When Pope Francis recently answered "Who am I to judge?" when asked about homosexuality, he ushered in a new era for the Catholic church. A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable for a pope to express tolerance for homosexuality. Yet shifts of this kind are actually common in the history of Christian groups. Within the United States, Christian leaders have regularly revised their teachings to match the beliefs and opinions gaining support among their members and larger society.M...

"Smith and Sokolsky have firmly established themselves within the highest echelon of 1865 Carolinas Campaign historians." — Civil War Books and AuthorsGen. William T. Sherman's 1865 Carolinas Campaign receives scant attention from most Civil War historians. Career military officers Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky rectify this oversight with "No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar, " a careful and impartial examination of Sherman's ...

"More than yet another drums and bugles account of a Civil War battle . . . Smith and Sokolosky fully understand the importance of logistics in warfare." — The Civil War MonitorThe Battle of Wise's (Wyse) Forks, March 7–11, 1865, has long been thought of as nothing more than an insignificant skirmish during the final days of the Civil War and relegated to a passing reference in a footnote if it is mentioned at all. Mark A. Smith's and Wade Sokolosky's ...

From unlocking the untapped potential of gifted students to revolutionising school cultures, this book is a roadmap for educators and leaders alike.Discover tried-and-true mentoring methods that propel students to unprecedented heights, whether it's excelling in their final years of schooling or mastering the art of inquiry-based learning. Through the lens of mentorship, explore innovative strategies that not only foster academic excellence but also nurture personal growth and comm...

Thorough examination of the antebellum fortifications that formed the backbone of U.S. military defense during the National PeriodThe system of coastal defenses built by the federal government after the War of 1812 was more than a series of forts standing guard over a watery frontier. It was an integrated and comprehensive plan of national defense developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and it represented the nation’s first peacetime defense policy.

Most church leaders have a vision. It may not be the right vision for the place and time, but at least on some level, that really doesn't matter. An organization actively pursuing a vision is healthier than one without any vision. The problem is that ministers often don't know the practical steps necessary to turn vision into reality. They don't have the organizational tools needed to accomplish what their vision calls them to do.The Church Leader's MBA focuses on four areas of pro...

Political analyst Mark Smith offers the most original and compelling explanation yet of why America has swung to the right in recent decades. How did the GOP transform itself from a party outgunned and outmaneuvered into one that defines the nation's most important policy choices?Conventional wisdom attributes the Republican resurgence to a political bait and switch--the notion that conservatives win elections on social issues like abortion and religious expression, but once in off...

Published here for the first time, the Civil War combat memoir of Lieutenant Colonel James Taylor Holmes of the 52nd Ohio Volunteers presents a richly detailed firsthand account of the action on Cheatham's Hill during the June 1864 Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Written in 1915, Holmes' insightful narrative, with original hand-drawn diagrams, differs on key points from the accepted scholarship on troop movements and positions at Kennesaw, and contests the legitimacy of a battlefield monument...

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller!An acclaimed, timely narrative of how people of faith have historically--up to the present day--worked against racial justice. And a call for urgent action by all Christians today in response.The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don't know. Equal parts painful and inspirationa...

Presents a portrait of Christian leadership within a biblical framework while comparing and contrasting it to today's hottest leadership models.

American Grace is a major achievement, a groundbreaking examination of religion in America.Unique among nations, America is deeply religious, religiously diverse, and remarkably tolerant. But in recent decades the nation’s religious landscape has been reshaped.America has experienced three seismic shocks, say Robert Putnam and David Campbell. In the 1960s, religious observance plummeted. Then in the 1970s and 1980s, a conservative reaction produced...

A new look at the Civil War battle that led to Stonewall Jackson's death: A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and "tour de force in military history" ( Library Journal).From the award-winning, national bestselling author of Gettysburg, this is the definitive account of the Chancellorsville campaign, from the moment "Fighting Joe" Hooker took command of the Army of the Potomac to the Union's stinging, albeit temporary, defeat. Along with a vi...