Böcker utgivna av Pickwick Publications

Pittsburgh Theological Monograph Series General Editor - Dikran Y. Hadidian

John McConnell Jr. was the famed founder and visionary of Earth Day. McConnell's vision was one of creating a day of remembrance, solitude, and action to restore the broken human relationship to the land. Little acknowledged are McConnell's religious convictions or background. McConnell grew up in a Pentecostal home. In fact, McConnell's parents were both founding charter members of the Assemblies of God in 1914. His own grandfather had an even greater connection to the origins of Pentecostalism by being a personal participant at the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906. Earth Day, thus, began with strong religious convictions. McConnell, seeing the ecological demise through his religious background, envisioned a day where Christians could ""show the power of prayer, the validity of their charity, and their practical concern for Earth's life and people."" In the spirit of McConnell, today's Pentecostal and Charismatic theology has something to say about the earth. Blood Cries Out is a unique contribution by Pentecostal and Charismatic theologians and practitioners to the global conversation concerning ecological degradation, climate change, and ecological justice.""This edited collection of essays is a very welcome addition to the emerging literature on ecotheology from pentecostal scholars. They provide original contributions full of insight and wisdom from historical, theological, and contemporary studies. They also challenge theologians both inside and outside of Pentecostalism to bring ecology and theology into deeper and more sustained conversation. Swoboda should be congratulated for editing such a lively and interesting set of essays that will become a reference point for scholars and students of pentecostal ecotheology.""--Mark J. Cartledge, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK""A. J. Swoboda is a singular new voice urging evangelicals to follow the call to care for God's creation. In Blood Cries Out, he shines a light on the beginnings of Earth Day and the pentecostal roots of John McConnell Jr.'s drive to establish this holiday. With his signature wisdom and accessibility, Swoboda has crafted another essential volume. Highly recommended!""--Matthew Sleeth, Blessed Earth, Lexington, KYA. J. Swoboda is a pastor, writer, and professor in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Tongues and Trees and the co-author of Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology.

Since the Second Vatican Council the place of Mary in theology and generally in the life of the Church has been at times muted. This is perhaps understandable given the debates concerning Mary''s ""place"" in the documents of Vatican II. In an ecumenical age, it was argued, the church needed a less triumphalist Mariology and piety with a greater focus on Mary as model disciple. In certain respects this has led to a dichotomy between the continued Marian piety of many faithful (and, truth be told, the piety of the post-conciliar popes) and a theological timidity concerning Mary.This collection of chapters seeks to address the current situation of Mariology. Taken as a whole these chapters represent a welcome call for renewal and reawakening in Mariology. The collection is also delightfully eclectic, both in terms of topics covered and in terms of the denominational and academic backgrounds of the authors.FOR BACK COVER:""This work begins with Professor Isabell Naumann''s magisterial synthesis of the contemporary themes and official Church teachings in Mariology, followed by essays that integrate Mariology with topics in spirituality, Scripture, theological anthropology, aesthetics, ecclesiology, and historical theology. . . . This is the most engaging collection of essays on Mariology currently available in the Anglophone market.""--Tracey Rowland, University of Notre Dame (Australia) ""These contributions illustrate the richness of Marian traditions throughout Christendom . . . . While this is a book about tradition, its message is not about the past; it is a message for our own time.""--Doru Costache, Sydney College of Divinity, Australia ""Here is a resource that every theologian interested in the study of Mary will find useful. . . . It provides a thorough presentation of Catholic Mariology to date, with pointers of what is to come for the future study of Christ''s mother . . .""--Virginia M. Kimball, Assumption College, Worcester, MA ""This book is a scholarly work. The essays published in it are up-to-date and wide-ranging. . . . Every Christian should read this book because the more we know Mary, the more we will come to know her son.""--Denis S. Kulandaisamy, Marianum Pontifical Faculty of Theology, RomeFOR FRONT MATTER:""This work begins with Professor Isabell Naumann''s magisterial synthesis of the contemporary themes and official Church teachings in Mariology, followed by essays that integrate Mariology with topics in spirituality, Scripture, theological anthropology, aesthetics, ecclesiology, and historical theology. A number of the authors came of age during the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and their contributions showcase themes in the theology of these pontificates. This is the most engaging collection of essays on Mariology currently available in the Anglophone market.""--Tracey Rowland, St. John Paul II Chair of Theology, Professor, University of Notre Dame (Australia) ""The reader of Mariology cannot but acknowledge the complexity of the topic. These contributions illustrate the richness of Marian traditions throughout Christendom, their connections with a range of doctrinal, missional, and devotional aspects, diachronically and in contemporaneity. They show likewise how these other dimensions feed back into Mariology, adding dynamism to the topic. Whilst this is a book about tradition, its message is not about the past; it is a message for our own time.""--Doru Costache, Senior Lecturer in Patristic Studies, Sydney College of Divinity, Australia ""Here is a resource that every theologian interested in the study of Mary will find useful. The chapters, written by a variety of scholars, contain a wealth of bibliographic references that in themselves make the book useful. It provides a thorough presentation of Catholic Mariology to date, with pointers of what is to come for the future study of Christ''s mother, including the coming interest in biblical anthrop

