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For 2,000 years Western culture has leaned heavily on the Ten Commandments for guidance in religion, ethics, and morality. The author, drawing upon modern Biblical science, demonstrates that those laws were designed for an entirely different purpose–to provide alternatives to repressive policies Israel reeled under in Egypt. The Decalogue is a political document designed to limit government intrusion into private lives. Its precepts deal with matters like political parties and intellectual freedom, central banking and taxation, occupational choice, free economy, humane working conditions, local government, right to life and international relations, land possession and inheritance, equal justice and education, and citizenship and public health.
The author's interpretation necessitates a wholesale repositioning of Biblical religion. The Bible is not a book about religious worship, but is rather a book about citizen-empowered local democracy. This essay suggests a way out of the woods for an American democracy that has lost its way in a headlong veer toward heavy-handed central government.

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The church exists in the world, and our ministry is inextricably social in nature. Practical theology takes this seriously and asks us to reflect on our practice of ministry in both church and society. This book attends to our practice as individuals in ministry, to our corporate practice as congregations in ministry, and to our practice as Christians within the wider social and natural world. Practical Theology in Church and Society brings into sharper focus two perspectives on practical theology. One is the view through the wide-angle lens of justice-oriented action, which hopes for liberation. This view encompasses a broad vista of social forces for justice and injustice when evaluating local movements and local ministries. The other perspective takes the narrower focus of the action-reflection model as it is used to zoom in on individual actions and particular practices of ministry such as pastoral care. The purpose of the book is to integrate these two perspectives on practical theology. It explicates a cyclical method for doing theology that has corollaries within the disciplines of practical theology, liberation theology, missiology, congregation studies, and ministerial leadership. The volume provides resources for developing more socially and ecologically engaged ministries, and it draws implications for ministerial education.

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William Kelly (1821-1906) was much more than a Brethren theologian who was a leader of the Moderate Exclusive Brethren movement, and also much more than an indiscriminate follower of John Nelson Darby (1800-1882). He was highly regarded not only within the Brethren but also by Christian leaders of other denominations. In this book Dr. Critchlow examines Kelly's lively and scholarly appraisal of the German «School of Higher Criticism» and his commentary on a range of works of contemporary Anglican and non-conformist theologians. She argues that Kelly's exegesis was meticulous and scholarly and demonstrated his understanding of the whole canon of Scripture. Despite his ecclesiology, his theology was nuanced and cannot easily be stereotyped. As an expositor of the controversial topics, «the Atonement» and «the After-Life,» he can be described as a Biblical literalist, but in his understanding of Biblical language and literary genre and philosophy, he can be seen as a conservative intellectual. While belonging to the evangelical school of thought, his theology shows itself to be much more complex than many of his evangelical contemporaries and gives him links with later Christian traditions. Through his deep spirituality, Kelly can inspire the reader's own spiritual aspirations.

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Truth, beauty, and goodness are more than traditional ideas–they are living realities bearing dynamic potentials for a future we can help create. As we grow, these supreme values increasingly guide our thinking, feeling, and doing. No matter what your philosophical, religious, or spiritual orientation may be, having a philosophy of living centered on these ideals will enhance your understanding and integration.
Seasoned by the author's experience in leading thousands of students through experiential projects, Living in Truth, Beauty, and Goodness contains all the essential ingredients to help you develop your own personal philosophy. Your guides are Darwin, Socrates, Jesus, Bach, and other world-class pioneers whose strengths and insights can inspire you to develop a resilient and virtuous character. As you explore truths in science, philosophy, and spiritual experience; beauty in nature and the arts; and goodness in morality and character, you will be encouraged to transplant what is proposed here into the garden of your own concepts and then creatively to put the emerging meanings and values into practice.

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The idea of determinate or single meaning in biblical interpretation has long been considered to be a purely modern idea, indissolubly wedded to the hermeneutics of historical criticism. At a time when historical criticism is increasingly viewed with theological suspicion, it must be asked whether determinate meaning has a future in biblical interpretation. Written for Our Learning explores the various expressions of single meaning within Christian theology, from the apostolic period to the present, and argues for the preservation of the discernment of determinate meaning as the goal of biblical reading and study.

