In this book, Christopher D. Rodkey asks how the brain worships and responds by engaging ideas from neurological science, philosophy, ritual theory, and religious education. From this exploration, two new paradigms for pastoral ministry emerge. First, Rodkey proposes a “pan-generational” principle, advocating an empathy-based approach for fostering faith communities, a principle that is radically inclusive to all generations. Second, Rodkey argues that worship and religious education should converge to include a shared goal of teaching individuals to “live liturgically.” In The Synaptic Gospel, Rodkey argues that living and thinking liturgically are learned behaviors that may be promoted through pan-generational worship. The book concludes with a special emphasis on practical suggestions for youth ministry. The Synaptic Gospel will prove to be a useful theoretical tool for pastors, religious educators, youth ministers, church music professionals, and seminary students.

The authors criticise the new, genetic explanations for human behaviour. They describe the theory of biology, and the reality in which a gendered world and the women's biology and the consequences are described. In the chapter 'Perpetuity' they discuss the gay and queer gene.

Outreach Magazine’s 2021 Resource of the Year in the Church Category Christianity tends to focus on beliefs and choices as the keys for personal growth. But biblical evidence and modern brain science tell a different story. Combining faith with the latest developments in neuroscience and psychology, Renovated offers a groundbreaking and refreshing perspective of how our attachment to God impacts our minds and hearts. You’ll find that our spiritual growth is about more than just what we believe—it’s about who we love. Drawing from conversations he had with Dallas Willard shortly before Dallas’s death, Jim Wilder shows how we can train our brains to relate to God. Transformative and encouraging, this book offers practical insight for deepening your relationship with God through the wondrous brain and soul that He has given you. “Elegant, clear and bountiful in hope . . . if transformation for yourself and your community is what you seek, I can think of no better place to start.” —Curt Thompson, author of Anatomy of the Soul “Jim Wilder offers genuine hope. He uniquely combines the truth of Scripture with the truth in developing brain science to give us a path of renewal and restoration.” —Dudley Hall, president of Kerygma Ventures “A breakthrough on so many levels. Renovated is a must-read for everyone who is serious about discipling people and seeing life transformation.” —Bob Roberts, pastor and founder of GlocalNet

Leadership demands constant reframing and reappraisal of the situation at hand. It requires focus, objectivity, honest appraisal of self and others, and evaluation of available resources. An effective Christian church leader must also align the congregation’s vision and practices with God’s vision and the teachings of Christ. Perhaps most importantly, the church leader must love others. Author Charles Stone uses recent neuroscience research to show how basic brain processes affect leadership. He writes in layperson’s language, with memory-boosting illustrations and acronyms, helping readers to increase productivity, handle stress, create and sustain healthy teams, and manage change in the church. Brain science complements and reinforces Christian teaching on life and leadership; Brain-Savvy Leaders equips readers to use that science as a tool for improvement for life and for the church. Brain-Savvy Leaders is… … the best book I have read on the brain science of healthy thinking and effective leadership. Dr. Stone has done an incredible job of balancing modern brain science with Biblical truth, making complex ideas simple to understand and providing practical tools to enhance mental performance. --Timothy R. Jennings, M.D, FAPA; President, Tennessee Psychiatric Association; Vice President, Southern Psychiatric Association; author, The God Shaped Brain: How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life … an engaging and fun read that's also insightful, informative, and practical. A valuable resource for spiritual leaders. --Golnaz Tabinia, neuroscientist and assistant professor, Carnegie Mellon University … will help you with emotional regulation, personal productivity, team collaboration and change management. It's a winner! --Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia; author, Amplified Leadership … shares helpful tips on how to master leadership in the church. I needed this book. --Ron Edmondson, Senior Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky … can help you take your church to the next level and help you better align your leadership with God's desires. It will help you achieve greater focus and design more cohesive and collaborative teams. I highly recommend it. --Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., author of You Are Not Your Brain and Brain Lock