Religion has played a major role in history, affecting the course of events and influencing individuals. Today one frequently hears the expression ""the return of religion"" but opinions differ as to how this ""return"" is to be understood. It is clear that modernity and postmodernity have not meant that religion is dead or relegated to society's backyards. Religion is still of vital importance for many people. It has, to some extent, changed shape but has not lost its legitimacy and attractiveness to broad groups. Religion is public, visible, and has a sought-for voice; but it is also wrestling with extremism, ignorance, and preconceptions. Just like ideologies, religions are capable of activating diametrically opposite traits in humans. It is this dual tension that is implicit in the question mark in this book's title: Mending the World?This book's aim is to help explore whether, how, and in what ways religion, church, and theology can contribute constructively to the future of a global society. In thirty-one chapters, researchers from around the world address the relation between religion and society.

Why do church leaders and the leaders of their institutions of higher learning seem to speak different languages? Why are relationships between church and academy so filled with tension and misunderstanding? This insightful and provocative volume, written by one with leadership experience in both camps, explains those dynamics. Tony Blair parses the cultural and theological trends that have created this gap in recent decades and notes how those same patterns yet offer hope for the future. Blair delineates five models of more collaborative relationships between church and academy, three of which are drawn from the creative positioning of existing institutions that serve as case studies, and two of which describe the academy of the future. For church and university leaders alike, as well as all those who care about the relationship of these two essential institutions in the fulfillment of God's kingdom, Church and Academy in Harmony offers a readable and intelligent analysis.

Virtue theory has become an important development in Christian ethics. Efforts are made in this volume to bring pastoral theology into conversation with these developments. This book probes the philosophical theology of Jonathan Edwards, who proposed that virtue is a form of beauty defined as ""consent to being."" This leads to the notion of compassion as ontological consent. Since language is the vehicle by which our experiences are conveyed, the book probes the issue of how moral vision is expressed in ""experience-near"" language through parable, poem, and lament. Moral vision is articulated most adequately through such language, and finding it is a kind of quest. The last chapter is a proposal for a mature pastoral theology of virtue as an expansion of Edwards's concept of ""consent to being"" from the vantage point of pastoral theology. A dynamic vision of virtue requires some connection between the experience of suffering and the inward striving toward the greatest good. The essence of virtue can be best understood, from a pastoral theological perspective, as the relational dynamic of ""suffering with"" another human being.

This study builds upon recent scholarship exploring the significance of the Old Testament covenant metaphor in the Johannine writings. By examining the Gospel of John as a whole through a narrative lens and focusing on several key dialogues, the author sheds light on the dialogical nature of the revelatory process and the central role of covenant for the Fourth Evangelist. Also incorporating recent scholarship that suggests the evangelist understood himself to be writing Scripture based upon fulfillment language present in summary statements across the Gospel, and demonstrating a relationship between the Fourth Gospel and ancient drama that renders speech as action, this work attempts to construct a new paradigm for reading John against the background of the Old Testament covenant metaphor. The claim is twofold: the Johannine story of Jesus Christ is a carefully crafted literary treatise theologically underpinned by discourse on covenant and Scripture, and the Fourth Evangelist provides catechesis to a believing community on the nature of its faith in the God of Israel's ongoing covenant with the created order. By grasping the theological fabric of the evangelist, the richness of the dialogue and imagery of his Gospel is allowed to have its full voice in terms of covenant fulfillment and the ongoing commitment of God to a believing people.

During the mid-twentieth century Pentecostal theology was co-opted by fundamentalism and its dispensational brand of millennial eschatology. Fundamentalist dispensationalism not only reinterpreted the original Pentecostal vision of the latter-rain outpouring of the Spirit in the last days but undercut its raison d'etre as a people empowered by the Spirit of Pentecost to participate in the kingdom of God. Yet eschatology is much broader than twentieth-century dispensationalism, and Pentecostal eschatology is diverse, reflecting the diversity of Pentecostal and Charismatic spiritualities. There is no one Pentecostal eschatology but many Pentecostal eschatologies. This collection of essays from established scholars and rising stars offers fresh perspectives in eschatology for the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. The fresh readings of eschatology in this volume are valuable because they demonstrate that Pentecostals no longer need to look to others to interpret their theology for them but can stand as scholars and thinkers in their own right.

