Over the past fifteen years, associations throughout the U.S. have organized citizens around issues of equality and social justice, often through local churches. But in contrast to President Bush's vision of faith-based activism, in which groups deliver social services to the needy, these associations do something greater. Drawing on institutions of faith, they reshape public policies that neglect the disadvantaged. To find out how this faith-based form of community organizing succeeds, Richard L. Wood spent several years working with two local groups in Oakland, California—the faith-based Pacific Institute for Community Organization and the race-based Center for Third World Organizing. Comparing their activist techniques and achievements, Wood argues that the alternative cultures and strategies of these two groups give them radically different access to community ties and social capital. Creative and insightful, Faith in Action shows how community activism and religious organizations can help build a more just and democratic future for all Americans.

Faith in Action offers quick dives into a range of topics, from racial justice to environmental concerns, from LGBTQIA equality to Native peopleÕs rights, from womenÕs equality to disability rights, from mass incarceration to immigration. Each topic includes informative visuals and data, as well as practical suggestions for what you can do to make a difference in your community.

In Faith Seeking Action, author Gregory Leffel links a description of the church as a global movement with a description of contemporary social movements that are actively challenging today's societies, such as the environmental, global justice, and identity movements. Not surprisingly, Christian communities and communities of social activists share much in common as they each work to enrich their societies. It is natural then to ask what missionally-concerned Christians may learn from social movements about the public role of their churches, the connection of their beliefs to social change, and the mobilization of their people. It can also be asked how these often divided communities may find ways to collaborate around common actions rooted in such shared values as peace, justice, life, and the integrity of the environment. Building on growing interest in the field of missiology and its "missional church" concept, Leffel has created a dialog between the church as a social actor and social movements. Along with introducing movement theory to mission studies, Leffel introduces a new way of addressing the issues involved in the church's engagement with society, a concept he calls missio-ecclesiology. Of interest to those seeking vital ways to live out their faith in the world—missiologists, missional church leaders, and street-level workers alike—this work fuels fresh thinking about the church's role in cultural and social change.

Celebrated Theologian Offers Wisdom for Civic Engagement Christian citizens have a responsibility to make political and ethical judgments in light of their faith and to participate in the public lives of their communities--from their local neighborhoods to the national scene. But it can be difficult to discern who to vote for, which policies to support, and how to respond to the social and cultural trends of our time. This nonpartisan handbook offers Christians practical guidance for thinking through complicated public issues and faithfully following Jesus as citizens of their countries. The book focuses on enduring Christian commitments that should guide readers in their judgments and encourages legitimate debate among Christians over how to live out core values. The book also includes lists of resources for further reflection in each chapter and "room for debate" questions to consider.

Put Some Muscle Behind Your Faith. We live in a world characterized by instability, in-fighting, materialism, and words without actions. Sadly, no one is immune to these problems. Centuries ago, the apostle James could not envision the world we would live in, but he did address the issues we would face. Building a bridge between first-century Christianity and our lives today, James: Faith in Action shows how Christianity can work in a postmodern world and calls you to an active allegiance to Jesus Christ and a commitment to living out your faith through bold action. 10 studies for individuals or groups.

Across the globe, there are more than 50 armed conflicts, many of which are being perpetrated in the name of religion. In these zones of violence, there are brave men and women who, motivated by their religious beliefs, are working to create and sustain peace and reconciliation. Yet their stories are unknown. This book explores the conflicts and the stories of 15 remarkable individuals identified and studied by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding from regions as far-flung as West Papua, Indonesia, the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Nigeria, El Salvador and South Africa. The book also captures important lessons learned when these peacemakers convened in Amman, Jordan for the 2004 Peacemakers in Action Retreat and discussed their best techniques and greatest obstacles in creating peace on the ground. Peacemakers in Action provides guidance to students of religion and future peacemakers.

Faith and Action is the complete collection of the essays of R. J. Rushdoony written for the Chalcedon Report between 1965 and 2001 along with several transcripts of his recorded talks. The large volume The Roots of Reconstruction only contained his Chalcedon Report essays up until 1985, so most of the essays included in Faith & Action were unavailable to readers for many years until now. In order to make the author’s knowledge more accessible, this three-volume collection features some of the most extensive indexing we’ve ever done including a General Index, a History Index, a Scripture Index, a Works Cited Index, and a Chalcedon Report Directory. A total of 183 pages of indexing! This handsome set of books is a must have for any serious library. The central theme of this collection of essays is Christian Reconstruction, which to Rushdoony meant the responsibility of Christian citizenship in the Kingdom of God. For him, his central drive behind his research and writing was to move men to faith and action. Rushdoony was primarily an essayist who vigorously and prolifically wrote on a multiplicity of subjects, issues, and dis­ciplines. Despite his being critical of both the contemporary church for its compro­mise and the humanistic state for its will to be as God, these essays are replete with Rushdoony’s undying faith in the victory of God in history. Rushdoony’s “big idea” was Christian Reconstruction which centered not on a pursuit of political power but rather an equipping of Christians to take back government by means of self-government in terms of God’s law. This three-volume collection will no doubt serve the larger church for many generations as they seek first the Kingdom of God in their spheres, and in their times.