Do various members of the church--regardless of their generation, gender, race, sexual orientation, country of origin, and whatever their doubts are about official church teachings and policies--have any role in determining, safeguarding, and assessing the authentic teaching and praxis of the faith of the church? This has always been a haunting question in the life of the Christian church, though only recently acknowledged, because of the long-standing role of male clergy of European descent with a Eurocentric outlook who held hierarchical offices and determined official doctrines and moral and disciplinary codes. There have been controversies that bear on these matters over the course of the church's history. But it has only been over the last fifty years that the question has received increasing attention among Roman Catholics in terms of the baptismal anointing of the Spirit that bestows the gift of the sense of the faith on individuals and the collective sense of the faithful. This gift provides discerning skills to recognize, receive, and imaginatively and practically apply the living faith in history and society. This book explores these issues from historical, sociological, systematic and theological ethical perspectives, infused by the contributions of world Christianities.
Christian scholars and teachers everywhere are exploring ever more fully the relationship between Christian faith and the various academic disciplines. In this book, leading voices in the Christian academy provide a solid theological foundation for understanding the aims and practice of faith-and-learning integration, especially within church-related institutions, and also discuss some major challenges and opportunities facing Christian higher education in the twenty-first century. --From publisher's description.
You are already enough, and you are not too much. J. Nicole Morgan grew up fat and loving Jesus. But she was forever burdened by what she saw as her biggest spiritual flaw: her weight. In Fat and Faithful, she shares her journey from body shame to fat acceptance and shows us how to care for the image of God found in every body--including our own. When the world tells us that our bodies are too much, J. Nicole Morgan reminds us that all people--no matter their size, shape, or ability--are beloved of God. Bodies of all sizes, shapes, colors, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities are expressions of the body of Christ. When our first prayer isn't about changing our bodies, we create space to care for our neighbors and to celebrate the unique ways we are equipped to serve our communities in the bodies we have. Fat and Faithful shows us that the world is wider than the size of our waistline.
With the decline of traditional Sunday school and education programs in recent years, many Christians have not learned the fundamental doctrinal content of the faith. In this text Gary Parrett and Steve Kang set forth a thoroughly biblical vision for intentional teaching of the Christian faith that attends to both the content and process of educational and formational ministries.
Everyone has thoughts about God. But how do we know if our thoughts are true? If we want to know the truth about God, we need a sound approach to incorporating what the whole Bible teaches. In this concise introduction to systematic theology, theologian Graham A. Cole explores how we move from Scripture to doctrine in order to shape what we believe, what we value, and how we live. He shows us the importance of having the right method: rooted in the word of God, consistent with church history, in the context of a broken world, dependent on divine wisdom, and ultimately aiming at pure worship.
As they examine the stories of incredible women of the Bible, readers will find hope, encouragement, and a strong sense of community in this beautiful, eclectic collection of writing, photos, and lyrics that reflect God’s faithfulness. Bringing together some of the most beloved Christian authors and songwriters of today, Faithful guides readers through the pages of Scripture to increase understanding of how God has always valued the integral role of females and how that shapes the lives of women today. The Faithful project is a collaboration between three major ministry partners: David C Cook, Integrity Music, and Compassion International. The accompanying album and a 2021 tour of live events celebrates the contributions of women while recognizing their empowerment through the faithfulness of God. This beautiful, creative book will invite readers to return again and again for reflection and inspiration through guided scripture reading and writing prompts.
Borrowing from best-selling studies by Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Lisa Harper, Kelly Minter, and Jennifer Rothschild, this 5-session study explores crucial moments in the lives of five Old Testament figuresEsther, Gideon, Malachi, Nehemiah, and Hosea. Through their stories, discover how God uses the lives of ordinary people for His glory and the good of His people. Strengthen your faith as you walk alongside these larger-than-life figures who all chose to obey God no matter the circumstances.
Dante, Mercy, and the Beauty of the Human Person is a pilgrimage to rediscover the spiritual and humanizing benefit of the Commedia. Treating each cantica of the poem, this volume offers profound meditations on the intertwined themes of memory, prayer, sainthood, the irony of sin, theological and literary aesthetics, and desire, all while consistently reflecting upon the key themes of mercy and beauty in the revelation of the human person within the drama of divine love.
Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.
"I believe understanding our role as leader in our homes is key not only to revival in our homes, but to revival in our churches, and even to revival in our nation." A Faithful Man is drawn from Fox's own passion to be the man in his home that his family needs, and to help other men do the same. Starting with his own story of wanderings and failures, Fox leads the reader into a biblical and practical understanding of what it means to be a prophet, priest, protector and provider. "Most husbands and fathers have a desire to lead their families, but they testify that they don't know how to lead. J. Mark Fox has solved that problem in his book A Faithful Man. Flowing out of a passion for Jesus Christ to be glorified in the lives and families of those who bear His name, Mark provides clear, biblical, practical, doable encouragement for men as leaders of their families. The heart-warming personal stories, interesting illustrations, and helpful examples make the book relational as well as entertaining. As you read you feel like you're visiting with a friend, a fellowlaborer in the field of family life. A Faithful Man, written in a simple, easy-to-read style, invites you to read on attentively much like someone prospecting for gold stays at his task - the prospect of another treasure on the next page or in the next chapter. Any man who seriously desires to be a Christ-like leader of his family will be encouraged and equipped by J. Mark Fox's A Faithful Man." - Norm Wakefield, Author, Speaker, and Executive Director and Founder of The Spirit of Elijah Ministries International "J. Mark Fox has provided the men of the contemporary church with an insightful handbook on what it means to be a Christian father. Grounded in Scripture and theologically sound, Fox writes in such a way that allows any man, wherever he is in his Christian walk, to understand, act upon, and fulfill his God-given right and responsibility to his family. This is a necessary book for the Christian home both today and in the years to come. What is so refreshing about the manner in which Fox writes is that he is not afraid to admit and confess that he has had to learn much of what he writes about through trial and error. Even more refreshing is the fact that he readily acknowledges he is still learning. J. Mark Fox demonstrates through his excellent illustrations, his brilliant use of Scripture, and his own personal testimony that men are called and directed by God to live a lifestyle of discipleship within their families." - W. Ryan Steenburg, Ph.D., Associate Pastor of the Christian Home, First Baptist Church of Prospect, KY; Executive Director, The Council for the Family-Integrated Church; Founder and Director, Daddy Discipleship J. Mark Fox is the pastor of Antioch Community Church in Elon, NC, an adjunct instructor at Elon University, happily married to Cindy for 30 years, father of seven and grandfather of two, and the author of five other books, including Family-Integrated Church. He serves on the board for The Council for the FamilyIntegrated Church (C4FIC) and speaks
