Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
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Equal Rites
This much-needed collection of worship services, ceremonies, and celebrations is attuned to the unique needs of sexual minorities. The rites, written primarily by lesbians and gay men, include liturgies of spiritual beginnings, healing, blessings, holy communion, and pride and empowerment. Also included are funeral and memorial services, seasonal and holiday rites, and covenant rites for
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The Child’s Song
Theological ideas and biblical injunctions have frequently been employed to legitimate the physical abuse of children. Some theological ideas are inherently abusive because they create fear in a child’s mind, causing a child to feel alone, odd, or of little worth. Donald Capps exposes some abuses that theology and the Bible have inflicted on vast
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Why Scripture Matters
‘In recent years we’ve seen a host of books calling for a rediscovery of the Bible. John Burgess’s Why Scripture Matters stands head and shoulders above the rest. Burgess combines deep theological insight with down-to-earth emphasis on daily practices – memorization, reading aloud – from the neglected riches of Christian tradition.’ – John Wilson, editor,
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Winds Of Grace, Ways Of Faith
From Library Journal: This insightful book, with questions for reflection after each chapter, attempts to expand the reader’s idea of spirituality through six ways–of the will (through sacred story, Word of God as read and preached, and sacrament); of wonder (in spiritual classics); of witness (through compassion and justice); of welcome (God as experienced through
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Constructing A Public Theology
The essays in this book demonstrate that a theology shaped by the biblical narratives and grounded in the practices of the Christian community can provide resources to enable people to regain a public voice in a pluralistic culture. Ronald Theimann challenges us to develop a public theology that remains based in the particulars of Christian
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A Reading Of Calvin’s Institutes
‘Professor Reist provides us with a careful and fully documented account of the themes and the structure of the Institutes…. His years of living with Calvin’s writings are reflected in an ability to penetrate to the inner logic and development of the Reformer’s thought and effectively to counter many of the gross misunderstandings represented among
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Calvin’s Ecclesiastical Advice
In this collection of forty-six letters and writings of John Calvin, newly translated into English, the reformer gives advice to individuals and groups about theology, ethics, worship, politics, economics, and church practices. Topics discussed include dogmatics and polemics, changes (and the need for changes) in religion, the worship of images, ecclesiastical discipline, marriage, and justice. Specific
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Reformed And Feminist
This fresh, insightful book explores the nature and function of biblical authority in Christian feminism. Johanna van Wijk-Bos demonstrates, from a Reformed/Calvinist context, the importance of sola Scriptura for feminist biblical studies. Drawing on her personal experiences of an early childhood spent in Nazi-occupied Netherlands and an adolescence in a faith community with a strong
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The Diversity Of Discipleship
This volume considers three issues — outreach, ecumenism, and pluralism — that have confounded the witness of faith in the Presbyterian Church. Examples are given of the interlocking and sometimes interfering interplay among outreach, ecumenism, and pluralism in the quest for distinctive Presbyterian discipleship.
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The Mainstream Protestant “Decline”
The meaning of declining membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been hotly contested since the 1960s. Drawing on statistical analysis of membership trends, congregational surveys, individual interviews, research on disaffiliation, and case studies of congregations and presbyteries, this volume examines patterns and causes of congregational growth and decline in the Presbyterian church.
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The Confessional Mosaic
This focus on the expression of faith among American Presbyterians surveys important developments in Presbyterian theology and worship. The book provides an understanding of the changes in mainstream Protestantism and American Christianity by analyzing Preaching, worship, hymnody, devotional materials, and social justice pronouncements.
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The Interim Pastor’s Manual
This revised edition of Alan Gripe’s book on the responsibilities of interim pastors is a guide through the problems and possibilities of interim ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Full of biblical and theological insight as well as practical wisdom, this book is built on personal experience and grounded in the theology and polity of