LITMIR.BIZ

The work of American Baptist missionaries among the Telugu people in India in the nineteenth century came to fruition in 1897, when Telugus established their own indigenous missionary organization, the Telugu Home Missionary Society. Six years later, in 1903, the society took the highly ambitious step of sending one of its own, John Rangiah, to South Africa as a missionary to work among Telugus who'd gone to that country as indentured laborers.
Vision in Progress tells the story of Indian Baptists' work in South Africa, work mitigated by the negatives influences of colonialism and racism, manifested by the openly racist South African doctrine of apartheid. It examines the values, missions philosophy, and struggles of John Rangiah and of others–men and women–who have shaped the history of Indian Baptists in South Africa up to this day. In telling this story, the author provides a thorough history of the organization Indian Baptists formed–the Baptist Association of South Africa–and its friction-filled efforts to work alongside other Baptist groups.
Informational and inspirational, Vision in Progress serves ultimately as a testimony of people of great faith who were up against tremendous odds.

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Too often the biblical passages governing sexual morality are interpreted in simplistic, proof texting ways that take no account of the cultural gap between ancient Israel and the modern world. And too often the official positions of churches are determined by opinion polls and majority votes rather than a sober theological and ethical assessment of the issues involved. A third way is called for that avoids the errors of both naive fundamentalism and the Bible-dismissing zeitgeist–a way that puts theological reflection at the forefront.
This little book aims to provide a theologically informed, biblical approach to help Christians find a new way forward in their dialogue over questions surrounding homosexuality. It deconstructs the Augustinian theological tradition that has defined, evaluated, and regulated sexual behavior in the western Christian traditions. Kraus maintains that the doctrine of the creation (rather than the doctrine of sin) must be the framework for understanding sexuality and sexual desire. He argues that the basic justification for erotic physical intimacy is the fulfillment of God's original intention for human community (shalom).
Beginning with the definition of «the image of God» as a social symbol that mirrors the Trinity, Kraus calls the church to reflect that trinitarian image as it is seen in Christ. He argues that this stance at the very least calls the church to empathetic inclusion of the GLBTQ community in its ongoing discernment conversation, which, of course, means full participation in its life.

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Imagine traditional congregations in the United States and Canada sending missionaries across the street from their church buildings to express the kingdom of God within a postmodern culture and among disenfranchised Christians. The possibilities and potential are endless. This concept is explored and actual examples are presented in Street Crossers. Partnerships between traditional churches and nontraditional «simple church» planters are rare. More need to be encouraged because a significant number of people across North America are skeptical of organized religion or want nothing to do with church-as-usual. While some might conclude that the traditional church has little to offer a postmodern world and that no amount of tweaking traditional church structures will make a significant difference, they have forgotten to consider a vital reality existing in most congregations across the land: a commitment to send and support missionaries to «foreign» cultures. It's time to harness this existing commitment and focus it across the street.

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Street Cop II: Reloaded picks right up where Street Cop left off. You can't get any closer to the action unless you go through the Police Academy! David lets you ride shotgun with him as he goes through his shift in one of America's biggest cities. You will see what Driving Under the Influence really means. What would you do if you were surrounded by an angry mob of drunks determined not to let you arrest their friend? Go inside the briefing as Tactical Officers and Vice Detectives plan their raid on three brothels at the same time. What really happens inside the crime scene tape at a homicide scene? What would you do if a six-foot alligator got loose in your neighborhood? How will you react when the dangerous suspect tells you, «I'm not going back to jail»? If you like the TV show Cops, you are going to love Street Cop II: Reloaded. Strap in and get ready for the ride!

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What drives you? Or what is the «motivation» or «purpose» of your life? Robert Oh has traveled to close to fifty countries in his lifetime and met hundreds of thousands of God-fearing and God-loving people who are still asking the fundamental question of life: «What does God want me to do with my life?» At the end of your life you don't want to catch yourself saying, «That was it?» You see, without God, your life will be only earthly, natural, and predictable; it won't be supernatural or godly. You reap what you sow. The Prayer Driven Life is an invitation to enter this incredible supernatural life–fashioned by God and through your own prayer. What does God want you to do with your life? Why don't you ask Him? Pray!

