Practice Interpretation takes the everyday social conditions of people as they are described in the Bible and looks at emerging issues that confront today’s interpreters in daily life.

Leadership is a subject that has gained impressive visibility in the past two decades. The number of books, monographs and articles, as well as seminars, devoted to the development of one's leadership skills has been almost exponential growth. This study is an attempt to forge a full-orbed theology of Christian leadership grounded in the teaching of Scripture. What emerges from tracing the theme of leadership through the biblical record is a servanthood pattern, one that is wholly distinct from prevailing secular models. Our exposition begins with the biblical language of the servant, the term of choice for those great leaders used of God to further his saving purposes in the world. Eleven Old Testament and five New Testament leaders are profiled. The portrait of Jesus Christ focuses on three motifs that governed his training of the twelve for kingdom ministry. The Pauline letters are mined for those convictions that governed Paul's practice of leadership, both of his mission team and of the faith communities that emerged from that mission. The treatment of each leader, from Joseph to Paul, begins with a series of preliminary questions and concludes with a mini-profile that correlates the biblical data with these questions. The final chapter offers a summary profile of the servant leader, one whose character, motives and agenda align with the divine purposes. Though designed as a textbook for upper level college and seminary courses on leadership, the book's readable format is ideal for churches and parachurch organizations in their leadership training programs. The author's prayer is that this work will serve as a catalyst to call God's people back to Scripture and thereby raise up a whole new generation of authentic servant-leaders.

World Religions in Practice introduces five of the world's great religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – and explores how they are lived and expressed in custom, ritual, and symbol. A major new textbook exploring the world's great religions through their customs, rituals and everyday practices – by focusing on this 'lived experience' it goes beyond many traditional introductions to religious studies Adopts a directly comparative approach to develop a greater understanding of the nature of religion Each chapter engages with an individual theme, such as birth, death, food, pilgrimage and ethics, to illustrate how religious practices are expressed Broadens students' understanding by offering an impartial discussion of the similarities and differences between each religion Includes chapter-by-chapter opening themes and summaries, and will be accompanied by a website at www.blackwellpublishing.com/gwynne featuring additional resources and study questions.

Twenty-five doctoral students from around the world recently set out to forge a new path toward a theology of mission. As they blazed a new trail, they discovered the footprints of God--evidence that God was their trial guide. Charles Van Engen led this group of mission practitioners, pastors, teachers, and mission executives as they set out to discover answers to important questions, such as "What is theology of mission?" and "What is missiology?" The team used a new approach to answer these questions, employing narrative to integrate personal story, community stories, cultural stories, and biblical stories. Each writer brings his or her own unique context to bear on these important questions through personal story and by highlighting the work of a major missiologist who has impacted their life and work. By drawing from personal stories, the authors show how human factors affect missiology. All of the chapters are set within a unique theological framework created by Charles Van Engen that focuses on mission of the way, mission in the way, and mission on the way. This framework reveals that mission must be "of the way" (Christ-centered), "in the way" (happening among the peoples and cultures of the world), and "on the way" (moving forward over time through God's people as they anticipate Christ's present and coming kingdom). If you are concerned about connecting the Bible, theology, and ministry with the complexity and variety of contexts facing Christians today, then you will want to join this journey to discover the footprints of God. As Van Engen says, you will be encouraged to "think theologically about mission, and missiologically about theology."

When Cone wrote Black Theology and Black Power, he signaled to the world that the American black faith tradition would no longer recognize the confines of the church walls as the extent of its purview in society. Cone liberated the Gospel of Christ from its institutionalized forms, unhinging it from oppressive and racist power structures in American society and releasing it to do its work in the public sphere. Black Faith and Public Talk continues Cone's theme of power in the public realm and examines the economic, political, cultural, gender, and theological implications of black faith and black theology.

Episcopalians are famous for their liturgy, music, and their thoughtful approach to faith and prayer. However, Episcopalians are less famous for their willingness to talk about their faith and their experience of God. In this volume, a group of leading Episcopalians share moments of deep spiritual intimacy. When did they sense the presence of God? How did they experience the presence of God? What is prayer like? How do they pray? What is it like to walk each day with Jesus? How seriously do they take the promptings of the Holy Spirit? How does the “transcendent” feel in their lives? How does the “transcendent” show up in their daily lives? This is a unique book that invites the reader to also start sharing their own sense of God with others.

Sri Ramakrishna’s message was fundamentally a spiritual message to a world steeped in materialism. And who could be better equipped to interpret that message than his direct disciples who had been moulded by that Great Master into his own mould. This book comprises of articles by these great disciples of Sri Ramakrishna bringing out the true significance of religion and its practice. All those who truly thirst after religion and God will find in this book clear insights into spiritual life and practices. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.