Pushing The Faith

Through a nationwide survey, the authors of this study conclude that US Evangelicals may actually be preserving the racial chasm, not through active racism, but because their theology hinders their ability to recognise systematic injustice.

Papers from a symposium sponsored by the University of Denver Center for Judaic Studies. Bibliography: p. 164-188. Religions, worlds, and order / Charles H. Long -- Modernity and pluralism / Benton Johnson -- The place of other religions in ancient Jewish thought, with particular reference to early rabbinic Judaism / Robert Goldenberg -- Joining the Jewish people from Biblical to modern times / Robert M. Seltzer -- Proselytism and exclusivity in early Christianity / John G. Gager -- Christianity, culture, and complications / William R. Hutchison -- Changes in Roman Catholic attitudes toward proselytism and mission / Robert J. Schreiter -- Fundamentalists proselytizing Jews / Nancy T. Ammerman -- The psychology of proselytism / H. Newton Malony -- Proselytizing processes of the new religions / James T. Richardson -- Proselytism in a pluralistic world / Martin E. Marty. Seminary collection.

Button-pushers come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common: Their behavior drives us crazy and makes us dream of ways to escape the mess we're in. The person who pushes your buttons is likely someone who matters to you – a spouse, a parent, a boss, a fellow church member. Almost always this difficult person is connected to you by blood, love, faith, or money, so you can't just end the relationship without causing pain and upheaval in your life. Our friends and today's culture will often advise us to abandon such relationships quickly – to end this unpleasant chapter and get on with our lives. Psychologist and author Dr. John Townsend disagrees, "Your button-pusher is not someone you would easily and casually leave. You are intertwined at many levels. It is worth the trouble to take a look at the ways the relationship you had, and want, can be revived and reborn." In this easy-to-read book he offers Expert insights to help you understand your own button-pusher Wise assistance in determining the nature of the problem Compassionate help in identifying your failed attempts to fix things A hope-filled vision for what can be and how to make it come true Rich resources to help you navigate the necessary changes

Mary Gonzales strolls the streets of Chicago's meatpacking district every evening, keeping a watchful eye over "her" neighborhood kids. Tony Ortiz encourages young men in California state prisons to break free of the brutal gang life he once knew all too well. Joe Hynes, Brooklyn's district attorney, champions women and children, not wanting them to suffer as he suffered. They, and the twenty-one other amazing people interviewed by Jack Calhoun, are reshaping lives and communities across America. They include Christians of every denomination, Muslims, Jews, and others, some who pray five times a day and some who are, frankly, "not that religious." But each tells Calhoun, there's much more to the story. You may have heard of some of these Americans. Several are in the news. The good words of all shine brightly in their communities. What you haven't heard about is the underlying force, the hidden source of their seemingly endless energy and selflessness. It is faith -- a deep and, in some cases, unsuspected spirituality. They have the unshakable sense that they work not only for their organizations -- and each individual they encounter -- but especially for God. Calhoun was once an eager divinity school student, hungry to make a difference. Through the years he rose to national prominence in the field of public policy, spending twenty-plus years as the founding president of the National Crime Prevention Council. However, something wasn't right. Caught up in a parade of committee meetings, speaking engagements, and policy and program initiatives, he had lost touch with the bedrock of his vocation. It took an encounter with an unusually clear-sighted volunteer to reconnect his daily work to his faith in God. Reinvigorated, Calhoun embarked on a two-year cross-country quest to find out how faith motivates some of America's hardest-working public servants. They pursue a range of innovative and ambitious plans to help their communities, and their accomplishments are impressive. But just try telling them so. They have been chosen, they'll explain, to fulfill a larger purpose. Their paths have been rocky, their burdens heavy, and the work hasn't always been fun. Yet they feel blessed, emboldened by their trust in a higher power to live lives of acceptance and unbounded love. Some recent books have laid divisiveness and hostility at faith's door. "Hope Matters" brings to light the togetherness and reconciliation that faith truly engender when good people heed its call to action. You won't hear Mary, Tony, Joe or the rest preaching from the pulpit, or even in the streets. They have no sermon or script to follow. There is a ministry of open arms and second chances, of waking up each morning with new challenges and going to bed each night with renewed faith. Their stories just might inspire you to make your own "place of worship" a little bigger.

This revolutionary book will explain what God wants for and from us when we petition Him for his will to manifest “on Earth as it is in Heaven,” and how to understand the difference. Do you ever feel as if, despite your spirituality and faith, something significant is missing? Most teenagers and college students, as well as tens of millions of adults, are still striving to figure out the purpose and meaning of their lives. The natural struggle for faith in something intangible can be compounded by incorrect teachings and contradictory explanations of the workings of God in our lives. How does “free will” really work? What does it mean to ask for God’s will? When things happen in life, how do you really know whether that is God’s will? Is there really any point in praying for His will if we can’t influence it? These haunting personal questions became the genesis of PUSH as Matthesius sought answers. Now, he unpacks the powerful biblical truths he learned—the result of deep revelation from discovering God and constantly seeking to know him with all his heart. PUSH is about helping you discover God’s dream for your life so you become the blessing you were meant to be. It is about helping you truly embrace the power of prayer and understand what that means instead of simply treating it as a platitude you offer when someone is struggling. This book will instill confidence and promote vision. PUSH will stir you to take action, to remain vigilant, and Pray Until Something Happens.

Science and faith are often seen as being in opposition. In this book, award-winning sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund questions this assumption based on research she has conducted over the past fifteen years. She highlights the ways these two spheres point to universal human values, showing readers they don't have to choose between science and Christianity. Breathing fresh air into debates that have consisted of more opinions than data, Ecklund offers insights uncovered by her research and shares her own story of personal challenges and lessons. In the areas most rife with conflict--the origins of the universe, evolution, climate change, and genetic technology--readers will find fascinating points of convergence in eight virtues of human existence: curiosity, doubt, humility, creativity, healing, awe, shalom, and gratitude. The book includes discussion questions for group use and to help pastors, small group leaders, and congregants broach controversial topics and bridge the science-faith divide.

"Join former NBC newsman and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory as he probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer life's most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe? While David was covering the White House, he had the unusual experience of being asked by President George W. Bush "How's your faith?" David's answer was just emerging. Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, he had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity, but no real belief--until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family. David's journey has taken him inside Christian mega-churches and into the heart of Orthodox Judaism. He's gone deep into Bible study and asked tough questions of America's most thoughtful religious leaders, including evangelical preacher Joel Osteen and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of New York. It has brought him back to his childhood, where belief in God might have helped him through his mother's struggle with alcoholism, and through a difficult period of public scrutiny and his departure from NBC News, which saw his faith tested like never before. David approaches his faith with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a journalist accustomed to holding politicians and Presidents accountable. But he also comes as a seeker, one just discovering why spiritual journeys are always worthwhile"--