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Shopping for God
by James B. TwitchellNot so long ago religion was a personal matter that was seldom discussed in public. No longer. Today religion is everywhere, from books to movies to television to the internet-to say nothing about politics. Now religion is marketed and advertised like any other product or service. How did this happen? And what does it mean for religion and for our culture? Just as we shop for goods and services, we shop for church. A couple of generations ago Americans remained in the faith they were born into. Today, many Americans change their denomination or religion, sometimes several times. Churches that know how to appeal to those shopping for God are thriving. Think megachurches. Churches that don't know how to do this or don't bother are fading away. Think mainline Protestant churches. Religion is now celebrated and shown off like a fashion accessory. We can wear our religious affiliation like a designer logo. But, says James Twitchell, this isn't because Americans are undergoing another Great Awakening; rather, it's a sign that religion providers-that is, churches-have learned how to market themselves. There is more competition among churches than ever in our history. Filling the pew is an exercise in salesmanship, and as with any marketing campaign, it requires establishing a brand identity. Successful pastors ("pastorpreneurs," Twitchell calls them) know how to speak the language of Madison Avenue as well as the language of the Bible. In this witty, engaging book, Twitchell describes his own experiences trying out different churches to discover who knows how to "do church" well. He takes readers into the land of karaoke Christianity, where old-style contemplative sedate religion has been transformed into a public, interactive event with giant-screen televisions, generic iconography (when there is any at all), and ample parking. Rarely has America's religious culture been examined so perceptively and so entertainingly. Shopping for God does for religion what Fast Food Nation has done for food.
Shorelines
by Ajantha SubramanianShorelines reveals how spatial imaginaries and practices affect power and politics through a close look at how Catholic fishing communities in southwestern India have defended their role as custodians of the local sea and expressed their rights in relation to church and state.
Shores of Refuge: a Hundred Years of Jewish Emigration
by Ronald Sanders"This work is virtually divided into two parts: that dealing with mass emigration, 1881-1923, and that from 1924 to the present. Ironically though, the story ends where it begins, with the plight of Jews in Russia and the Ukraine. The story is primarily of little-known, courageous Jews...the book reminds us of the poverty among Jews in Europe, the barbarities of the pogroms, etc. There is poignancy, humor, and adventure here, but the dominant theme is the Jewish experience of anti-Semitism, efforts to escape from it, and, especially in the case of the Holocaust, appeals to non-Jews for help."--Library Journal
Short Christmas Stories in Easy French: 10 histoires festives en français facile
by Jenny GoldmannVous rêvez d’un Noël blanc tout en souhaitant améliorer votre français ? Plongez dans cette collection magique de dix contes de Noël. Ils sont parfaits pour se mettre dans l’ambiance des Fêtes ! Découvrez la chaleur des réunions de famille et laissez-vous emporter par des contes qui, en plus de vous réchauffer le cœur, vous permettront d’améliorer vos compétences en français. Chaque histoire est conçue pour capter votre intérêt et vous emmener dans une aventure hivernale française amusante. Pour ceux qui commencent leur voyage en français ou ceux qui sont sur le chemin depuis un certain temps, ces contes sont un mélange parfait de festivités et d’apprentissage. Contenu du livre : • Du français simple, facile à comprendre • 10 histoires de Noël réconfortantes • Des personnages drôles et passionants • Parfait pour les apprenants du français de niveau A2-B1 du CECRL (débutant à intermédiaire) • Des listes de mots, de courts questionnaires et des questions de discussion intéressantes Voyagez avec nos personnages à travers des paysages féériques enneigés, des marchés de Noël animés et des moments d’intimité au coin d’une cheminée rayonnante. Dans un langage à la fois simple et amusant, ces histoires sont conçues pour susciter une joie festive chez les apprenants. Après chaque histoire, vous trouverez des compléments d’apprentissage utiles, comme des listes de mots et des questionnaires pour vérifier ce que vous avez appris. Des questions de discussion intéressantes vous amèneront également à réfléchir à Noël de manière plus personnelle, tout en vous aidant à améliorer vos compétences en matière d’expression orale. Alors, servez-vous une tasse de chocolat chaud, installez-vous confortablement et plongez-vous dans ces histoires de Noël. Elles vous guideront dans le monde merveil
Short Dorjé Chang Mahāmudrā Invocation by Bängar Jampäl Zangpo: with commentaries by 8th Karmapa Mikyö Dorjé, Karma Chagmé, 15th Karmapa Khakhyab Dorjé, Rinchen Dargyä, Gänpo Tshepäl and life-story of the author by 8th Karmapa Mikyö Dorjé
by Artur PrzybysławskiThe volume presents translations and editions of crucial mahāmudrā texts of Tibetan Buddhism. The Invocation by Bängar Jampäl Zangpo is considered one of the most important teachings of the Kagyü tradition. It was commented on by prominent masters and philosophers, whose commentaries are translated here for the first time into a European language.
