Vision Mental Imagery And The Christian Life

This book uniquely explores how the notion of vision is presented in modern science and the Bible, and how it can be applied to contemporary Christian contexts. The word "vision", our ability to see, has been described by an increasing body of scholarship in the social sciences as our capacity for mental imagery and imagination. As such, this unique cognitive capability has been utilised in many fields for a variety of purposes, from arts and psychotherapy to politics and business management, and even for performance enhancement in sports. The current book argues that a better understanding of vision can have far-reaching practical implications for Christian life and ministry by helping people to align themselves with God’s specific purposes. After a theoretical overview that integrates scientific and theological insights, the final chapters present a variety of strategies that can help believers to discern God’s call through the use of mental imagery and then to develop and cultivate the perceived vision. The book examines the scientific and biblical principles of vision in a comprehensive manner, with a special emphasis on the practical implications of the issue. As such, it will be of great interest to scholars of Theology, Biblical Studies and Church Growth/Leadership, as well as Organisational Behaviour, Business Management and Psychology.

This book wrestles with the question of how the church can thrive in such a diverse urban environment as Berlin and contribute to the flourishing of a pluralistic society. The study includes embedded experience on the streets and crosses the disciplinary divides of Sociology & Theology. The main claim of the book is that the church is only able to thrive when it is willing to descend into the messy urban reality and encounter the stranger. However, the church can only do so by glimpsing God's glory in worship. Living pluralism emerges from the grassroots. The church can only become a gift to society paradoxically: By not setting itself at the center, but rather by gathering around the triune God and abandoning its desire for power and relevance, the church will unintentionally provide a fertile soil within which resilient pluralism will grow. Oleg Dik is professor for urban Theology & Sociology at the Evangelische Hochschule TABOR, Marburg / TSB Theologisches Studienzentrum Berlin and lectures occasionally at Humboldt University Berlin in Sociology of Religion.

For centuries, the fruit of the Spirit has rightfully served as a wellspring of reflection on the virtues that epitomize the Christian life and character-building. However, the notion of the fruit of the Spirit is not limited solely to forming the biblical foundation of ethical living. Psychologist and theologian Zoltán Dörnyei argues that if we understand the nine attributes collectively as a concise portrayal of the ideal Christian self, this approach places the notion of the fruit of the Spirit at the intersection of several important theological themes, such as being conformed to the divine image, the gradual advancement of the kingdom of God, and new creation. In The Psychology of the Fruit of the Spirit, Dörnyei offers a scholarly exposition of the relevant theological content associated with the fruit of the Spirit. Complementing his theological reflections with findings from the field of psychology, he brings expertise in both psychology and theology to bear on this important biblical concept. His integrated perspective helps to uncover the full meaning and theological potential of the fruit of the Spirit by helping to clarify the nature of its nine facets, defining broader psychological dimensions that underlie the fruit, and offering practical lessons for cultivating it in the Christian life.

One of the most active areas in the field of second language acquisition, language learning motivation is a burgeoning area of research. Yet the plethora of new ideas and research directions can be confusing for newcomers to the discipline to navigate. Offering concise, bite-size overviews of key contemporary research concepts and directions, this book provides an invaluable guide to the contemporary state of the field. Making the discussion of key topics accessible to a wider audience, each chapter is written by a leading expert and reflects on cutting-edge research issues. From well-established concepts, such as engagement and learning goals, to emerging ideas, including contagion and plurilingualism, this book provides easy to understand overviews and analysis of key contemporary themes. Helping readers understand a field which can appear highly technical and overwhelming, Researching Language Learning Motivation provides valuable insights, perspectives and practical applications.

A brave and compassionate look at mental illness that offers theological understanding and personal insights from author's experiences.

A New York Times Notable Book A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012 A bold approach to understanding the American evangelical experience from an anthropological and psychological perspective by one of the country's most prominent anthropologists. Through a series of intimate, illuminating interviews with various members of the Vineyard, an evangelical church with hundreds of congregations across the country, Tanya Luhrmann leaps into the heart of evangelical faith. Combined with scientific research that studies the effect that intensely practiced prayer can have on the mind, When God Talks Back examines how normal, sensible people—from college students to accountants to housewives, all functioning perfectly well within our society—can attest to having the signs and wonders of the supernatural become as quotidian and as ordinary as laundry. Astute, sensitive, and extraordinarily measured in its approach to the interface between science and religion, Luhrmann's book is sure to generate as much conversation as it will praise.

This book traces the development of religious comedy and leverages that history to justify today’s uses of religious humor in all of its manifestations, including irreverent jokes. It argues that regulating humor is futile and counterproductive, illustrating this point with a host of comedic examples. Humor is a powerful rhetorical tool for those who advocate and for those who satirize religious ideals. The book presents a compelling argument about the centrality of humor to the story of Western Christianity’s cultural and artistic development since the Middle Ages, taking a multi-disciplinary approach that combines literary criticism, religious studies, philosophy, theology, and social science. After laying out the conceptual framework in Part 1, Part 2 analyzes key works of religious comedy across the ages from Dante to the present, and it samples the breadth of contemporary religious humor from Brad Stine to Robin Williams, and from Monty Python to South Park. Using critical, historical, and conceptual lenses, the book exposes and overturns past attempts by church authorities, scholars, and commentators to limit and control laughter based on religious, ideological, or moral criteria. This is a unique look into the role of humor and comedy around religion. It will, therefore, appeal to readers interested in multiple fields of inquiry, including religious studies, humor studies, the history of ideas, and comparative literature.

The metaphor of the cosmos as the Body of Christ offers an opportunity to escape the aporias of standard Body of Christ imagery, which has often proved anthropocentric, exclusivist, triumphalist and/or sexist in the analyses of classical theologies. The body motif in particular contains starting points for current body discourses of gender-sensitive and ecological theologies, especially in their mutual overlaps. This book offers a critical evaluation of the prospects and boundaries of an updated metaphor of the Body of Christ, especially in its cosmic dimension. The first part of the book addresses the complex tradition in which the universal dimension of cosmological Christologies is located, including the thinking of the Apostles Paul and John, Origen, Cusanus, Teilhard de Chardin, McFague, and Panikkar. In the second part of the book, representatives of various innovative concepts will contribute to the anthology. This is a wide-ranging study of the implications of a new cosmic Body of Christ. As such, it will be of interest to academics working in Religion and Gender, Religion and the Environment, Theology and Christology.