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A 2014 Gallup Poll indicated that 26 percent of Americans believe that humans came into existence less than 10,000 years ago, with a much larger 37 percent believing the world was created in six 24-hour days. Those percentages represent around 83 million and 118 million people respectively, suggesting these to be ideas that resonate with a large swath of the population. Given the prevalence of such thinking the question looms, «Is it possible that so many people could be wrong, or is science simply mistaken about some of these matters?» This book is very much about the importance process plays in the conclusions that are reachable, with Jan Long proposing that process itself can answer such questions, doing so in a way that offers credibility. He proposes that process entails a set of well-established rules for how knowledge is acquired, and these can help guide the formation of a sacred construct about beginnings. In the final analysis it is a process that seeks to replace dogmatic thinking with humble and tentative expressions about that which is knowable about the many mysteries of reality that convey to sentient beings, awe and wonder.

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"What are you looking for?" These are Jesus's first words in John's Gospel, and he asks us the same question when we decide to follow him. We read John's Gospel because it helps us get closer to Jesus. We're like the first disciples, who answer his question with their own, «Master, where can we find you?» Only near the end of John's story do we learn the answer: Jesus lives in the hearts of all who love him. Believing is Seeing guides readers to believe more deeply in Jesus of Nazareth as the human face of God, seen through the eyes of his beloved disciple. It beckons us to bring to his gospel our soul-searching questions. Do Jesus's words stake a claim on my life? Does John's gospel test me intellectually, spiritually, or morally? Does John's portrait of Jesus make me see him a new way, pray differently, even live differently? Believing in Jesus, the Son of God, shapes how we perceive our own identity, the world around us, the nature of truth, and our relationship with God. To believe is to see with love's eyes.

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Una coleccion de ensayos que parten metodologicamente de dos realidades, una local y la otra global, pero ambas derivadas de la crisis de desplazamiento forzado vivido en el sur global americano (Colombia, Latinoamerica y la diaspora latina estadounidense). Todo esto se da en funcion de fuerzas promotoras de la violencia sistemica y continental: globalizacion, neoliberalismo, corrupcion politica, deficit en el compromiso misional de la iglesia cristiana de las Americas, etc. A pesar de tales factores promotores de violencia, se vislumbra en esta coleccion una esperanza («teotopia») que da brillo a la historia aun por construirse en Nuestra America. Esta esperanza es expresada por medio de nuevos esfuerzos por entender las causas y consecuencias del desplazamiento forzado en Colombia y el resto de las Americas y por frescas maneras biblico-teologicas de responder a tales causas y consecuencias como iglesia de Jesucristo.

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Diversity and equality are terms swamping social media, news outlets, and campuses these days. While the desire for diversity may be sincere it is also superficial. With genuine diversity there is a profusion of perspectives. Yet when ideas and arguments are limited to «tweets» forgotten to another fleeting proclamation any hope for reasoned reflection is lost. How do leaders keep up and effectively lead? Nicole Oliver Snyder describes how mindfulness and spiritual practices are both in the DNA of Christian tradition and are powerful to unite. Intentional time to consider divergent ideas makes space to recognize the ideas for what they are–and see their value in addition, rather than contrary to one's own. Encountering limited traction due to the inherent reality of information overload in our super-connected daily experience makes applying these practices all the more imperative. This book describes research and a possible way for leaders to lead together collaboratively, with equity and unbounded diversity. Here, Dr. Snyder explores what it means to live God's image as a leader, drawing from scripture and theology, neuroscience, and the behavioral sciences. This book is academic and practical, and the start of a discussion about what «good» and «successful» leadership might look like.