Short Life: Living for What Matters During our Few Days on Earth
by Michael Edward NicholsThe theme of Short Life is the brevity of life developed through several transparent stories from the life of Michael Edward Nichols. Most people want to live a meaningful life, but many end up living mundane, routine lives that seem to have no purpose. Many want to live well but lack the motivation to get started. Short Life aims to awaken every person to realize their time on earth is short and give practical tips on how to redeem the time the Lord has given those on earth. Michael Edward Nichols discovered the truth that focusing on one’s own death can teach them how to live. Since, the quality of his life has been dramatically impacted by the realization that life is very short. Michael’s goal is to be a catalyst for transformation in other people’s lives from inside out. Part one of Short Life focuses on inner thoughts and attitudes. Part two concentrates more on outward behavior and relationships. The counter-cultural premise of Short Life challenges readers to actually think about his or her death as much as possible. Surprisingly, rather than causing one to become morbid or depressed, thinking about one’s own death actually unleashes the power to live an authentic, full life.
Short Sentences Long Remembered: A Guided Study of Proverbs and Other Wisdom Literature (Reading the bible as literature)
by Leland RykenThis is the last of a six-volume series called Reading the Bible as Literature. In this series, the author not only explores the intersection of the Bible and literature, but he also shows pastors, students, and teachers of the Bible the beautiful craftsmanship of Proverbs and wisdom literature and how to interpret them correctly. Dr. Ryken goes one step further than merely explaining the genre of Proverbs and wisdom literature by including exercises to help students master this rich literary treasure.
Short Stories by Jesus Leader Guide: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi (Short Stories by Jesus)
by Amy-Jill LevineJesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus' stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.In Short Stories by Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine analyzes these "problems with parables" taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
Short Stories by Jesus Participant Guide: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi (Short Stories by Jesus)
by Amy-Jill LevineJesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus' stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.In this Bible study based on her Short Stories by Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine analyzes these "problems with parables" taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.This participant guide provides an introduction to the main text as well as further Scripture commentary and reflection questions.
Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi (Short Stories By Jesus Ser.)
by Amy-Jill LevineJesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used images from everyday life to stir up interest in his message about the Kingdom of God. But life in first-century Galilee and Judea was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus's stories not only ignore this difference, but also often import anti-Jewish and sexist views. As eminent Bible scholar Amy-Jill Levine writes in Short Stories by Jesus:Jesus was requiring that his disciples do more than listen; he was asking them to think as well. What makes the parables mysterious, or difficult, is that they challenge us to look into the hidden aspects of our own values, our own lives. They bring to the surface unasked questions, and they reveal the answers we have always known, but refuse to acknowledge. Religion has been defined as designed to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. We do well to think of the parables of Jesus as doing the afflicting. Therefore, if we hear a parable and think, "I really like that" or, worse, fail to take any challenge, we are not listening well enough.In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Levine explores Jesus's most popular parables, revealing their hidden depths, exposing their misinterpretations, and showing how they can still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.
Short Takes on the Apocalypse
by Patricia YoungThe poems in this collection originated as a response to Elmore Leonard's "Ten Rules of Writing" and metamorphosed into poetic responses to quotations and epigraphs on a variety of subjects.
Short Talks (Colportage Library #91)
by Dwight L. MoodyIn his classic work Short Talks, D.L. Moody's earnestness and care for the spiritual health of his readers is evident as he emphasizes God's forgiveness of sin, fellowship with His people, offering of new life through His Son's sacrifice, and giving His people the Holy Spirit. Challenge yourself to better understand many matters of the Christian faith.
