God Plays Piano, Too
God Plays Piano, Too

Author: Brett Webb-Mitchell

Publisher: Crossroad Publishing

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780824513740

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Joshua is a young boy with an extraordinary gift for playing the piano. He is also autistic. His story is one of many in this revelatory look at the spiritual lives of children with disabilities: those with mental retardation, autism, or behavior disorders. From these moving, spiritually based narratives, readers will learn a great deal about the immensely rich, often hidden abilities of these children. They will see a surprising depth of understanding in those considered limited in their comprehension of themselves, let alone of the world, church, and God. They will gain new insight into the relatively unknown and untapped power of the faith community in nurturing these children's lives. Most of all, perhaps, they will become more aware of their own journey in Love.

On Being a Gay Parent
On Being a Gay Parent

Author: Brett Webb-Mitchell

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9781596270619

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From running a household to handling a parent-teacher conference, and with an extensive resource section at the back, On Being a Gay Parent will answer the questions you haven't even thought to ask.

Christly Gestures
Christly Gestures

Author: Brett Webb-Mitchell

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 9780802849373

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The church is not only the central place of Christian worship but also a place of faith-filled education. Christly Gestures reframes the very meaning of religious education, exploring what the form and content of Christian learning would look like if local churches truly saw themselves as the body of Christ. Author Brett Webb-Mitchell begins with the writings of Paul, using them to clarify the biblical image of Christ's body as the community of believers. Taking this powerful analogy to heart, he suggests that Christian education must not only nurture the minds and spiritual lives of church members but also educate their bodies into the "Christly gestures" - performing acts of faith that imitate Jesus and embody the gospel in daily life. In the quest for a richer, more relevant understanding of Christian education, Webb-Mitchell provides meaningful answers to questions concerning the purpose, context, ways, and means of educating Christians today.

Too Smart for God
Too Smart for God

Author: Dave Simpson

Publisher: 9 Foot Voice

Published: 2020-06-03

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 9781951849016

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Dave Simpson knew a lot of answers, but he didn't know The Answer. A four-time Jeopardy! champion and six-figure winner on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Dave was a smart guy. For much of his adult life, he considered himself too smart for religion. Too smart for church. He was too smart for God. Fast forward a few years and Dave is a Lutheran pastor. And no one was more surprised that he became a minister - or even a Christian - than he was. In Too Smart for God, Dave invites us on his journey through disbelief to the pulpit. This funny and often touching story will not only inspire your own walk, but will help foster understanding between people on all sides of faith.

God Beyond Words
God Beyond Words

Author: Jill Harshaw

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published: 2016-07-01

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1784503029

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*Shortlisted for the Michael Ramsay Prize 2019* In this groundbreaking book, Jill Harshaw explores the spiritual experiences of people with profound intellectual disabilities with regard to their capacity to enjoy life-giving spiritual experiences in their own right. The author expertly argues that our thinking of spiritual life needs to start not with our assumptions about people who are unable to speak for themselves, but with what we can know about God. Stimulating a much-needed discussion, this book explains why we need to respect individuals with profound intellectual disabilities as spiritual persons, and stop seeing them simply as care-receivers or uncomfortable reminders of human vulnerability. Calling for a more critical approach in practical theology, this book invites a deeper, genuinely inter-disciplinary dialogue between new and traditional theological fields, and asks why, after more than 30 years of intellectual disability theology, the impact on church life remains minimal so that debates around the right to basic inclusion continue to dominate. The questions raised in this book not only move the discussion forward, but will spark a change on how the Church approaches inclusiveness.

Sanctify them in the Truth
Sanctify them in the Truth

Author: Stanley Hauerwas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-01-28

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0567658058

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In Sanctify them in the Truth Stanley Hauerwas provides an overview of the development of theology and ethics. He considers how the two disciplines interrelate, discusses the nature of sin, how any account of sin requires a more determinative account of moral law, the nature of sanctification, the body as a subject for Christian holiness, and the relationship between sanctification and truthfulness. The volume ends with sermons - Hauerwas emphasizes the freedom the sermons create, as they remind us that the words we use are not our words. The inclusion of sermons also underlines Hauerwas' point that the truth of the gospel cannot be discovered apart from its embodiment in specific communities of faith. The Christian life, he argues, is not about being in possession of "the truth," defined as a set of timeless and universal principles of belief and action. Rather, it is about learning and living the life of truthfulness toward God and one another. For this Cornerstones edition Hauerwas has provided a new preface that places the work in the present debate and brings this remarkable work to a new audience.

Amplifying Our Witness
Amplifying Our Witness

Author: Benjamin T. Conner

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2012-06-11

Total Pages: 117

ISBN-13: 0802867219

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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 Witness Shows how churches exclude the mentally disabled in various structural and even theological ways Stresses the intrinsic value of kids with developmental disabilities Reconceptualizes evangelism to adolescents with developmental disabilities, emphasizing hospitality and friendship.

Unexpected Guests at God's Banquet
Unexpected Guests at God's Banquet

Author: Brett Webb-Mitchell

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2009-03-01

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 160608559X

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Flowing from Jesus's parable of the banquest feast, this practical and challenging call to a more inclusive church shows why disabled people--the mentally retarded, the physically impaired, and others--must be part of congregational life, along with how, where, and what to do. Essential for parents, teachers, and the disabled themselves.

Toward a Theology of Special Education
Toward a Theology of Special Education

Author: David W. Anderson Ed D.

Publisher: WestBow Press

Published: 2012-10

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1449772498

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"Professor, mentor, author, disability advocate, seminar leader around the world—Dr. David Anderson corralled his many talents and worldwide experiences to author this important book. The volume should prove invaluable to Christians concerned about disabilities, especially teachers. Without flinching, Dr. Anderson tackles the tough issues: How could a good and benevolent God permit disabled children? Are disabilities the result of sin? How does a Christian teacher of the disabled differ from secular counterparts? Especially helpful is his emphasis on the reflective teacher integrating faith and learning. Certainly this is a volume that belongs on the bookshelves of anyone concerned with disabilities." —Steven A. Kaatz PhD, Graduate Programs in Special Education, Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota "I have had the privilege of traveling with Dr. Anderson as he has taught the concepts addressed in this book to educators, pastors, and parents in a variety of countries. I've seen the material come alive as leaders discover the importance of thinking Christianly about disability. This book has the potential of impacting all readers in similar ways. Dr. Anderson challenges all of us to come to grips with a biblical worldview and then to live it out within our spheres of influence. Toward a Theology of Special Education thus encourages all readers to think Christianly about disability. Such thinking will then motivate us to care with God's care and to serve with God's concern for justice and compassion." —Dr. Richard Schoenert, pastor emeritus, Calvary Church, Roseville, Minnesota

Disability in the Christian Tradition
Disability in the Christian Tradition

Author: Brian Brock

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2012-08-06

Total Pages: 577

ISBN-13: 146743583X

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For two millennia Christians have thought about what human impairment is and how faith communities and society should respond to people with perceived impairments. But never has one volume collected the most significant Christian writings on disability. This book fills that gap. Brian Brock and John Swinton's Disability in the Christian Tradition brings together for the first time key writings by thinkers from all periods of Christian history - including Augustine, Aquinas, Julian of Norwich, Luther, Calvin, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Bonhoeffer, Barth, Hauerwas, and more. Fourteen contemporary experts in theology and disability studies guide readers through each era or group of thinkers, offering clear commentary and highlighting important themes.