God is great—for your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Based on new evidence culled from brain-scan studies, a wide-reaching survey of people’s religious and spiritual experiences, and the authors’ analyses of adult drawings of God, neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and therapist Mark Robert Waldman offer the following breakthrough discoveries: • Not only do prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress, but just twelve minutes of meditation per day may slow down the aging process. • Contemplating a loving God rather than a punitive God reduces anxiety and depression and increases feelings of security, compassion, and love. • Fundamentalism, in and of itself, can be personally beneficial, but the prejudice generated by extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain. • Intense prayer and meditation permanently change numerous structures and functions in the brain, altering your values and the way you perceive reality. Both a revelatory work of modern science and a practical guide for readers to enhance their physical and emotional health, How God Changes Your Brain is a first-of-a-kind book about faith that is as credible as it is inspiring.

When the church of five hundred years ago started selling indulgences, it was time to rethink the gospel. JWhen today's Christianity is reduced to a gospel of material prosperity and the service of political issues like abortion and homosexuality, it is time to rethink the gospel and rediscover Jesus' words. The gospel is not something to know but something to be, but the words of Jesus are never compatible with the left-brain's knowing that we have inherited from the world. Jesus' words are meant to be experienced from that level of consciousness that takes us beyond what we know in order to experience the transformative journey that is the gospel.

Worship leading is a great privilege and challenge. It is great to be able to point people to God through Worship. Learn to grow in your singing, playing and leading. Learn to hear God's Spirit as you lead. Be passionate in your love-relationship with God, and for the people in your Worship team and congregation.

Fully revised and expanded, this new work is the first major revision of the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in more than 40 years! It is the official revision of Lesser Feasts and Fasts and authorized by the 2009 General Convention. All commemorations in Lesser Feasts and Fasts have been retained, and many new ones added. Three scripture readings (instead of current two) are provided for all minor holy days. Additional new material includes a votive mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many more ecumenical commemorations, plus a proper for space exploration. For years the oft revised volume, Lesser Feasts and Fasts (LFF), has served parishes and individuals mark part of the holiness of each day by providing Scripture readings, a collect, a Eucharistic preface, and a narrative about those remembered on the church's calendar that day whose lives have witnessed to the grace of God. Holy Women, Holy Men (HWHM) is a major effort to revise, but also to expand and enrich LFF. Where LFF provided two readings (gospel and other New Testament) plus a psalm, HWHM adds an Old Testament citation. Where LFF was limited to few non-Anglicans in the post-reformation period (and few non-Episcopalians after 1789), HWHM dramatically broadens appreciation for other Christians and their traditions. Over-emphasis on clergy is redressed by additional laity, males by females, and "in-church" activities by contributions well beyond the workings of institutional agendas. These almost daily commemorations occupy over 600 of the book's 785 pages, by far the lion's share of its content. Remaining sections address: principles of revision and guides for future revision; liturgical propers for seasons (Advent/Christmas, Lent, and Easter); and new propers for a miscellany of propers usable with individuals (or events) not officially listed in the formal calendar. Two cycles of propers for daily Eucharist are also included, one covering a six week period, the other a two year cycle.

Memory is a major factor in the composition and practice of liturgy. Recent research into how the brain and memory function points the way to how liturgy can best meet the needs of worshippers. In Memory and Liturgy, Peter Atkins draws on the fruits of his research into the process of the brain and our memory and applies it to liturgical worship. His extensive experience in writing and using liturgy keeps this book rooted in reality. In its ten chapters the author applies the functioning of the brain and the memory to our remembrance of God in worship; God's memory of us through Baptism; our remembrance of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; the corporate memory of the community created through worship; the healing of memories of sin and pain through forgiveness; three aids to help us worship; the process of continuity and change in liturgy; and the connection between memory, imagination and hope. The conclusion summarizes the main practical issues. This provides a check-list for those serving on Liturgical Commissions and those involved in the teaching of the practice of liturgy. This book is a positive contribution to the ongoing search for suitable liturgical worship and music for the 21st century.

Scientists are now discovering ways that our bodies are designed to connect with God. Award-winning journalist Rob Moll explores the fascinating ways in which our brains and bodies interact with God and spiritual realities, using neuroscience to show how our brains actually change and adapt when engaged in spiritual practices.