Short Talks (Colportage Library #91)
by Dwight L. MoodyIn his classic work Short Talks, D.L. Moody's earnestness and care for the spiritual health of his readers is evident as he emphasizes God's forgiveness of sin, fellowship with His people, offering of new life through His Son's sacrifice, and giving His people the Holy Spirit. Challenge yourself to better understand many matters of the Christian faith.
Short Trip to the Edge
by Scott CairnsWhile walking on the beach with his Labrador, poet and literature professor Scott Cairns ran headlong into his midlife crisis. A fairly common experience among men nearing the age of fifty, midlife crises are usually manifested in the form of sports cars and younger women; not so for this Baptist turned Eastern Orthodox. Cairns had a realization that as the advancement of his spiritual life was moving at a snail's pace, time was running out, and his crisis emerged in the form of a desperate need to seek out prayer. Told with wit and exquisite prose, Slow Pilgrim is the story of Scott's spiritual journey to the mystical island of Mt. Athos. With twenty monasteries and thirteen sketes scattered across its sloping terrain, the Holy Mountain was the perfect place for Scott to seek out a prayer father and to discover the stillness of the true prayer life. His narrative takes the reader from a beach in Virginia to the most holy Orthodox monasteries in the world to a monastery in Arizona and back again as Scott struggles to find his prayer path. His story includes accounts of the relationships he forges with several different monks and priests along the way, as well as life-long friendships he makes with other pilgrims.
Short-Term Mission: An Ethnography of Christian Travel Narrative and Experience
by Brian M. HowellOver the past few decades, short-term mission trips have exploded in popularity. With easy access to affordable air travel, millions of American Christians have journeyed internationally for ministry, service and evangelism. Short-term trips are praised for involving many in global mission but also critiqued for their limitations. Despite the diversity of destinations, certain universal commonalities emerge in how mission trip participants describe their experiences: "My eyes were opened to the world's needs." "They ministered to us more than we ministered to them." "It changed my life." Anthropologist Brian Howell explores the narrative shape of short-term mission (STM). Drawing on the anthropology of tourism and pilgrimage, he shows how STM combines these elements with Christian purposes of mission to create its own distinct narrative. He provides a careful historical survey of the development of STM and then offers an in-depth ethnographic study of a particular mission trip to the Dominican Republic. He explores how participants remember and interpret their experiences, and he unpacks the implications for how North American churches understand mission, grapple with poverty and relate to the larger global church. A groundbreaking book for all who want to understand how and why American Christians undertake short-term mission.
Short-Term Missions Workbook: From Mission Tourists to Global Citizens
by Tim Dearborna concise summary of crosscultural principleshelp in facing spiritual warfaretips on avoiding a tourist mentalityspiritual preparation through individual or group Bible study questions for individual reflection and group discussion
Shortcuts #1: Snowboarding to the Extreme
by Sigmund BrouwerKeegan, the best skier on the hill, ends up playing detective when he discovers that someone is trying to sabotage the ski team, and it looks like a pretty blonde snowboarder is involved.
Shortcuts #2: Mountain Biking to the Extreme
by Sigmund BrouwerBlake Coffey knows the mountain trails better than anyone. He practices harder than anyone. And nobody can pull the stunts he does. So winning the Summit Race seems to be a sure thing.until he finds a backpack of hundred-dollar bills along the trail during a practice run. Now it seems the sport he lives for just might kill him.
Shortcuts #3: Skydiving to the Extreme
by Sigmund BrouwerSkydiving--one mistake, and you fall like a piano.until, SPLAT! You're a blob of jam. Jeff Nichols works at a local flight school--just to pay for his skydiving. Then he hears of a plan to put his biggest rival into a 'chute roll, which he knows no skydiver has ever survived. But trying to stop it might put Jeff in an airplane at 10,000 feet--without his parachute.
Shortcuts #4: Scuba Diving to the Extreme
by Sigmund BrouwerScuba diving--there's a lot more to worry about than sharks! "I can't breathe!!!" Ian Hill spends his Florida summers helping his uncle run a dive shop. But just when he thinks it's going to be another boring summer hehind the counter, Ian hears that a recent storm has uncovered a pirate shipwreck hidden for years on the ocean floor. Soon Ian's slow summer at the scuba shop turns into a diver's nightmare.
