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The Moral Teaching of Paul: Selected Issues, 3rd Edition
by Victor Paul FurnishIn this expanded and updated third edition of an important work, respected Pauline scholar Victor Paul Furnish presents an analysis of some of Paul's most famous yet often misunderstood ethical teachings.Dr. Furnish enriches his discussion of key Pauline topics including: sex, marriage, divorce, homosexuality, women in the church, and the Church in the world. He pays particular attention to the socio-cultural context of Paul's ministry, the complexity of his thought, the character of his moral reasoning, and the way his thought and reasoning may inform and challenge us today.Victor Paul Furnish is University Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Emeritus at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and general editor of the Abingdon New Testament Commentaries.
The Moral Triangle: Germans, Israelis, Palestinians
by Katharina Galor Sa'ed AtshanBerlin is home to Europe’s largest Palestinian diaspora community and one of the world’s largest Israeli diaspora communities. Germany’s guilt about the Nazi Holocaust has led to a public disavowal of anti-Semitism and strong support for the Israeli state. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Berlin report experiencing increasing levels of racism and Islamophobia. In The Moral Triangle Sa’ed Atshan and Katharina Galor draw on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with Israelis, Palestinians, and Germans in Berlin to explore these asymmetric relationships in the context of official German policies, public discourse, and the private sphere. They show how these relationships stem from narratives surrounding moral responsibility, the Holocaust, the Israel/Palestine conflict, and Germany’s recent welcoming of Middle Eastern refugees. They also point to spaces for activism and solidarity among Germans, Israelis, and Palestinians in Berlin that can help foster restorative justice and account for multiple forms of trauma. Highlighting their interlocutors’ experiences, memories, and hopes, Atshan and Galor demonstrate the myriad ways in which migration, trauma, and contemporary state politics are inextricably linked.
The Moral Universe: A Preface to Christian Living
by Archbishop Fulton J SheenIn this book Archbishop Sheen reflects on Christian Ethics and provides guidance on how to improve one’s life.Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979) was one of the best-loved prelates of twentieth century Catholicism. A prolific writer and orator, a distinguished scholar and teacher, an influential master of the media, Bishop Sheen was one of the most effective communicators of our time. His scores of books have offered inspiration, profound thought, and penetrating analysis of Christian faith and life.
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics
by Richard B. HaysA leading expert in New Testament ethics discovers in the biblical witness a unified ethical vision -- centered in the themes of community, cross and new creation -- that has profound relevance in today′s world. Richard Hays shows how the New Testament provides moral guidance on the most troubling ethical issues of our time, including violence, divorce, homosexuality and abortion.
The Moralist International: Russia in the Global Culture Wars (Orthodox Christianity and Contemporary Thought)
by Kristina Stoeckl Dmitry UzlanerThe Moralist International analyzes the role of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian state in the global culture wars over gender and reproductive rights and religious freedom. It shows how the Russian Orthodox Church in the past thirty years first acquired knowledge about the dynamics, issues, and strategies of Right- Wing Christian groups; how the Moscow Patriarchate has shaped its traditionalist agenda accordingly; and how the close alliance between church and state has turned Russia into a norm entrepreneur for international moral conservativism. Including detailed case studies of the World Congress of Families, anti-abortion activism, and the global homeschooling movement, the book identifies the key factors, causes, and actors of this process. Kristina Stoeckl and Dmitry Uzlaner then develop the concept of conservative aggiornamento to describe Russian traditionalism as the result of conservative religious modernization and the globalization of Christian social conservatism.The Moralist International continues a line of research on the globalization of the culture wars that challenges the widespread perception that it is only progressive actors who use the international human rights regime to achieve their goals by demonstrating that conservative actors do the same. The book offers a new, original perspective that firmly embeds the conservative turn of post-Soviet Russia in the transnational dynamics of the global culture wars.The Moralist International is available from the publisher on an open-access basis.
The Morality Gap: An Evangelical Response to Situation Ethics
by Erwin W. LutzerWith the conviction that "the gap between traditional morality and the avant-garde approach is widening," Erwin W. Lutzer offers this precise, easy-to-understand, and knowledgeable critique of situation ethics.This presentation adds new insights to the discussion of morality and the ethic of love. Lutzer pinpoints the fallacies of the situationalist's philosophy and offers a biblical alternative that clearly recognizes and deals with moral conflicts.
