"The reader is led through the centuries, and through the varieties of regional diversity, to a serious appreciation of the richness and importance of... the subject."--Sheila McDonough, Concordia University, Montreal"This volume far surpasses others of its kind in quality and breadth.  It examines the critical issues surrounding the legitimacy, efficacy and, in some scholars' views, the very possibility of dialogue."--Tamara Sonn, University of South FloridaThe authors of these essays examine the ways in which Muslims and Christians worldwide have encountered one another over 1,400 years and the ways in which they are engaged today, enlightening current interpolitical, intersocial, and intereconomic relationships.  Covering geographical, historical, and methodological topics that range from medieval scripture to contemporary theological reflections and including contributions from both Muslims and Christians, the essays will interest scholars of Islamic history and political science, religious leaders, and the general public.Contributors: Mamud Ayoub, Willem A. Bijlefeld, Issa J. Boullata, John B. Carman, Kenneth Cragg, Hadia Dajani-Shakeel, Frederick Mathewson Denny, Johann Haafkens, Wadi Z. Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, David A. Kerr, Donald P. Little, Roland E. Miller, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Jorgen S. Nielsen, Sulayman S. Nyang, James E. Royster, Daniel J. Sahas, Annemarie Schimmel, Olaf Schumann, Jan Slomp, Jane I. Smith, R. Marston Speight, Mark N. Swanson, Christian W. Troll, Harold S. Vogelaar, Jacques Waardenburg, and Antonie WesselsYvonne Yazbeck Haddad is professor of Islamic history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Wadi Z. Haddad is professor of Islamic studies at the Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut.

This book introduces students to Christian mysticism and modern critical responses to it. Christianity has a rich tradition of mystical theology that... first emerged in the writings of the early church fathers. Christian mysticism flourished during the Middle Ages and it is this period that the book focuses on. Providing students with access to the main philosophical approaches to Christian mysticism - including those propounded by William James, Steven Katz, Denys Turner and Caroline Walker-Bynum - this book introduces students to the main themes that underpin Christian mysticism during this medieval period, reflecting on the meaning of these themes from the perspectives of each of the main critics. Covering the various strands of Christian mysticism, including early church mysticism, female mysticism, Rhineland mysticism and 'affectivist' mysticism, this book introduces students to many prominent Christian mystics. Renewed interest in medieval mystical writings has created a huge array of scholarship with which students of mysticism need to familiarise themselves. This book outlines the various modern philosophical/theological approaches in a manner that is easily accessible to a reader with little or no previous knowledge of this area, and offers a philosophical/theological introduction to Christian mystical writers beyond the patristic period.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:Dr. Ashley Denton's book on Christian outdoor leadership is the first of its kind.It is a foundational resource for students of outdoor... leadership, wilderness ministry, and outdoor education. According to many readers, it is a "must read" for youth workers, pastors, outdoor enthusiasts, and those who desire to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through solitude or adventure in the outdoors. The book includes unique experiential learning resources and Bible studies that will help you experience spiritual renewal through time with God in the outdoors. Buy the book now and embark on a journey through the Scriptures to discover why the outdoors was Jesus' primary classroom for teaching the secrets of his Kingdom...

Most Christian college instructors have taught health and wellness from books that are not God-centered, simply because they have had no choice.... Thanks to the development of Christian Paths to Health and Wellness, instructors can empower students to take responsibility and initiative for their own health, fitness, and wellness as part of their daily lives—while offering that instruction in a Christian context. Driven by 1 Corinthians 3:16 (“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?”), this practical text is based on sound, cutting-edge scientific research and Christian principles. As such, it provides an exciting new approach to teaching health and wellness to help meet part of the Christian college mission. Students will glean these benefits from the text: -A solid foundation in health and wellness theory and research -Multiple Christian perspectives that create a balanced approach to health and wellness across a broad spectrum of Christian beliefs-Study aids, including vocabulary lists, glossary definitions, chapter-opening objectives, and chapter-ending questions, which foster learning and application of the material In addition, Christian Paths to Health and Wellness comes with many instructional aids that are free to course adopters, including Web support with sample course syllabi, a presentation package, and a test package. These aids will help instructors streamline their preparation time while teaching and managing their courses.Written by six contributing experts and edited by two highly respected Christian college instructors, this book stems from the contributors' own experiences in meeting the challenges of teaching in today's Christian colleges. It includes point/counterpoint discussions examining issues students face today, and it provides hope, practical tools and methods for change, and a comprehensiveness that enables students to make gradual and significant permanent change through the wisdom of education and the power of the Holy Spirit.The book focuses on four major themes: how we are made, how we are made to move, how we are to be nourished, and how we are to behave in restful ways. In part I, students are introduced to biblical reasons to value their wellness and examine God's purpose and their own life's mission. They explore body image, eating disorders, and weight management in part II. In part III, students learn about the basics of fitness, including cardiorespiratory, muscular, and flexibility assessment and training. Part IV focuses on nutritional and emotional health and wellness and also looks at wellness as it relates to sleep habits and personal relationships. Part V encourages students to develop a comprehensive strategy to maintain personal wellness in a relationship with God.Through Christian Paths to Health and Wellness, students will learn about and practice making choices that have positive effects on their lifelong fitness and wellness. Students will become aware of physical wellness issues and develop a passion for proactive and permanent lifestyle changes. And they will do it all with a God-centered approach.

