Bøger udgivet af Pickwick Publications

This study examines an indigenous phenomenon of the Hindu devotees of Jesus Christ and their response to the gospel through an empirical case study conducted in Varanasi, India. It analyzes their religious beliefs and social belonging and addresses the ensuing questions from a historical, theological, and missiological perspective. The data reveals that the respondents profess faith in Jesus Christ; however, most remain unbaptized and insist on their Hindu identity. Hence, a heuristic model for a contextualized baptism as Guru-diksha is proposed. The emergent church among Hindu devotees should be considered, from the perspective of world Christianity, as a disparate form of belonging while remaining within one''s community of birth. The insistence on a visible church and a distinct community of Christ''s followers is contested because the devotees should construct their contextual ecclesiology, since it is an indigenous discovery of the Christian faith. Thus, the "Christian" label for the adherents is dispensable while retaining their socio-ethnic Hindu identity. Christian mission should discontinue extraction and assimilation; instead, missional praxis should be within the given sociocultural structures, recognizing their idiosyncrasies as legitimate in God''s eyes and in need of transformation, like any human culture.

Dennis Horton highlights the shape and function of the death-and-resurrection motif by applying William Freedman''s criteria of a literary motif to the Acts narrative. By analyzing the statements about death and resurrection together with the examples of this messianic pattern among the experiences of major and minor characters, the motif becomes clear. This central theme then becomes intensified through contrast with a secondary motif, that of death and decay. Death and Resurrection provides a clear example of a biblical motif and how it develops and functions within the narrative, serving as a valuable guide for future studies of biblical motifs. The work also supplies a needed balance between the extremes of past and present Lukan scholarship by considering the combined effect of suffering and renewed life within a single motif. Both the statements and actions of the characters reveal the importance of the two elements for Lukan theology and soteriology. The function of the motif derives from its usage within the narrative and proves insightful for gaining a better understanding of the aesthetic quality of the story while simultaneously showing how the narrator skillfully wields the motif to provide encouragement to the followers of "The Way," to issue a warning to would-be persecutors, and to deliver an evangelistic message to potential converts such as the "God-fearers." The messianic pattern of death and resurrection becomes a heuristic tool that the narrator carefully applies to create a potent motif with a multifaceted message for a growing and often suffering Christian community.

Written in preparation for the 2010 centennial of the national organization Catholic Charities USA, Faith. Works. Wonders. introduces the mission, scope, and impact of Catholic Charities agencies in communities across the nation. This book also describes the work, motivation, and spirituality of the three hundred thousand staff, board members, and volunteers in local Charities agencies; this network composes the largest voluntary social service network in the country. In addition, the author draws on the broad experience of Catholic Charities and his long association with Charities to explain the sometimes-surprising positions of the organization and its leaders in our continuing national discussions on social welfare, faith-inspired organizations, and the appropriate roles of the private and public sectors in promoting the common good and caring for the least fortunate.Within the framework of the registered slogan of Catholic Charities of the archdiocese of Washington DC, the nine chapters in turn lay outFaith-the mission, identity, and power of Catholic Charities rooted in the Scriptures, experience, history, and Catholic thought.Works-the focus of agencies and people on service to people in need, advocacy and empowerment for justice and compassion, and ""convening"" religious and civic partners to create a better society.Wonders-the who, what, and why of volunteers; the quest for quality and innovation; the stance of determined pluralism in the Church community and public square; and the miracle of virtue and spirituality born in the service of others.Appendices provide 1) an outline of the history of Catholic Charities in the USA dating back to 1727 in the author''s hometown of New Orleans, and 2) the principles developed by Catholic Charities and other voluntary-sector leaders for the protection of the sector in this country.

CONTENTS:IntroductionKlyne SnodgrassFear in the Garden: The State of Emergency and the Politics of BlessingScott Bader-SayeResponse to Bader-SayeAmy E. Black""In God We Trust""? The Challenge of the ProphetsR. W. L. MoberlyResponse to MoberlyRobert L. Hubbard, Jr.Imagining the Unthinkable: Exposing the Idolatry of National Security in AmosM. Daniel Carroll R.Response to CarrollRobert D. HaakSecurity and Self-Sufficiency: A Comparison of Paul and EpictetusJohn M. G. BarclayResponse to BarclayJoel WillittsMartin Luther''s Teachings on Security in the Psalms and Their Significance for the Art of Reading ScriptureG. Sujin PakResponse to PakJo Ann Deasy""One Who Trusts Will Not Panic"": Providence and the Prophet of DesecuritizationJill Carson ColwellResponse to ColwellDarrell CosdenThe Radical Insecurity of Idolatry? Or of Faith?Randall C. ZachmanResponse to ZachmannKyle J. A. SmallHomeland Insecurity: The Spiritual Lust for an Escape ClauseBen Witherington IIIResponse to WitheringtonAndy JohnsonHoofbeats Full of Grace?Andy JohnsonSecurityWilliam H. WillimonProtecting God: Psalm 91, Luke 4:1-14Brent Laytham