The Morality Gap: An Evangelical Response to Situation Ethics
by Erwin W. LutzerWith the conviction that "the gap between traditional morality and the avant-garde approach is widening," Erwin W. Lutzer offers this precise, easy-to-understand, and knowledgeable critique of situation ethics.This presentation adds new insights to the discussion of morality and the ethic of love. Lutzer pinpoints the fallacies of the situationalist's philosophy and offers a biblical alternative that clearly recognizes and deals with moral conflicts.
The Morals of the Story: Good News About a Good God
by David Baggett Marybeth BaggettChristianity Today
The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
by Joshua BeckerDon't Settle for More Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing. While excess consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, fancier technology, and cluttered homes, it never brings happiness. Rather, it results in a desire for more. It redirects our greatest passions to things that can never fulfill. And it distracts us from the very life we wish we were living. Live a better life with less. In The More of Less, Joshua Becker, helps you.... * recognize the life-giving benefits of owning less * realize how all the stuff you own is keeping you from pursuing your dreams * craft a personal, practical approach to decluttering your home and life * experience the joys of generosity * learn why the best part of minimalism isn't a clean house, it's a full life The beauty of minimalism isn't in what it takes away. It's in what it gives. Make Room in Your Life for What You Really Want "Maybe you don't need to own all this stuff." After a casual conversation with his neighbor on Memorial Day 2008, Joshua Becker realized he needed a change. He was spending far too much time organizing possessions, cleaning up messes, and looking for more to buy. So Joshua and his wife decided to remove the nonessential possessions from their home and life. Eventually, they sold, donated, or discarded over 60 percent of what they owned. In exchange, they found a life of more freedom, more contentment, more generosity, and more opportunity to pursue the things that mattered most. The More of Less delivers an empowering plan for living more by owning less. With practical suggestions and encouragement to personalize your own minimalist style, Joshua Becker shows you why minimizing possessions is the best way to maximize life. Are you ready for less cleaning, less anxiety, and less stress in your life? Simplicity isn't as complicated as you think.From the Hardcover edition.
The More the Merrier: An Amish Christmas Romance
by Linda BylerA Heartwarming Christmas Romance Set During the Great Depression It’s 1931, and times are tough for the Miller family, who are raising eight children in the midst of the Great Depression. When Eli Miller passes away unexpectedly, and then a fire destroys their barn, Annie has no idea how she’ll make ends meet. The Amish community rallies around her and the children, as is their custom, but as days turn into weeks and then into months, Annie’s friends and neighbors return to their own routines and seem to expect Annie to do the same. Annie knows she needs to stay strong for the children and figure out a way to keep everyone warm and clothed and fed, but she is heartbroken and exhausted. She reminds herself that God will provide, but every day feels like an uphill battle. When Annie receives a letter from a widower with six children of his own, she tries to put it out of her mind. Her critical mother reminds her that it's too soon to start a new friendship with a man, and warns her that blending a family will be complicated. In the weeks and months to follow, Annie must learn to make her own decisions—and accept the consequences, good and bad—face her past, and embark on a new journey that will transform her and her large, complicated family. When life seems especially complicated one summer, she finds herself saying that by Christmas everything will start to come together, but she has no idea the challenges—and ultimately blessings—headed her way.
The Mormon Church and Blacks: A Documentary History
by Newell G. Bringhurst Matthew L HarrisThe year 1978 marked a watershed year in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it lifted a 126-year ban on ordaining black males for the priesthood. This departure from past practice focused new attention on Brigham Young's decision to abandon Joseph Smith's more inclusive original teachings. The Mormon Church and Blacks presents thirty official or authoritative Church statements on the status of African Americans in the Mormon Church. Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst comment on the individual documents, analyzing how they reflected uniquely Mormon characteristics and contextualizing each within the larger scope of the history of race and religion in the United States. Their analyses consider how lifting the ban shifted the status of African Americans within Mormonism, including the fact that African Americans, once denied access to certain temple rituals considered essential for Mormon salvation, could finally be considered full-fledged Latter-day Saints in both this world and the next. Throughout, Harris and Bringhurst offer an informed view of behind-the-scenes Church politicking before and after the ban. The result is an essential resource for experts and laymen alike on a much-misunderstood aspect of Mormon history and belief.