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How is it possible to hold a New Testament ethic to love one's enemies and pray for their physical infliction, shame, death, and suffering of family members? And yet, the Psalter, the prayer book of the Church, contains such prayers. In modern times, the Church has adopted a semi-Marcionite attitude towards these troubling texts, excluding whole psalms or parts from liturgies and private use. But as the age of «terror» dawns upon us, we are finding that these texts speak of unchanging realities that perhaps the ancients were abler to understand than moderns. Two great wars and a multitude of ideologies proved in the last century that the intellect cannot prevent these irrational impulses of destruction, and post-modern societies, of the present century, with their multitude of voices really offer no voice to counter moral evil. This study of six psalms with graphic language of enmity seeks to help the reader overcome shallow views of the mystery of evil, cultural blinkers of the use of language, and even personal prejudices. It attempts to recover the complete prayer book of the Church, as it once was, Israel's prayer book.

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The call for gender equity in leadership has become a global concern. From a Christian perspective, all forms of gender prejudice are sinful because they violate God's intention for creating both men and women in God's image. Although many Christian authors have published books and journal articles to address gender-based injustice, very few publications have approached the subject from an African perspective. This book is meant to fill the existing gap. With a specific reference to the African context, this book explores the phenomenon of equity in leadership from various dimensions, such as African culture and traditional religion, church tradition, biblical interpretation, as well as from the perspective of contemporary socio-economic and political realities in Africa. By giving vivid examples of success stories of men and women working together, the authors have demythologized the view that women cannot be leaders. In addition, this book is intended for general readership by Christian men and women throughout the globe. For universities and colleges that teach gender studies as a subject, the book can serve as a class text or reference resource. Seminaries and theological institutions will also find it handy for training and mentoring Christians to promote equity in the church, ministry, business, and family.

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God's silence during the passion is certainly a silence towards man, but in particular God was silent towards Christ in his perfect and complete humanity. It is also the silence of the Father towards the Son . . . At first sight this silence is troubling and perhaps shocking, suggesting that God is in fact absent. However, the author invites us to go beyond this first impression–and the silence turns out to be of tremendous richness, overwhelming depth, and surprising beauty. We are invited to refocus our attention and discover what the Father is saying in a completely new way. These pages sing with love for God, and our meditation of the passion narratives draws us into deep contemplation of the One they celebrate, the Crucified.

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How do you juggle workplace emotions? Dark and stormy seasons blow your way. Spectacular new opportunities emerge. Grief and loss descend. Financial crises loom. Office politics and busyness press on your soul. What about romantic tensions, rivalry, and bouts of bitterness? Must leaders shrug, settle, and simply tolerate such rugged scenarios, or could your accompanying responses actually become powerfully transformative, creating personal growth and a more redemptive impact on others? EmotiConversations winsomely invites leaders–movers and shakers working across various fields–to step into more intentional development in their deepest places. Get ready to encounter dynamically reflective redemption–for your own soul, for clients and coworkers, and even for people in far-off places 'round the globe.
A creative mix–intriguing stories, motivating themes from the biblical narrative of Ruth, and savvy life skills–all stir together, challenging leaders to personally morph toward genuine emotional intelligence. You'll develop sharper skills to navigate your highs and lows and more authentically reflect the face of God.

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Pilgrimage of Awakening is the first biography of the Rogers. Arriving in India after World War II afire with religious zeal, the Reverend Murray Rogers and his wife, Mary, are rocked by the collision of Eastern and Western values. The handsome young couple from England's upper crust, raised with nannies and educated at finishing schools and Cambridge, uproot their children to live a life in solidarity with India's poorest. They seize the challenge of life in Gandhi's Sevagram, then found their own small Christian ashram. Interacting with spiritual leaders on the religious world stage, Murray, the magnetic young Anglican priest, becomes a pioneer in interfaith dialogue. The couple embraces strands of Hinduism and Buddhism in their life pilgrimage across boundaries of culture and faith in India, Jerusalem, Hong Kong, and Canada. As they «rock the boat» institutionally, their spiritual pilgrimage and awakening sparks both controversy and awakening in countless others. Pilgrimage of Awakening is the intimate unfolding of their joyful and painful spiritual transformation within their small community as they raise their three children. Tensions of their dual callings to marriage and family and to dedicated religious life interweave to create a movingly human and sacred story.

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