Shortcuts to God
by Hugh Prather Gerald G. JampolskyMore than twenty years after the publication of LOVE IS LETTING GO OF FEAR, best-selling author Gerald Jampolsky brings us the highly anticipated sequel. In SHORTCUTS TO GOD, Dr. Jampolsky sheds light on the human longing to be closer to the mystical parts of our lives, and teaches us to abandon our fears and embrace honesty, forgiveness, and love. When asked why the sequel has been so long in coming, Dr. Jampolsky explained that learning about love can be a lifelong expedition-one that has continuous cycles of hardship, fulfillment, and revelation, each of which builds on the past to shape the self. Fortunately for the rest of us, Dr. Jampolsky has emerged from his own spiritual journey much the wiser, and ready to share the insights and revelations he's gleaned along the way. SHORTCUTS TO GOD will jump-start your journey to love and spirituality, whether you're just starting down the path or well on your way to enlightenment.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Shorter Papers: Volume 20
by Robert M. Doran SJ Bernard Lonergan Robert C. Croken H. Daniel MonsourAs a prolific scholar and theologian, Bernard Lonergan authored a significant amount of material aside from the works with which he is commonly associated. Shorter Papers is a collection of lesser-known items written by Lonergan over the course of his career. Together, they offer privileged access to the author's thought and work, as well as a glimpse at some of his most personal qualities. <P><P> The items in this volume extend from some of the earliest writings – the Blandyke Papers, for instance, which predates any of the materials represented in the Collected Works – to pieces written near the end of Lonergan's life. Organized chronologically, they give an impression of his development as a writer, his ever-strengthening religious commitment, and his role as teacher. As a sampling of pieces from the late 1920s to the early 1980s, Shorter Papers testifies to the cumulative impact of Lonergan's work, as well as to the amazing continuity that he maintained throughout his career as an author and intellectual.
Shotgun Angels: My Story of Broken Roads and Unshakeable Hope
by Jay DeMarcusMany celebrities are known to say how blessed they are, but when Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus says it, the word takes on a completely different meaning. From his humble beginnings in Ohio to the spark of early fame in Nashville to a fair share of surprises and setbacks in between, he's learned firsthand that the blessing only comes through the broken road. And the only thing able to sustain a person along the way is hope.With no shortage of humor, heart, and off-the-cuff candor, Jay gives readers a backstage pass to the story behind the music and the musician. Along the way, you'll find the same constant source of strength that he has: hope that is powerful enough to hold you up through whatever twists, turns, or trials come your way.
Shotgun Marriage: The Cowboy's Baby Bond Want Ad Wedding Shotgun Marriage Mail Order Mix-up
by Danica FavoriteIn this inspirational historical, a couple forced to marry to avoid scandal learn how to love and be a family when they take in an orphan.Forced to wed to protect their reputations after being trapped overnight in a mine, Emma Jane and Jasper Jackson’s marriage is one in name only. Resenting the choices taken from him, Jasper’s determined not to lose his heart. But it’s not so easy to stay distanced from his new bride when a gang of bandits abducts them both. Other young women might be ecstatic to land Leadville’s wealthiest bachelor. But Emma Jane would rather have Jasper’s love than his family’s money. A true bond with her handsome husband seems impossible . . . until their ordeal leaves Emma Jane caring for an orphaned baby. In reach now is the one thing neither expected—the chance to turn a convenient marriage into a forever family.
Should Christians Be Environmentalists
by Dan StoryDid God instruct the human race to be His caretakers over nature? If so, is environmental exploitation disobedience to God? Is it true, as many critics claim, that Christianity is the root cause of today's environmental problems--or are all religions and cultures responsible? How should the church respond?Should Christians Be Environmentalists? systematically tackles these tough questions and more by exploring what the Bible says about the environment and our stewardship of creation. Looking at three dimensions of environmentalism as a movement, a Bible-based theology of nature, and the role the church has in environmental ethics, Dan Story examines each through a theological, apologetic, and practical lens.