Why is theology often divorced from ministry? Why is ministry left bereft of a robust theology? Ray S. Anderson, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary for over thirty years, has left a legacy of provocative reflections on these questions. In this book Christian Kettler provides a sure guide to major themes in the work of one of the most creative theological minds to have sought to integrate theology and ministry.Early experience on a South Dakota farm and in a California parish helped form the theologian whose radical incarnational theology of the ""kenotic community"" provided a new basis for a broader, risk-taking ecclesiology. Anderson also brought theological anthropology to the front of the agenda, and therefore into ministry to actual hurting human persons. His challenging theological reflections can provoke the mind, stir the heart, and guide compassionate and wise incarnational ministry.Each chapter ends with a case study from an actual life situation, to ""test out"" and work through the implications of Anderson's theology.

The Damascus road encounter between Jesus and Paul is foundational to understanding the early development of Christology, and, indeed, Christianity, since it is the first appearance of the post-ascension Jesus contained in the earliest Christian literature. This study examines the encounter as it is described in Paul's epistles and the book of Acts. Since Paul interprets his experience within the Jewish tradition, this study begins with a survey of epiphany texts in the Old Testament and other ancient Jewish literature. This reveals two new categories for appearances of God, angels, and other heavenly beings: Divine Initiative and Divine Response. This survey also finds two distinct patterns of characterization for God and other heavenly beings. These findings are then applied to Paul's accounts of his Damascus road encounter. Paul depicts the encounter as a Divine Initiative epiphany. This conclusion is significant, since it argues against the current view that the encounter was a merkabah vision. Paul's Christology in the Damascus road encounter is also significant, since Jesus is characterized as divine. Such divine characterization is not typical for heavenly beings in first-century CE epiphany texts. Thus, a high Pauline Christology appears to be present at a very early point. The three accounts of the Damascus road encounter in Acts also fit the pattern of Divine Initiative--not merkabah--and exhibit the high Christology of Paul's accounts. In fact, the three accounts in Acts are shown to form an intentionally increasing sequence culminating in the revelation that Paul was called to be an apostle by Jesus himself on the Damascus road.

Tom Dow asserts that Job does not go through his trials to somehow improve him. He is being tried by Satan, who seeks to break Job's and God's trust in one another. When that trust survives the worst that Satan and insensitive friends can do, both Job and God are vindicated. When Storms Come shows how the book of Job can be related to New Testament teaching, and how it can be a great help to people experiencing suffering and stress. It also serves as a resource for people ministering to those going through the storms of life.

The great American pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards remains undeniably relevant today, more than 250 years after his death, as attested by the unending flurry of articles, books, and dissertations treating him. Despite this, virtually nothing has been written concerning Edwards's views on worship, a subject central to the Christian faith, and certainly to Edwards himself. This volume explores Edwards's perspective on both public and private dimensions of worship, aspects of which rise from well-understood Puritan categories, and proposes the practice of self-examination as a bridge between public and private devotion. As Ken Minkema, of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale, writes in the foreword, ""Ted Rivera's study is the first that systematically attempts to show us Edwards's views of worship, and so represents an important resource for scholars and religious practitioners alike who are interested in liturgy, 'the practice of piety,' and spiritual growth. Through an engagement with Edwards's own words--in letters, notebooks, and sermons--we learn of Edwards's own spiritual life, and of the nature of private and corporate devotion.""

Michael Haneke is one of Europe's most successful and controversial film directors. Awarded the Palme d'Or and numerous other international awards, Haneke has contributed to and shaped contemporary auteur cinema and is becoming more and more popular among academics and cinephiles. His mission is as noble as it is provocative: he wants "to rape the audience into independence," to wake them up from the lethargy caused by the entertainment industry. The filmic language he employs in this mission is both highly characteristic and efficient, and yet his methods are open to criticism for their violence toward and manipulation of the audience. The aim of this book is to analyze critically Haneke's aesthetics, his message, as well as his ethical motivation from an interdisciplinary and intercultural perspective. Contributors to the book come from a variety of academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds-European and North American.