Among all groups in Christendom, the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement is second in size only to the Roman Catholic Church, with growth that shows no... signs of abatement. Its adherents declare the Pentecostal Movement, which began at Azusa Street in 1906, to be unprecedented in Christian history since the first century of the Church in its embrace of manifestations of the Holy Spirit such as divine healing, miracles, and speaking in tongues. Yet although it may be unprecedented in size and rate of growth, Stanley M. Burgess argues that is hardly unprecedented in concept. In Christian Peoples of the Spirit, Burgess collects documentary evidence for two thousand years of individuals and groups who have evidenced Pentecostal/charismatic-like spiritual giftings, worship, and experience. The documents in this collection, bolstered by concise editorial introductions, offer the original writings of a wide variety of “peoples of the spirit,” from Tertullian and Antony of the Desert to the Shakers and Sunder Singh, as well as of their enemies or detractors. Though virtually all of the parties in this volume considered themselves Spirit-gifted, or given special qualities by God, they are in many ways as different from one another as the cultures from which they have emerged. In providing such an impressive array of voices, Burgess convincingly demonstrates that there have indeed been Spirit-filled worship and charismatic saints in all periods of church history.

This book explores for the first time the broad range of ways in which Christian thought intersects with American legal theory. Eminent legal scholars,... including Stephen Carter, Thomas Shaffer, Elizabeth Mensch, Gerard Bradley, and Marci Hamilton, describe how various Christian traditions, including the Catholic, Calvinist, Anabaptist, and Lutheran traditions, understand law and justice, society and the state, and human nature and human striving. The book reveals not only the diversity among Christian legal thinkers but also the richness of the Christian tradition as a source for intellectual and ethical approaches to legal inquiry. The contributors bring various perspectives to the subject. Some engage the prominent schools of legal thought: liberalism, legal realism, critical legal studies, feminism, critical race theory, and law and economics. Others address substantive areas, including environmental, criminal, contract, torts, and family law, as well as professional responsibility. Together the essays introduce a new school of legal thought that will make a signal contribution to contemporary discussions of law.

In this revised and expanded edition of Christian Perspectives on Politics, J. Philip Wogaman updates his comprehensive discussions on the interaction... of Christian ethics and American politics. Wogaman clearly and fairly analyzes the long-standing debate about Christianity and politics and then constructs his own approach, all the while addressing the perennial political issues that continue to be of importance today.

Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge gathers together in one place a remarkable collection of leaders who share insights on faith and... leadership. Well-grounded in research, this reflective and practical book shows how Christian leaders - no matter the setting - put into place The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership®: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.

The Classic Guide for Educators of Any DenominationWhat mission calls us to teach? How do societal issues-social oppression, poverty, politics-affect... what we teach, how we teach it, and how people learn? Who are our students? What and when are they ready to learn? Once we understand these foundations, how can we facilitate an educational experience that has the power to shape and transform people and communities in life-giving ways of faith?In this classic text, Thomas Groome asks and answers these central questions, providing a comprehensive integration of the history, theory, and practice of modern religious education for a new generation of educators. His self-reflective approach-shared praxis-will inspire school teachers, students of religious education, pastors, parents, and religious educators in local churches who want to understand themselves, their mission, and their surroundings-to inform, form, and transform their students' lives."Anyone tugged by the calling at the heart of education or religious life can only cheer for the republication of this classic book."-Robert Kegan, Harvard Graduate School of Education"Whether returning Christian Religious Education or reading it for the first time, readers will discover freshness leaping from the page; you will soon know why this formative book of the past is a beacon for the future-informative, inspiring, and wise!"-Mary Elizabeth Moore, professor of theology and Christian education, Claremont School of Theology

Fifty years after World War II, critical issues of this international conflict still haunt our society today in business, war crimes trials, and... international relations. This text focuses on the historical issues of Christian rescue of Jews, resistance to Nazi oppression, and the plight of the refugee in light of current problems facing us. The essays in this book, from nationally and internationally-known scholars, reveal that the Holocaust was not only a Jewish tragedy but an epic human tragedy as well, one that has indelibly scarred the collective soul of twentieth-century society. As these scholars and witnesses provide insights into the historical context of World War II and the Holocaust, they also assist us in regulating the future behavior of ourselves, our country, and our world.

Masters explores the history of Christians and Jews in the Ottoman Empire and how their identities evolved over four hundred years. While early... communities lived within the hierarchy of Muslim law, the nineteenth century witnessed radical change. In response to Western influences, conflict erupted between Muslims and Christians across the empire. This marked the beginning of tensions that informed the rhetoric of religious fundamentalism in the empire's successor states throughout the twentieth century. Thus Masters negotiates the present through the past, contributing to our understanding of the contemporary Muslim world.

This volume surveys Iberian international trade from the tenth to the fifteenth century, with particular emphasis on commerce in the Muslim period and... on changes brought by Christian conquest of much of Muslim Spain in the thirteenth century. From the tenth to the thirteenth century, markets in the Iberian peninsula were closely linked to markets elsewhere in the Islamic world, and a strong east-west Mediterranean trading network linked Cairo with Cordoba. Following routes along the North African coast, Muslim and Jewish merchants carried eastern goods to Muslim Spain, returning eastwards with Andalusi exports. Situated at the edge of the Islamic west, Andalusi markets were also emporia for the transfer of commodities between the Islamic world and Christian Europe. After the thirteenth century the Iberian peninsula became part of the European economic sphere, its commercial realignment aided by the opening of the Straits of Gibraltar to Christian trade, and by the contemporary demise of the Muslim trading network in the Mediterranean.

The last two volumes in this series have looked at the confrontation between Christian and Moor in Medieval Spain exclusively from the Christian... side.This book attemps to redress the balance by looking at many of the same incidents from the Moslem point of view. Apart from military encounters, some attention is paid to diplomacy, and also to lawsuits, legal judgements and regulations governing the co-existance of the rival communities. The 112 texts, many available in English for the first time, are also given in Arabic.