Out Of Print

A history of the synagogue from the Hellenistic period to the end of late antiquity. It traces its development from a communal institution to one which had a distinctively religious profile, describing its basic features, the roles of its rabbis and priests, its liturgy, and its art.

Short, cheap pamphlets were a common sight in early modern England. This work examines how different sections of 16th- and early-17th-century England - Protestant, Puritan and Catholic, the press and the popular stage - sought to enlist these pamphlets for their own purposes.

Much of the writing in Anglo-American epistemology in the twentieth century focused on the conditions for beliefs being justified. In a book that seeks to shift the ground of debate within theory of knowledge, William P. Alston finds that the century-long search for a correct account of the nature and conditions of epistemic justification misses the point. Alston calls for that search to be suspended and for talk of epistemic justification to cease. He proposes instead an approach to the epistemology of belief that focuses on the evaluation of various epistemic desiderata that may be satisfied by beliefs.Alston finds that features of belief that are desirable for the goals of cognition include having an adequate basis, being formed in a reliable way, and coherence within bodies of belief. In Alston's view, a belief's being based on an adequate ground and its being formed in a reliable way, though often treated as competing accounts of justification, are virtually identical. Beyond Justification also contains discussions of fundamental questions about the epistemic status of principles and beliefs and appropriate responses to various kinds of skepticism.

Written in the tradition of the exquisite prayer books of the medieval period, this modern book of hours offers you a unique devotional experience with beautiful poems for meditation on Christ and the Christian life.

This volume faithfully reproduces Calvin's definitive lectures on the first twelve chapters of Ezekiel. This commentary contains an exposition of God's prophetic word, and the prayers that follow each chapter deserve special attention both as superb spiritual models and as valuable glimples into Calvin's inner life.

"The motive in writing this book is the hope of sharing a perspective of divorce that is all too often overlooked or ignored. It is difficult to realize that divorce leaves victims other than the ex-spouse. The children of divorce are also victims. They are victims of change where they had no choices; victims where the important players in their lives are torn from the careful scripting of the American idea of family." --from the Introduction Both a parish minister and a child of divorced parents, Adams contributes a pastoral care book to help ministers understand the necessity and benefits of counseling the child or adolescent of a divorcing family.

Understanding the interaction between faith and culture has become an issue of increasing importance in recent years. In this book, Michael Paul Gallagher brings together a wide area of reflection on the relationship between faith and the cultural contexts influencing believers today. Gallagher begins his treatment with a look at how "culture" has been defined by theorists and how those meanings have shifted over time. The author then moves to specifically religious responses to culture, focusing on Vatican II and reflections from the World Council of Churches. Next, themes concerning modernity and postmodernity are explored in detail. The positive side of postmodernity - its sense of openness and possibility, its stress on community and connectedness - opens up new vistas for faith and culture, and in this light, the author discusses more pastoral issues such as inculturation, evangelization, youth ministry and spirituality. While Gallagher draws on the work of leading thinkers in the field, Clashing Symbols is not just for the academic or specialist.

How does race shape people?

Our society is not a harmonious blend of contrasting themes but is fast becoming an enduring culture of opposition. Race and ethnicity are the most frequent topics in our national dialogue. President Clinton has appointed a panel to discuss race matters across the country. But where does the Christian church stand? How can one of the most segregated institutions in North America help to reconcile the sins of racism, bigotry, and prejudice? The Color of Faith seeks to answer these questions.

Fumitaka Matsuoka provides a theological perspective on racial and ethnic plurality that contributes to the discussion on forging a new vision of relatedness and community building across racial divides -- with his sharpest focus on the theological perspective on racial and ethnic plurality, alienation across shifting race lines, and race and justice.

God's call to salvation is a call to a conversion from one way of life to another. Christians know that they are called to participate in the conversion of others by bearing witness to the salvation they have experienced in Christ. Yet most, uncertain of how they will be perceived and of the appropriate times and circumstances in which to share the gospel, are intimidated by the biblical mandate to witness to others. Through extensive interviews, Ronald Crandall and his associates have asked a basic question of thousands of Christians: How did you come to believe? The answers they have found provide important, practical guidelines for pastors and all those who seek to help others learn to engage in personal witness.

The key, Crandall asserts, is the fact that most of us come to faith through certain central relationships. These relationships are principally with our parents or other family members, our friends, our Sunday school teachers or other lay workers in the church, and our pastors or youth leaders. How one comes to faith through each of these relationships is surprisingly different. By using the stories of how others experienced personal conversion, Crandall offers essential insights into the proper ways and contexts in which to share the Christian message

Book by Wolfers, David

Rowan Williams explores the beauty and intricacies of speech, fiction, metaphor, and iconography in the works of Dostoevsky, one of literature's most complex, and most misunderstood, authors.