Cesari argues that both religious and national communities are defined by the three Bs: belief, behaviour and belonging. By focusing on the ways in which these three Bs intersect, overlap or clash, she identifies the patterns of the politicization of religion, and vice versa, in any given context. Her approach has four advantages: firstly, it combines an exploration of institutional and ideational changes across time, which are usually separated by disciplinary boundaries. Secondly, it illustrates the heuristic value of combining qualitative and quantitative methods by statistically testing the validity of the patterns identified in the qualitative historical phase of the research. Thirdly, it avoids reducing religion to beliefs by investigating the significance of the institution-ideas connections, and fourthly, it broadens the political approach beyond state-religion relations to take into account actions and ideas conveyed in other arenas such as education, welfare, and culture.

Retells twenty-two stories from the Old Testament, including "Noah and the Flood," "Jacob's Ladder," "Samson and Delilah," and "Esther Speaks for Her People."

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.

Presents hymns and spirituals which accompany the Lutheran worship service.

Looks at why hurts in the church are so debilitating, what a welcoming, healing church should look like, how to move past the pain of being let down and establish biblical relationships in a healthy church.

“God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The Bible tells us that we are to worship the Lord, that we were created for this purpose. But what is true worship? What does the Bible teach about the right—and the wrong—ways to worship God? In this book, pastors Brian Croft and Jason Adkins unpack a biblical theology of worship, discuss the practical matters of planning a worship service, and offer suggestions and insights on the best way to lead a worship service that honors the Lord. The Practical Shepherding series of guides provides pastors and ministry leaders with practical help to do the work of pastoral ministry in a local church. In Gather God’s People, you will learn how to apply biblical doctrine and spirituality to the practice of Christian worship.

Akenson brings to light critical similarities among three politically troubled nations: South Africa, Israel, and Northern Ireland.

Steve DeNoon, in his book Israel, Are They Still God's People? shares essential information about groups that believe in replacement theology concerning the God of Israel. In a fact filled and easy to read format, he is refutes groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. DeNoon exposes errors taught by Watchtower organization's. It is a vital tool to help us in our approach to these deluded people. This book provides many Biblical truths about the importance of natural Israel in Bible prophecy. It identifies who the 144,000 of Revelation are and who might be the Antichrist in a not so distant future. This book should be a part of every church library. It touches not only error of false prophets and their organizations; but it also introduces an interesting discovery on the Sea of Reeds that has never been considered by Biblical scholars. All concerned Christians will find this book a helpful addition to their library.

Using the wisdom of the past to address the challenges of the present, Christopher Beeley's Leading God's People presents key principles of church leadership as they were taught by great pastor-theologians of the early church, including Gregory of Nazianzus, Ambrose, Augustine, Chrysostom, and Gregory the Great.