In 2003, Methodists celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of their founder, John Wesley. Today, there are more than 300 Methodist denominations in 140 nations. Covering the activities of this group that plays an important role in the ecumenical movement through its many social and charitable activities in world affairs, this book offers more than 400 entries that describe important events, doctrines, and the church founders, leaders, and other prominent figures who have made notabl...

On the one hand, we have traditional science, based on the premises of materialism, reductionism, and randomness, with a belief that reality consists solely of matter and energy, that everything can be measured in the laboratory or observed by a telescope. If it can't, it doesn't exist. On the other hand, we have traditional religious dogma concerning God that fails to take into account evolution, a 4.6 billion-year-old Earth, and the conflicting claims of the world's religions. In The God...

Considered in Islam to be the infallible word of God, The Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel in a series of divine revelations over many years after his first vision in the cave. In 114 chapters, or surahs, it provides the rules of conduct that remain fundamental to Muslims today - most importantly the key Islamic values of prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and absolute faith in God, with profound spiritual guidance on matters of kinship, marri...

The Almost Christian is the second message from Wesley's 'Forty-Four Sermons'. It was originally preached at St Mary’s, Oxford, on July 25th, 1741. The text for this sermon is Acts 26:28; ‘Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”’ In this sermon, Wesley discusses the implications for those who are 'Almost Christian', who are not yet fully committed in their faith, and then paints a picture of what it means to be 'Fully Christian', em...

Fifty Key Thinkers on Religion is an accessible guide to the most important and widely studied theorists on religion of the last 300 years. Arranged chronologically, the book explores the lives, works and ideas of key writers across a truly interdisciplinary range, from sociologists to psychologists.Thinkers covered include:Friedrich NietzscheJames FrazerSigmund FreudEmile DurkheimLudwig Wittgenstein...

Methodism started out asa missional alternative to establishment Christianity, but is now like theestablishment Christianity it once critiqued.In this book, Dr. Hunterasks whether enough New Testament Christianity exists in any institutional formof Christianity, including The United Methodist Church, to change the world.If United Methodism isto survive, it must recover bold directions in ministry, in addition toWesley’s theological vision. If only it was so simple as to sta...

Methodism is growing, both in numbers and influence, according to the World Methodist Council there are 78 Methodist, Wesleyan, and related Uniting and United churches representing over 80 million people in more than 130 nations. There are clear reasons for its success. Among them are commitment to evangelize and nurture people with the message of God's presence, love, and direction. That includes an appreciation for, and practice of, the holistic nature of the Wesleyan tradition which inv...

This book engages in a critical recovery and reconstruction of the Wesleyan theological legacy in relation to current theological concepts and Christian practices with the intent to present opportunities for future directions. The contributors address urgent questions from the contexts in which people now live, particularly questions regarding social holiness and Christian practices. To that end, the authors focus on historical figures (John Wesley, Susanna Wesley, Harry Hoosier and Richar...

This book is a clean and clear account of the issues we face within United Methodism. It moves beyond the sentimental and pious to straightforward logic and historical fact. Dr. Arnold makes convincing case supporting the current United Methodist stance on same-sex practices. His gracious and thoughtful presentation adds greatly to our ongoing conversation about human sexuality and God's divine plan for our lives.

Without exception, every word of philosophy Bonaventure ever wrote is contained in works explicitly religious—in sermons, works of spiritual direction, and theology. For this reason, we begin by looking at Bonaventure’s conception of theology and the place of philosophical reasoning within it. In his attempt to present a theology that is a “science” which leads us to “wisdom,” Bonaventure uses language that might at first glance seem to be merely metaphorical. But Bonaventure’s care in mak...

John Wesley’s most significant and enduring theological contribution was histeaching on Christian Perfection, the idea that as we grow in faith, God’s grace lovingly changes us until we become perfect in love. Unlike human or earthly perfection, Christian Perfection is grounded in the completeness of the Christian experience and is determined by the ongoing presence of Christ’s love in the heart of the believer.A Plain Account of Christian Perfection is Wesley’s definitive ...

Let My People Go: Insights to Passover and the Haggadah offers an analysis of ancient and modern perspectives on the themes of slavery and freedom. Rabbi Jeffrey M. Cohen provides an original interpretation of the central biblical sources of Passover, with particular focus on the Haggadah and its manifold rituals. Topics discussed include, Why We Were Slaves in Egypt, Is Freedom a Jewish Concept?, The Symbolism of the Paschal Lamb, The Four Cups of Wine, The Challenge of the Omer Period, a...