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How do we live distinctively in communities embedded in the world around us? The Not-Very-Persecuted Church provides church leaders, pastors, and Christians interested in community development with principles for evaluating culture in light of mission. Since we are called to live in community, the processes that build group identity can help us understand how to live together well. Paul addressed some of the problems that can occur in not-very-persecuted groups in the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians, and he shows us the way suffering forms identity in that context.
With discussion questions and stories from personal interviews, this book offers both fascinating glimpses into the world of the first century and practical applications for Christians today.

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This book of conversations between Margaret R. Miles and Hiroko Sakomura compares the experiences of two women who grew up in different societies, with different educations, different professions, and different religious orientations. Reflecting on the different ways in which Japanese and American societies inhibited and enabled them, these two women share their struggles, difficulties, and achievements. All of this is set in the context of one of the most radical social movements in the history of the world, as women are gaining increments of equality with men in designing and administering the institutions of public life with opportunities, dangers, and rewards. This is a moment in which a critical mass of women «want it all now,» in the best sense of the phrase, seeking to preserve and reinterpret traditional values while exercising their capabilities and skills both in the home and in public life. This book is the memoir of two women's painful and joyful experiences in «getting here from there.»

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Young men undergo significant changes during their years in college. They wrestle with «big questions,» which are essentially spiritual questions, as they ponder who they are, what they believe, what kind of persons they want to become, and how they might shape the world into something they can feel comfortable being themselves in. Those who participate in men's groups realize that their involvement can nurture their inner lives as they explore these questions and connect to transcendent values and a vision of a larger whole. This book includes historical and sociological perspectives on men and spirituality and an expanded case study of how one campus pioneered in the development of men's spirituality groups, which became a model for other campuses. It includes quantitative empirical research that explores college men's openness to spirituality and their interest in men's groups. The book's most extensive discussion is based on a qualitative analysis of thirty-six interviews with male college students, focusing on their understanding of the relationship between their masculinity and their spirituality, and how spirituality groups provided a venue in which they could begin to engage what it means to be spiritual and what it means to be a man.

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The ongoing global financial crisis was not simply the fault of the financial sector. Bankers, households, and governments had all entered a spiral of greed, selfishness, and impatience in pursuit of their respective aims of higher remuneration, greater consumption, and enhanced popularity. The outcome, besides costly bank bailouts, has been rising private and public debt and stagnant economies. Economics, the ruling paradigm in today's society, can explain their motivation of self-interest but not the underlying irrationality of their behavior. Taking a view from Scripture, Philip Davis critiques the overall aims of individuals, as assumed by economics–wealth, consumption, and power–in contrast to Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God, the love for God and neighbor, and responsible stewardship of resources. In doing so, he aims to equip Christians to better understand the crisis from a kingdom perspective, to provide the church with a distinctive voice in these troubled times, and to press for radical Christian solutions to address the underlying difficulties. This little book aims to redress the gap in Christians' understanding that led the theologian Jurgen Moltmann to remark trenchantly, «The neglect of economics is a wound in the side of the church.»

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Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle discovered that by forming the faith of new Christians and leading them to the waters of baptism, they as a parish were renewed and revitalized for mission in the world. Faith Forming Faith describes the year-long process of faith mentoring that has become the center of this congregation's ministry. Hoffman's easy narrative style weaves together solid pastoral and theological insights with the practical, real-life stories of lives transformed by a vibrant new faith–the lives of newcomers and long-time members alike. This is a great primer for anyone wanting more than a pastor's class, more than another curriculum. It is a book for pastors, parish leaders, or seminarians. But it's also a great witness to a skeptical, questioning world outside the Church as well, showing that a life of faith can be lived in a secular, questioning culture.

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