The Gospel Places Peacemaking at the center of Christian identity. Over the centuries, however, churches have divided over the role and place of the peacemaking imperative in their lives and teachings. This volume offers deep ecumenical discussion of the relationship of the church to its peacemaking mission from the standpoints of history and the contemporary context. Contributors representing ten major faith traditions -- Lois Y. Barrett, Alexander Brunett, Murray W. Dempster, Donald F. Durnbaugh, John H. Erickson, Eric W. Gritsch, Jeffrey Gros, Paul Meyendorff, Lauree Hersch Meyer, Thomas H. Olbricht, Thomas D. Paxson Jr., James F. Puglisi, John D. Rempel, Alan P. F. Sell, and Glen H. Stassen -- address this crucial topic from the perspective of their own churches and explore paths that could lead to the reconciliation of existing differences.

In this classic reissue, scholar, pastor, and author J. Philip Wogaman addresses "people who wonder whether Christian Faith makes sense in light of the sweeping changes of our age," changes that have created at the same time a pluralistic world, a technologically sophisticated world, a dangerous world, a world of great prosperity, and yet great suffering. What are we to make of this time we live in? Can the Christian faith really provide a stable foundation? Wogaman wrestles with these and other questions as he investigates the true meaning of a Christian faith with a positive understanding of religious pluralism and a rejection of fanaticism. He concludes that this faith is a "hopeful love" that proclaims the centrality of love against selfishness and the power of hope against despair.

How one can trust amidst uncertainty, fear, and anger. Fragmented Lives describes the meaning of faith for people the Church has shown little facility for attracting but whom it would like to reach, people who have entered church doors occasionally but who have little depth of commitment. It is a book for persons exploring the basis of faith, as well as for church leaders looking to understand how their programs and message can align with faith journeys today. While examining the growing emphasis on spirituality for those wanting "spirituality without structures," it argues that spirituality has become so elastic in its meaning that it is lacking the definition and direction people seek in finding answers to their questions. The authors use personal stories to animate the discussion of how faith must be construed as something other than "belief" or "assent." They provide a road map for discovering the journey of living into a faith tradition together. Through this journey, the meaning of faith is illumined and the Church is revealed to be the community of faith that fulfills the needs and intentions of those seeking to live a more authentic life beyond the fragmentation they experience in this age of uncertainty.

Praise for Whole Church "Mel is a thoughtful analyst of church life today. Best of all he actually does what he writes about. This book can lead to new levels of engagement for your church." John Ortberg, author and pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church "Mel Lawrenz's vision of a local church that actually reflects the wholeness and beauty of God as it engages with the Lord, one another, and the community is a much-needed call back to God's original Plan A a plan that has too often been cast aside in the name of specialization, church growth, and expediency." Larry Osborne, North Coast Church, and author, Sticky Church and Spirituality for the Rest of Us "Wow! This book is for every Christian leader who wants to move their church from a narrow self-focus to active engagement in the world with all the resources and possibilities of heaven." Mike Slaughter, Ginghamsburg Church "While Mel Lawrenz's 'four kinds of engagement' aims at congregational application, it also creates a template that individual Jesus-followers can use for self-evaluation of what it means to be the church today. The final 'dynamics' section is worth the price of admission for church leaders." Reggie McNeal, author, The Present Future and Missional Renaissance "Having known Mel Lawrenz for thirty-five years in various capacities as student, intern, colleague, and eventual successor as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church, I can testify to his keen mind, his profound respect for and knowledge of history, his forward-looking curiosity, and his undoubted communication gifts. Add all these to his many years as a seasoned practitioner of church ministry, and the result is this very helpful book, Whole Church." Stuart Briscoe, author, Flowing Streams and broadcaster, Telling the Truth

As Christians, we are to love God with all of our being--heart, mind, soul and strength. But many of us tend to overemphasize one aspect or another, and as a result, our faith becomes imbalanced. Some of us have an intellectual faith but lack compassion or spiritual discipline. Others of us have a vibrant, heartfelt relationship with God but lack commitment to truth or doctrine. And many of us overlook translating our faith into service and ministry. In this book ethicist Dennis P. Hollinger presents a holistic, integrative vision for reuniting Christian thought, passion and action. He shows how individuals, churches and movements throughout history have focused on either the head, or the heart or the hands--often to the exclusion of other expressions. But by linking our intellect, emotions and actions, Hollinger points us toward a whole faith for the whole person, where each dimension feeds, nurtures and sustains the others.

This book offers a unique transdisciplinary collection of essays written by highly renowned international scholars.

Religions frequently face a period of turmoil and readjustment following the death of their founders. In this contribution to sociological theory, Barrett offers a new typological model for categorizing various outcomes, including schism, and explores the usefulness of this model by applying it both to his case study the Worldwide Church of God and to a wide variety of other religions.

"This collection of writings, drawn from a wide variety of sources, reveals the intellectual depth and breadth of the author. The articles include political commentary, cultural critique, literary analysis, extended book reviews, and even a short story by West. All of these are held together by a prophetic Afro-American Christian perspective. The value of this book is that it provides easy access to a significant selection of the author's corpus." --Religious Studies Review (October 1989) "This volume collects over 50 articles, book reviews, and addresses by a Union Seminary theologian . . . . The most eloquent pieces are those in which West explains and interprets his more personally felt tradition of Afro-American Protestantism." -- Library Journal