""Finally! A guide in laymen's terms that will guide us in a closer walk with our great God!"" Rita Snow - Licensed Massage Therapist - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) ""This is a very thorough, yet very simple look at the basic tenets of Christianity. Denise and Joe have done a great job of making it concise, easily understood, and in a progression that builds from one chapter to the next. I can envision its use by individuals and/or small groups that want to gain a fresh and renewed sense of what it means to be a Jesus-follower." Pastor Mike and Diane Lehman-United Methodist Church "Wow! These eighteen nuggets are truly theological jewels to be cherished! Learning what encompasses being a Christian is so rewarding. As a strong proponent of reflective practice and dialogue as resourceful learning tools, I cannot wait to get my final copy of the book so I can delve deeper into this inspired theological journey!" Ella Dubose -Administrative Assistant-Baptist Church

This book affirms relationship as the shared human elemental pursuit and proposes relationship as the transformative space. Wonderfully, the author asserts, it is God's intention to fulfill this intrinsic human desire in the present in all of us and universally. This desire is an often inarticulate, innate desire and pursuit to enjoy and reflect the divine image in which every human being was created. In this book, this pursuit is referred to as proleptic spiritual transformation (PrōST). That is, this book demonstrates that what is too often relegated to eternity is available now. Relationship is the Transformative Space considers God's heart, in relationship, and its implication toward human spirituality and how this intent has been interrupted and restored. God is actively interested in the recovery of a fully expressed image in humanity.

Augustine's dominant image for the human life is peregrinatio, which signifies at once a journey to the homeland (a pilgrimage) and the condition of exile from the homeland. For Augustine, all human beings are, in the earthly life, exiles from their true homeland: heaven. Some, but not all, become pilgrims seeking a way back to the heavenly homeland, a return mediated by the incarnate Christ. Becoming a pilgrim begins with attraction to beauty. The return journey therefore involves formation, both moral and aesthetic, in loving rightly. This image has occasioned a lot of angst in ethical thought in the last century. Augustine's vision of Christian life as a pilgrimage, his critics allege, casts a pall of groaning and longing over this life in favor of happiness in the next. Augustine's eschatological orientation robs the world of beauty and ethics of urgency. In Pilgrimage as Moral and Aesthetic Formation in Augustine's Thought, Sarah Stewart-Kroeker responds to Augustine's critics by elaborating the Christological continuity between the earthly journey and the eschatological home. Through this cohesive account of pilgrimage as a journey toward the right ordering of the desire for beauty and love for God and neighbour, Stewart-Kroeker reveals the integrity of Augustine's vision of moral and aesthetic vision. From the human desire for beauty to the embodied practice of Christian sacraments, Stewart-Kroeker develops an account of the relationship between beauty and morality as the linchpin of an Augustinian moral theology.

John Hammett’s and Katie McCoy’s Humanity is built on four assumptions: that humans are creatures, that they can only be understood in light of the intentions of their Creator, that the Creator’s intentions are revealed in the pages of Scripture, and that humans enjoy a truly and fully human life only when they live in accordance with their created nature. Thus, this work seeks to offer a biblical perspective on human nature as designed by God.

Renewal Theology deals with the full range of Christian truth from within the charismatic tradition. Previously published as three separate volumes, Renewal Theology represents the first exhaustive, balanced articulation of charismatic theology. Renewal Theology discusses: Book One--God, the World, and Redemption - Book Two--Salvation, the Holy Spirit, and Christian Living - Book Three--The Church, the Kingdom, and Last Things. As theology, this work is an intellectual achievement. But it is much more than that. The author urges the church to undertake its task of theology in the proper spirit: - an attitude of prayer - a deepening sense of reverence - an ever-increasing purity of heart - a spirit of growing love - a theological approach rooted in the glory of God. Done in such a spirit, theology becomes a faithful and powerful witness to the living God.

In Christian Theology, author Christopher W. Morgan presents an accessible introduction to the core areas of systematic theology, including God, revelation, humanity, sin, Christ and his work, the church, and the future. Each chapter highlights Scripture's teaching on a topic as it unfolds in the Bible's story line, intentionally connecting readers to the doctrines with a focus on personal application and missional living.