Although history is replete with tales of revenge, Christian forgiveness provides an alternate response. In this volume, Pentecostal scholars from various disciplines offer their vision for forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. The essayists offer long-overdue Pentecostal perspectives through analysis of contemporary theological issues, personal testimony, and prophetic possibilities for restoration of individual relationships and communities. Though Pentecostals remain committed to Spirit-empowered witness as recorded in Luke-Acts, these scholars embrace a larger Lukan vision of Spirit-initiated inclusivity marked by reconciliation. The consistent refrain calls for forgiveness as an expression of God's love that does not demand justice but rather seeks to promote peace by bringing healing and reconciliation in relationships between people united by one Spirit.

Freedom of the Self revitalizes the question of identity formation in a postmodern era through a deep reading of Christian life in relation to current trends seen in the Emergent and Missional church movements. By relocating deep identity formation as formed and released through a renewed appraisal of kenotic Christology coupled with readings of Continental philosophy (Derrida, Levinas, Marion) and popular culture, Keuss offers a bold vision for what it means to be truly human in contemporary society, as what he calls the "kenotic self." In addition to providing a robust reflection of philosophical and theological understanding of identity formation, from Aristotle and Augustine through to contemporary thinkers, Freedom of the Self suggests some tangible steps for the individual and the church in regard to how everyday concerns such as economics, literature, and urbanization can be part of living into the life of the kenotic self.

Beyond Belief: Theoaesthetics or Just Old-Time Religion? explores the possible reemergence of a theological dimension to contemporary art. Long estranged from symbol and sacrament, contemporary artists--and those who think and write about them--seem to have turned once again to a vision rooted in the sacred. In an era marked culturally by world-weary cynicism and self-conscious irony, a new "humanism" may be emerging, one which aims to move beyond fragmentation and opposition to integration and unification. The aim of this book is not to propose a resurgence of religious iconography, but rather to give voice to long-suppressed--often maligned, and certainly professionally risky--positions informed by and reverberating with themes of the sacred. The essays included here, by a range of scholars working on these issues today, originated as a lively and spirited session of the 2008 College Art Association annual conference.

Latinas/os are the fastest growing "minoritized" ethnic group in the United States and Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States. It is therefore no surprise that the Latina/o Muslim population is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. As a minority within a minority, the ways in which U.S. Latina/o Muslims construct their identity is not only interesting in itself but also of interest for how they challenge traditional understandings of U.S. Latina/o identities. This book explores the process of conversion of U.S. Latina/o Muslims and how it becomes the foundation for the re-construction of their U.S. Latina/o identities. Furthermore, since Latina/o religious experience in the United States up until now has largely assumed Christianity as the de facto religion, Latina/o y Musulman brings a whole new angle to studies in this area. Martinez-Vazquez lays the broader analytical foundation for how the religious experiences of non-Christian U.S. Latinas/os shape the process of identity construction.

Perhaps no era in Christian history since the time of the apostles presented a greater challenge to the spread of faith than the twentieth century. The First World War in particular resulted in nearly disastrous losses for the world mission movement. Christian countries were engaged in fratricidal conflict, missionaries were forced to return to their homelands, and traditional sources of mission funding dried up.In response to the missions crisis, American Catholic youth devoted themselves to a program of ""prayer, study, and sacrifice""--the Catholic Students' Mission Crusade. Beginning with less than fifty members, the movement grew to over one million youth, and worked to foster support for missionaries in the field, promote missionary vocations, and educate youth about the needs of the church throughout the world. In the course of their ""crusade,"" the movement's youth were exposed the complexities and challenges of diverse religious, political, and cultural worlds, including illiteracy in rural America, communism in China and Eastern Europe, and famine and disease in sub-Saharan Africa. In light of this experience, as well as the Second Vatican Council's reformulation of the Catholic Church's approach to missions, by the late 1960s the movement began to question its goal of converting the world, leading to the Crusade's crisis of faith and eventually to its disbanding.By exploring the fascinating story of the Catholic Students' Mission Crusade, this study offers new insights into the growth of the church amidst contemporary obstacles and historically non-Christian cultures, providing a bridge to understanding the current challenges to Christian globalization.

Drawing together scholars from fields of biblical studies, systematic theology, liturgics, and pastoral theology, In Praise of Worship questions an overemphasis on singing and music (alone) as worship in today's church. Whilst not minimizing moments of conscious and deliberate worship, the authors show that according to a close reading of Scripture and a clear understanding of theology, the whole of our lives is to be considered as worship-glorifying to the Lord who deserves such honor.Contributors:Nancy AultAlastair CampbellDavid J. CohenDavid G. FirthTravis FitchMichael W. GoheenStephen HaarBrian S. HarrisChris JackAngela McCarthyAlan NivenJohn W. OlleyMichael O'NeilRobin ParryMichael ParsonsMichael J. Quicke