Originally published in 1988, as part of the Rural Studies Series of the Rural Sociological Society, this is a collection of papers from the Second National Conference on American Farm Women in Historical Perspective, held in Madison, Wisconsin, on October 16-18, 1986. Includes the subjects of the impact of social and economic change on farm women; perspectives on the work of ethnic minorities and the Native American experience.
The earth is weeping...How can we heal it? The heavy treads of our modern machinery pound the earth into submission--our society has become expert at efficiently taking from the earth, but what do we give the earth in return? Is this the proper stewardship of the earth that God has entrusted us with? * Concerns are growing about genetically engineered "superfood" and harmful pesticide use. * The current panic over "Mad Cow" and "Foot and Mouth" diseases are a chilling example of the price which we may all pay for our livestock being fed with the cheapest feed instead of what is proper and nutritious. In this remarkably prophetic work, Catherine Doherty helps shed some light on these important issues, with practical, down-to-earth guidance for farmers everywhere--whether you are a backyard gardener or industry professional.
The present book is the first work to highlight Catherine Doherty's vocation to spiritual motherhood. Drawing upon primary archival sources, the author traces Catherine's development as a staritsa, or spiritual mother in the Russian-Eastern tradition. Of particular interest are the chapters dealing with Catherine's exercise of spiritual motherhood for priests and laity alike. Previously unpublished letters of spiritual direction between Catherine and her major spiritual directors offer the reader a privileged glimpse into the soul of this servant of God and her spiritual children, as she grows in her vocation as staritsa. For example, in one striking letter, Catherine describes how she guided a disillusioned young priest who was struggling with a drinking problem and temptations involving young women, and was bordering on despair: "With clenched teeth I sailed into him, first gently, almost caressingly calling him back to Christ he once loved, then more sternly, then quietly. . . . He left full of thanks and some hope . . . ."
Take and eat, and take and read: Wierenga’s exquisite writing feeds us—body, mind, and soul. —Dr. Carolyn Weber, award-winning author of Surprised by Oxford The gospel of God is the Bread of the Presence, and it reaches down into the deepest, darkest, ugliest recesses of the human spirit, the places polite chit-chat won’t allow, the places watery juice doesn’t open up, the places where crawfish and other creeping things of the swamps live. These are the places in which we run to the altar and find the bread, still warm. Places in which we begin to get full. Where our only food becomes God Himself. . In this memoir described as “poetic, raw, and achingly beautiful,” Emily T. Wierenga takes readers on a vulnerable literary journey. A former anorexic who nearly starved to death, Emily longed for more—the more she’d glimpsed during her childhood in the Congo, surrounded by vibrant faith. All she had now was dry religion. She craved a Communion that was more than an empty ritual. It would be Emily’s return to Africa that would bring her healing. Unexpectedly, it would be the poorest of the poor who would lead her there. Emily exchanged her deep struggles with food for a growing discovery that the God of inapproachable light “dons an apron and prepares us a banquet.” All who are broken—come to the table. Break bread with Emily, and feast on the God Who Became Bread. You will never go hungry again.
Though the church universal is an ancient institution, the contemporary ministry landscape is always changing. That's why a new resource with useful information about Christian organizations is needed. The Essential Handbook of Denominations and Ministries is an easy-to-use guide to more than 200 of the largest denominations and 300 ministries in the United States. The entries for organizations include a brief history and summary, a contemporary profile, and discussion on doctrinal emphases, creeds, membership, and interdenominational and ecumenical alliances. Pastors, ministry leaders, community leaders, and students will find this resource a helpful guide as they seek to understand Christian denominations and ministries.
Farmer, poet, essayist, and environmental writer Wendell Berry is acclaimed for his ideas regarding the values inherent in an agricultural society. Place, community, good work, and simple pleasures are but a few of the values that form the bedrock of Berry’s thought. While the notion of reverence is central to Berry, he is not widely known as a religious writer. However, the moral underpinnings of his work are rooted in Christian tradition, articulating the tenet that faith and stewardship of the land are not mutually exclusive. In Wendell Berry and Religion, editors Joel J. Shuman and L. Roger Owens probe the moral and spiritual implications of Berry’s work. Chief among them are the notions that the earth is God’s provisional gift to mankind and that studying how we engage material creation reflects important truths. This collection reveals deep, thoughtful, and provocative conversations within Berry’s writings, illuminating the theological inspirations inherent in his work.
Fiction. Taxi driver James Bailey flees the ruin and emptiness of his life by heading off to Fargo. Although he never gets there, he does find out that the grace he had imagined in far-out places has been tagging along with him all the time. In Bailey, author Craig enacts, in a rollicking manner, Josef Pieper's idea of man as Status Viatoris (being-on-the-way) and shows that a ministry can be found driving a taxi. Craig skillfully shows how grace turns up in the strangest places, and, in a manner worthy of Fitzgerald, magically evokes the graced land which is America and her people.
During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI was called ‘the green pope’ because of his ecological commitments in his writings, statements, and practical initiatives. Containing twelve essays by lay, ordained, and religious Catholic theologians and scholars, along with a presentation and a homily by bishops, Environmental Justice and Climate Change: Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States explores four key areas in connection with Benedict XVI’s teachings: human and natural ecology/human life and dignity; solidarity, justice, poverty and the common good; sacramentality of creation; and our Catholic faith in action. The product of mutual collaboration by bishops, scholars and staff, this anthology provides the most thorough treatment of Benedict XVI’s contributions to ecological teaching and offers fruitful directions for advancing concern among Catholics in the United States about ongoing threats to the integrity of Earth.
