How may the notion of Trinity become a practical, down to earth, living reality? The parable of the Good Samaritan must be one of the most familiar stories of Jesus. Yet we often miss what prompted it. Jesus asks the lawyer pointedly, "How do you read?" This workbook seeks to show how people may read their Bibles in a most constructive way that leads to their living with and so loving truly the triune God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shares life-giving Holy Spirit with his people. In nine study sessions, for either individuals or small groups, with Questions for Reflection after each, readers are taken through the Story of Salvation. From Abraham to the New Testament church's catechism, they are presented with a particular strategy on how to approach the Christian Scriptures that the central actor in the drama, the triune God, more readily comes into view. This workbook therefore addresses what seems an intractable problem. No longer a formal creed from the fourth century, and certainly not just a medieval scholastic "game," the goal is for the notion of Trinity to become a practical, down to earth, living reality, for the church and for individual disciples of Jesus.

How might the formal Christian doctrine of the Trinity make a real concrete difference in the lives of individuals and in the life of the church? This book proposes there are two parts to answering this important but elusive question. In the first place, how on earth did the Early Church actually reach its conclusions about this understanding of God, and why? What’s the real point behind their endeavors? How might we apprehend what is otherwise sheer mystification—or even nonsense in some people’s minds? Arising out of the answers to such questions, we can secondly construct an appropriately simple model of the Trinity. By means of this model, we can understand with sufficient justice the ways the triune God has come among us in our human history, ways that are still ongoing today. For the proposed model allows us to begin to appreciate the true mystery of the Christian Faith, while also making a practical difference to the lives of Christian discipleship, in prayer, worship, and mission.

This book is about the theology of Jean Vanier. Drawing from Vanier's writings, it situates Vanier's theological thinking on community, care, and what it means to be and become human in the context of "welcome." This book draws attention to how welcome, for Vanier, is a visible expression of genuine hospitality, friendship, and human growth, offering an alternative way of conceiving and naming the social forming dynamics within Christian community, with special attention given to how welcome occurs within the communities of L'Arche. At a deeper level, this book assesses Vanier's thinking on the place and role both the self and community play in welcoming the truth of reality as it is revealed and given within community in order to prepare the way for exploring how welcome is a sign of community life, the visible expression of individual and communal trust in God's providence, and a conduit of God's presence in the world.

This uniquely comprehensive reference work provides a global account of the history, expansion, diversity, and contemporary issues facing the Anglican Communion, the worldwide body that includes all followers of the Anglican faith. An insightful and wide-ranging treatment of this dynamic global faith, offering unrivalled coverage of its historical development, and the religious and ethical questions affecting the church today Explores every aspect of this vibrant religious community – from analyzing its instruments of Unity, to its central role in interfaith communication Spans the Anglican Communion’s long history through to 21st century debates within the church on such issues as sexual-orientation of clergy, and the pastoral role of women Features a substantial articles on the Church’s 44 provinces, including a brief history of each Brings together a distinguished and international team of contributors, including some of the world’s leading Anglican commentators

Scripture opens itself up by its own words and interpretation. William Perkins is the father of Puritanism, often remembered for his preaching manual, The Art of Prophecy. Much attention has been given to the Puritan movement, especially in its later forms, but comparatively little has been given to Perkins. In The Gloss and the Text, Andrew Ballitch provides a thorough examination of the hermeneutical principles that governed Perkins's approach to biblical interpretation. Perkins taught that the Bible was God's word as well as the interpretation of God's word. Interpretation is no private matter; it is a public gift of the Spirit of God for the people of God. Ballitch's study sheds light on Perkins as a preacher, theologian, and student of Scripture.

Christianity Today 2013 Book Award Winner Winner of The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship's 2012 Award of Excellence 2011 Book of the Year, Christianbook.com's Academic Blog Most modern prejudice against biblical miracle reports depends on David Hume's argument that uniform human experience precluded miracles. Yet current research shows that human experience is far from uniform. In fact, hundreds of millions of people today claim to have experienced miracles. New Testament scholar Craig Keener argues that it is time to rethink Hume's argument in light of the contemporary evidence available to us. This wide-ranging and meticulously researched two-volume study presents the most thorough current defense of the credibility of the miracle reports in the Gospels and Acts. Drawing on claims from a range of global cultures and taking a multidisciplinary approach to the topic, Keener suggests that many miracle accounts throughout history and from contemporary times are best explained as genuine divine acts, lending credence to the biblical miracle reports.