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Gundamentalism and Where It Is Taking America is the work of James Atwood, a retired Presbyterian pastor and an avid deer hunter for half a century who has also been in the forefront of the faith community's fight for two constitutional rights: the right to keep and bear arms and the right to live in domestic tranquility, free of gun violence. He explains why guns mystically control so many Americans and exposes the fallacies of the gun industry's spurious claim that firearms actually protect us. He argues there are no bona fide scientific studies that show defensive guns save us from harm, while there is voluminous research showing a defensive gun puts the owner and his or her family at greater risk. Atwood's book, which details his learning of a lifetime in the struggle for reasonable gun laws in America, puts dependable social and theological analysis of our unique national epidemic into your hands along with scientific data that will provoke honest reflection and discussion for the building of a safer and saner America. Questions for group discussion and suggestions for action are included.

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In the first century of the Common Era, the Romans could boast of being the most pious society in the known world. They possessed a highly structured societal organization with a well-defined hierarchy where everyone knew their place and the personal and interpersonal duties associated therewith. It was understood that their success was due in large part to maintaining a relationship with the gods. Yet at the same time, social inequality and lack of justice for its members was ubiquitous and merely part of the fabric of that society. Into this milieu steps Saul of Tarsus, later known as the Apostle Paul. Based upon the authentic corpus of Paul, a new utopian society was envisaged–a society based on equality and justice for all, not just for the elite. This eschatological community is in sharp contrast with Imperial Rome. Following the death of Paul, writers invoking Paul's authority by claiming that their texts were authored by the apostle himself, continued writing letters to various Christian communities. However, their texts differed in significant ways from Paul's vision. Yet these corrupted texts have survived and influenced the development of Christianity for two millennia. It is imperative to retrieve the true vision of Paul for a world in serious need of that eschatological vision.

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The Old Testament prophets are a neglected treasury of biblical examples for pastoral preaching. Too often the prophets are misunderstood as focusing on future or social justice issues. This book shows that the prophets are essentially preachers–very good ones–whom we must learn from. By comparing recent rhetorical analysis of the prophets to some of the best of current preaching literature, this book shows that the prophets preached the way that we ought to preach. It will help you to hear the prophets the same way that a pastor benefits from listening to a seasoned and exceptionally gifted preacher. We can benefit not only from what the prophets say but how they say it. By seeing how the prophets grab and keep their listeners, how they enhance clarity and relevancy, how they make truth come alive and how they persevere in their ministry, you too can learn to preach like the prophets.

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This collection of essays by British Baptists honors the work of Christopher Ellis amongst the Baptist community, recognizing in particular the contribution he has made to the practice and theology of Free Church worship. The book takes a selection of his hymns as a starting point for reflection on areas of worship, discipleship, the sacraments, and theology.

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This book attempts to aid those who are serious about the study of Pope Saint John Paul II's theology of the body. It is directed especially to those who teach it at both an academic and a parish level. It offers them the necessary scholarly background to be able to faithfully present John Paul II's work, understanding it with depth, and in continuity with Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Second Vatican Council.

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Many restorationist-oriented associations like the Advent Christian Church often embrace two conflicting principles. First, they understand the Bible's inspiration and authority in a way that minimizes the importance and value of church tradition. Second, they give high value to individual autonomy both in biblical interpretation and in church governance. Adventism Confronts Modernity describes what can happen when these principles conflict and make it difficult to resolve theological conflict.
This work begins by exploring the nineteenth-century historical and theological roots of early Adventism with special attention to William Miller and the theological impact of the Great Disappointment, the failed prediction of the early Adventists that Jesus Christ would return visibly in 1843 or 1844. Subsequent chapters explore the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversies of the early twentieth century and focus on the impact of those events on the two colleges that trained Advent Christian clergy–Aurora College (now Aurora University) and New England School of Theology (later Berkshire Christian College).
After discussing theological reform efforts within the Protestant mainline and fundamentalist coalitions, this book describes the conflicting views regarding the Bible's inspiration that emerged in the early twentieth century and their impact on the Advent Christian Church during the 1950s and 1960s. It concludes that further reflection is needed on both the doctrine of Holy Scripture and how restorationist movements balance Christian theology with individual and congregational autonomy.

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