Christian Faith In Contemporary Society

Christian Faith in Contemporary Society is a comprehensive primer on biblical literacy written especially for: Baby Boomers and others who by reason of illness or aging are contemplating their mortality and wish to explore Christian claims of eternal life, Non-believing singles contemplating dating a devout Christian, who wish to know what they may be in for should they fall in love, Mature Christians whose intelligent, highly-educated children or grandchildren are rejecting the faith, Christians who wish to increase their knowledge of the faith for personal spiritual growth and greater effectiveness in presenting the faith to others, and The curious uninitiated who would like in-depth knowledge of what the Christian faith is all about. The author, a Harvard lawyer, has applied his professional skills to conduct a forensic analysis of the most formidable premise of the Christian faith-the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and his ascension into heaven while still alive-and reports on the results of that analysis. Because Christianity has played a key role in the development of Western civilization, a knowledge of Christianity is necessary for a proper understanding of our society. This book can help the reader gain that knowledge.

This is a short, accessible analysis of Christianity that focuses on its social and cultural diversity as well as its historical dimensions.

Until recently, religious institutions have been organized to suit the traditional American family, where the wife stayed at home, caring for children. Today, churches and synagogues are beginning to adapt to the reality of the American family: dual-career marriages, high levels of divorce, interfaith marriages, partnerships that may not be marriages. Religious organizations must serve families that don't fall into the Ozzie and Harriet mold. The first group of papers in this edited volume documents changing trends in the connection between religion, work, and the family. In the second part of the book, we see how changing families and flexible congregations are experimenting with new forms of religious life.

Essays, originally presented in lectures at Barnard College, Columbia University, examining Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism and their impact on our country.

This work challenges the commonly accepted view that Christianity is inherently compatible with modern democratic society. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it argues that there is no necessary connection between Christianity and any form of government.

This work enriches the analysis of law and religion in society by emphasising a dimension involving the relationship between religious communities and religious individuals.

The Handbook of Global Contemporary Christianity: Themes and Developments in Culture, Politics, and Society maps the transformations of the largest of the major religions. International experts in the area detail challenges and dilemmas facing Christianity via its various global expressions, both old and new.

What is the state of Christianity today, and what might it look like in the future? In the West, the story for a long time has revolved around decline and the loss of monopoly status, but how are these shifts changing the practice of Christianity or individual belief? Similarly, the rapid growth of Christianities in the Global South has been well reported, but the continuing complex intersections of mission Christianity with indigenous religions are less well known. Large-scale flows of people across increasingly fluid borders mean that not only does immigration sometimes significantly boost Christian numbers in a given country, but that different forms of Christianity shift traditional religious landscapes. How will emerging trends such as 'reverse mission' from the Global South affect Christianities in areas more used to sending rather than receiving missions? As the majority of believers shifts from the West to the Global South, how will issues such as homosexuality be played out theologically, politically and individually? Will new virtual churches manage to create viable long-term communities? How does new festival Christianity function in the religious life of an individual? The divergent and oftentimes contradictory state of Christianity in the modern world fuels questions about its place and future in the world: in politics, education and healthcare. This book brings together cutting edge research on the most recent changes and trends in Christianity worldwide. Contributors drawn from the USA, UK and Europe, Africa and East Asia offer an invaluable breadth of coverage, expertise and disciplinary perspective at the intersections between sociology of religion, theology, politics, education and human geography.