Church Theology

Charles E. Curran explores the social mission of the U.S. Catholic Church from a theological perspective, analyzing and assessing four aspects: the importance of social mission, who carries it out, how it is carried out, and the roles that the Church and individual Catholics play in supporting these efforts. In the early and mid-twentieth century the Catholic Church in the United States tended to focus its social mission on its own charities, hospitals, and schools.

In this insightful, nonpartisan roadmap toward faithful political engagement and ultimate allegiance to Jesus, pastor Joshua Ryan Butler diagnoses the roots of political conflict tearing apart the church and prescribes a practical and prophetic way forward.

In contemporary Christianity, the words "Church" and "Ekklesia" are often used as if they mean the same thing. However, this assumption overlooks their distinct origins, meanings, and implications. These terms are not synonymous but represent two different concepts shaped by history, language, and theology. "Ekklesia," a Greek word found throughout the New Testament, refers to an assembly or gathering of people called for a purpose. It is rooted in the idea of community and mission, emphasizing the relational and participatory nature of the early Christian movement.

Liberating God: What the Church Doesn't Teach About the Bible is a no-apologies proclamation of the gospel found throughout all of scripture. The message of the Bible is not two separate messages, one old and one new. The Bible preaches one coherent, unbroken gospel throughout its pages. From the story of Moses and the Exodus; from prophets like Jeremiah to kings like David; from tales like Jonah and the Whale to parables told by Jesus; even letters from Apostle Paul, all share the same good news of a liberating God.

This among Christians is a season of persecution. When, therefore, faith is greatly agitated, and the Church burning, as represented by the bush, then the Gnostics break out, then the Valentinians creep forth, then all the opponents of martyrdom bubble up, being themselves also hot to strike, penetrate, kill.

We know with certainty regarding Athenagoras that he was an Athenian philosopher who had embraced Christianity and that his apology, or as he styles it, “Embassy”, was presented to the Emperors Aurelius and Commodus at about AD 177. He is supposed to have written a considerable number of works, but the only other production of his extant works is his treatise on the Resurrection.

This is a letter to Scapula, Proconsul of Africa, who had begun persecuting Christians, during AD 212 (an eclipse visible in Utica is referred to). Tertullian exhorts the Proconsul to remember the fate that befell other persecutors of the Church, not as a threat, but because Christians love those who persecute them, and do not wish to see the judgment of God be unleashed on even the most devout haters of the faith.

Recovering Spiritual Practices of the Past titles reach beyond commonly known spiritual formation practices in order to mine the wisdom of the past, bringing to light ways of thinking, living, and growing in Christ that the church today has largely overlooked. In The Lost Discipline of...

What can you do to be a force for racial justice? Many White Christians are eager to fight against racism and for racial justice. But what steps can they take to make good, lasting change? How can they get involved without unintentionally doing more harm than good? In this practical and...

Many believe Charles Colson and Ellen Vaughn¿s The Body to be the watershed book of the past decade. It impacted the Church worldwide, encouraging Christians of diverse backgrounds to see themselves as part of the universal body of Christ. It challenged many to a new sense of unity, realizing that we blunt the Gospel message every time we divide over petty issues and personal turf.

Among the traditional tenets of the Christian faith is the belief that God chooses or elects people for salvation. For some Christians, such an affirmation is an indication of God's sovereign and perfect will. For others, such a notion is troubling for it seems to downplay the significance of human agency and choice. Throughout the church's history, Christians have sought to understand the meaning of relevant biblical texts and debated this theological conundrum.

The sacred meal that is part of our faith does more than connect us to the holy, it connects us to each other. "I think Jesus wanted his disciples and everyone who came after him to remember what they had together. What they made together. What it meant to be together. How the things he did...

Jesus promised, “Where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20). Writing in a positive, friendly, engaging style, the author encourages you to claim that promise and experience that presence, and walks you through it with practical how-to advice.

When it comes to God, most people live in the Someday Zone. "Maybe someday God will heal me." "Maybe someday God will deliver me." "Maybe someday God will bless me." Someday...someday...someday. Everything is always going to happen someday. The good news is that God is not a someday God. He's a right-now God. He cares about you right now and he wants to bless you right now. You don't have to wait until someday. He's ready and willing to work in your life today. Right now. Immediately.

The Apostle Paul has shaped the course of Christian ethics for centuries and is widely regarded as the most influential theologian in the Christian tradition. In this authoritative introduction, Morna D. Hooker offers a female perspective on a figure usually portrayed as a conservative misogynist. Looking behind the epistles to reconstruct the real man and his beliefs, she places the scriptures in their original context and suggests a consistent and coherent Pauline theology.

Self-identifying as 'evangelical' is risky business these days. What is Evangelicalism? Is it a historical artifact? A political philosophy? A set of doctrines? A litmus test for genuine faith? Perhaps more important, what will come to mind when future generations hear something described as 'evangelical'? Routes and Radishes invites you into a conversation about what the evangelical movement has been and what it is going to be.

In this groundbreaking, inspiring book, Robin R. Meyers, the senior minister of Oklahoma City’s Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, shows how listeners can move from a theology of obedience to one of consequence. He argues that we need to stop seeing our actions as a means for pleasing a distant God and rediscover how God has empowered us to care for ourselves and the world. Drawing on stories from his decades of active ministry, Meyers captures how the struggles of ordinary people hint at how we can approach faith as a radical act of trust in a God who is all around us.

A Devotional That Dudes Will Actually Read! Is there a connection between hairiness and holiness? Some would say a hearty “Yes!” In fact, the world is in the middle of a beard mania. Events like Movember and Decembeard are becoming global movements and manly sites are appearing all over the...

Christian faith isn't blind obedience to a set of rules and regulations; it is entering into a relationship with a God who pursues us-not to punish, but to love. As the leader of Central Christian Church in the self-proclaimed "Sin City, U.S.A.," Jud Wilhite has seen it all, and he knows that no...

We live in confusing times. Our society has shifted on its moral axis, and many are asking whether Christianity needs to be reinvented - or even reimagined - in order to save it. In Saving Christianity?, Dr. Michael Youssef explores this train of thought and its pitfalls. He describes how similar discussions in Christianity's recent past explored the very same question. Saving Christianity? will help you discern what is going on within the church while it reviews the essentials of the Christian faith as described in the Bible.