As Catholics, how are we called to make a difference in a world that can be difficult to understand? Every weekend, parishes across our global church welcome millions on their faith journeys to share joy, pain, fellowship, and understanding. Finding a way to guide congregations through economic, cultural, and political problems is critical. We may not know exactly how Jesus would have handled specific issues of today, but we can look to his actions, words, and spirit to give us guidance for challenging situations. This resource provides a unique approach for understanding the important connection between the liturgy and the seven primary themes of Catholic social teaching. It will inspire you to deepen your relationship with God and with others, to become more aware of the needs of the world, and recommit yourself to live as Christ’s disciples in the world.

There is no papal document that has generated as much interest, controversy, and debate in recent times as Pope Francis's Amoris Laetitia. This document, which came out of two very divisive synods of Catholic bishops and leaders in Rome in 2014 and 2015, will probably be the most discussed document ever produced by a pope in modern Catholicism on marriage and family life. This volume has gathered seminal commentaries on Amoris Laetitia by African Catholic theologians, social scientists, and pastoral workers. They offer African theological and pastoral responses to the principles and practices proposed by Pope Francis and the Synod on the family on such contested issues as same-sex relations, divorce and remarriage, and reception and denial of Holy Communion in the church, among other divisive issues. These important essays and commentaries show the strengths and weaknesses of this papal commentary and point out the missing link in the global conversation on marriage, family, and same-sex relations. Their argument for the inclusion of African perspectives and moral traditions in the search for a third way in finding an inclusive and integrated pastoral art of accompaniment is very compelling. The authors here also call for the inclusion of Africa's own unique challenges--like polygamy, childless marriages, and the impact of migration, civil conflict, diseases, ecological and population crises, and the rights of African women--in the global discussion on marriage and family life. They also challenge uncritical cliches in world Christianity that Africa's opposition to same-sex marriages (or Western propaganda about population or birth control and contraception) are conservative, while showing diverse African conversations on these topics in the search for abundant life on this beautiful continent.

As theologians across confessional divides try to say something significant about human dignity in our contemporary society, there is fresh interest in the ancient Christian doctrine that the human being is created in the 'imago Dei'. Theology is grounding responsibility for others and for the world around us in this common vision that the human being's infinite horizon lies in a divine calling and destiny. Robinson examines the 'imago Dei' debate through three giants of twentieth century theology - Karl Barth, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Jürgen Moltmann. This is placed against a survey of the principle developments and distinctions relating to the doctrine in the history of Christian thought, which in itself will be valuable for all students of Theology. A fresh analysis of ecumenical contributions places the development of the doctrine in the context of the ongoing process of ecumenical dialogue on the dignity of the human person, with special reference to this theme in the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est. Whilst 'imago Dei' is the focus of this book, Robinson invites the reader to see its relevance to theology as a whole on a specifically ecumenical canvas, and relates directly to more general areas of theological anthropology, grace, salvation, and the relationship between God and the world.

This book is dedicated to all of us that are involved in a relationship and have questions that need real answers. Answers that explain why our friendship fails, and what needs to be done to transform it into what it was purposed to besomething full of passion, romance, and excitement that brings satisfaction to our lives. In search of an answer in relationshipswhether it is a relationship with friends, family members, significant others, or in marriagesmany of us struggle with understanding what and why things happen in relationships, and how to successfully navigate this journey so that we can have successful and fulfilling relationships. If you have friends, family members, a spouse, or a significant other, you are involved in a relationship. If you are involved in any one of these relations or are considering joining the ranks of those who are, or know of someone that could use the information found on this book, make a decision to transform your life and the life of those that are going to be touched by the information found in these pages. Information plus application equals transformation. Apply this information, and your relationship will be transformed. Transformation begins with change, and change begins with a decision. Decisions are important because every decision is a step closer on the road of change, bringing you closer to your destination, which is transformation.