The Mormon Cult: A Former Missionary Reveals the Secrets of Mormon Mind Control
by Jack B. WorthyScrutinizing the experience of growing up Mormon, this personal narrative tells the story of one man's disillusionment with his faith and subsequent excommunication from the Church. This account reveals what is posited as inherent racism and sexism within the church and seeks to expose the controlling methods of indoctrination and the harsh process of excommunication. The basic tenets of the religion are explained, personal stories and analyses are shared, and church authorities are cited to support the claims of extreme gender and racial discrimination. From unknowing follower to angry rebel, and finally to a content, worldly man, this book recounts the experience of a survivor who feels the duty to explain his truth.
The Mormon Culture of Salvation
by Douglas J. DaviesThe Mormon Culture of Salvation presents a comprehensive study of Mormon cultural and religious life, offering important new theories of Mormonism - one of the fastest growing movements and thought by many to be the next world religion. Bringing social, scientific and theological perspectives to bear on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Douglas Davies draws from theology, history of religions, anthropology, sociology and psychology to present a unique example of a truly interdisciplinary analysis in religious studies. Examining the many aspects of Mormon belief, ritual, family life and history, this book presents a new interpretation of the origin of Mormonism, arguing that Mormonism is rooted in the bereavement experience of Joseph Smith, which influenced the development of temple ritual for the dead and the genealogical work of many Mormon families. Davies shows how the Mormon commitment to work for salvation relates to current Mormon belief in conversion, and to traditional Christian ideas of grace. The Mormon Culture of Salvation is an important work for Mormons and non-Mormons alike, offering fresh insights into how Mormons see the world and work for their future glory in heavenly realms. Written by a non-Mormon with over 30 years' research experience into Mormonism, this book is essential reading for those seeking insights into new interdisciplinary forms of analysis in religion, as well as all those studying or interested in Mormonism and world religions. Douglas J. Davies is Professor in the Study of Religion in the Department of Theology, Durham University, UK. He is the author of many books including Death, Ritual and Belief (Cassell, 1997), Mormon Identities in Transition (Cassell, 1994), Mormon Spirituality (1987), and Meaning and Salvation in Religious Studies (Brill, 1984).
The Mormon Jesus: A Biography
by John G. TurnerFor two centuries, Jesus has connected the Latter-day Saints to broader currents of Christianity, even while particular Mormon beliefs have been points of differentiation. From the author of the definitive life of Brigham Young comes a biography of the Mormon Jesus that enriches our understanding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Mormon Mirage: A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today
by Latayne C. ScottIn the first edition of The Mormon Mirage, Latayne C. Scott shared her remarkable journey out of Mormonism as she uncovered shocking inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and contradictions in the faith she had loved and lived. Thirty years later, Mormonism and Mormon scholarship have evolved with the times. In this third, revised and updated edition of her well-known book, Scott keeps pace with changes and advances in Mormonism, and reveals formidable new challenges to its claims and teachings. The Mormon Mirage provides fascinating, carefully documented insights into • DNA research’s withering implications for the Book of Mormon • the impact of new “revelations” on Latter-day Saint (LDS) race relations • new findings about Mormon history • increasing publicity about LDS splinter groups, particularly polygamous ones • recent disavowals of long-held doctrines by church leadership • the rise of Mormon apologetics on the Internet More than a riveting, insider’s scrutiny of the Mormon faith, this book is a testimony to the trustworthiness of Scripture and the grace of Jesus Christ.
The Mormon Missionaries: An Inside Look At Their Real Message And Methods
by Janis HutchinsonEach year thousands of young people serve as door-to-door witnesses to spread their "restored gospel." Have you ever wondered what you would do if the Mormon Missionaries knocked on your door? Do you know enough to carry on a conversation with them? If not, then this book is for you. In this second and updated edition, author Janis Hutchinson goes behind the appearances to examine the Mormon missionary program, from its unorthodox theological beliefs and political agenda for America, to its carefully planned strategies to win converts. The book contains updated statistics, and is heavily researched and documented with 46 pages of endnotes. "A researcher's dream!" stated one reviewer. It also includes a new chapter not found in the first edition that describes the LDS Church's present evangelistic manual, Preach My Gospel, in which it outlines the missionaries' lesson material, pointing out how it differs from the 1986 Uniform System for Teaching the Gospel, used up until 2003. "One of the most impressive aspects of this book," another reviewer said, "is the respect that Ms. Hutchinson shows toward members of the Mormon Church."
The Mormon Murders
by Gregory J. Smith Steven NaifehFrom the Publisher On October 15, 1985, two pipe bombs shook the calm of Salt Lake City, