Is culture a theologically neutral concept? The contemporary experts on culture–anthropologists and sociologists–argue that it is. Theologians and missiologists would seem to agree, given the extent of their reliance on anthropological and sociological definitions of culture. Yet, this appears a strange reliance given that presumed neutrality in the sciences is a consistently challenged assumption. It is stranger still given that so much theolog ...
The breach of art from religion is just one of the many unhappy legacies of modernism. There was a time, however, when the aesthetic and the spiritual were of a piece. This study of the work of American video artist Bill Viola considers the possible reemergence of a theological dimension to contemporary art–a reenchantment of art, as some have called it. Using the high-tech apparatus of modern video, Viola's art is rooted precisely in this ...
This collection explores the central theological notion of covenant. It has been produced in honor of Dr. R. Larry Shelton, respected scholar and beloved husband, father, colleague, and friend. Covenant–the unifying theme of this book–is a subject to which Dr. Shelton devoted considerable attention over his forty-five-year career as a scholar and teacher. His 2006 book, Cross and Covenant: Interpreting the Atonement for 21st Century Mission, sta ...
Illusions of Freedom examines the opinions and ideas of two twentieth-century writers–Thomas Merton, a Catholic monk living in the United States, and Jacques Ellul, a French Protestant. Contemporaries, they never met or corresponded with each other, but their critique of the influence that technology was beginning to have on the human condition is strikingly similar. Both Merton and Ellul drew upon the ideas of others in formulating their worldv ...
Are apostles amongst us today? According to a growing section of the church, the answer is yes. This book investigates and appraises that idea seeking answers to the following questions in the context of the church in the USA and particularly Britain: Is there a robust scriptural justification for the charismatic apostolate (CA) that most charismatic groups are proclaiming? How widespread is this belief and why has it become more commonplace? Wh ...
Many pastors feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with the counseling issues in their congregations. But pastors are actually better equipped for counseling than they realize. Hermeneutics, homiletics, pastoral care, and counseling all share a common foundation in the field of «interpretation.» With this book, pastors can learn to interpret people with the same expertise they use to interpret Scripture. Read Me Like a Book offers a simple, ...
Postfoundationalist Reflections in Practical Theology seeks to explore the implications of a Postfoundationalist theology for the discipline of Practical Theology. While moving beyond the modernist and postmodernist debates, it charts a way forward for a theology that is bound by neither relativism nor certainty. It believes that Practical Theology is well suited to this task by its very nature and methodology. ...
Every Life Matters. When you truly see a person God has placed in your path, not just with your eyes, but also with your heart, you just might catch a glimpse of God. When you cultivate the ability to see the «invisible,» you open yourself up to the opportunity for spiritual transformation. Some individuals may seem obscure, even invisible to the world, but if you choose to engage in a meaningful way, to hear and understand their story, the enco ...
A critical examination of political Zionism, a topic often considered taboo in the West, is long overdue. Moreover, the discussion of Christian Zionism is usually confined to Evangelical and fundamentalist settings. The present volume will break the silence currently reigning in many religious, political, and academic circles and, in so doing, will provoke and inspire a new, challenging conversation on theological and ethical issues arising from ...
