presented itself as a unified front, a sisterhood. The term "feminist theology," however, is misleading. It suggests a singular feminist purpose driven by a unified female cultural identity that struggles as a cohesive whole against patriarchal dominance. Upon closer inspection, the voice of feminist theology is in fact a chorus of diverging perspectives, each informed by a variety of individual and communal experiences, and an embattled scholarly field, marked by the effects of privilege and power imbalances. This complexity raises an important question: How can feminist theologians respect the irreducible diversity of women's experiences and unmask entrenched forms of privilege in feminist theological discourse? In Feminist Theology and the Challenge of Difference, Margaret D. Kamitsuka urges the feminist theological community to examine critically its most deeply held commitments, assumptions, and goals-especially those of feminist theologians writing from positions of privilege as white or heterosexual women. Focusing on women's experience as portrayed in literature, biblical narrative, and ethnographic writing, Kamitsuka examines the assumptions of feminist theology regarding race and sexuality. She proposes theoretical tools that feminist theologians can employ to identify and hopefully avoid the imposition of racial or sexual hegemony, thus providing invaluable complexity to the movement's identity, and ultimately contributing to current and future Christian theological issues. Blending poststructuralist and postcolonial theoretical resources with feminist and queer concerns, Feminist Theology and the Challenge of Difference makes constructive theological proposals, ranging from sin to christology. The text calls feminist theologians to a more rigorous self-critical approach as they continue to shape the changing face of Christian theological discourse.
A guide to living the baptismal covenant in congregational and personal life. An excellent book for parish study and reflection, offering ways that individuals and congregations can envision the church--and their own lives--as a dynamic relationship with God.
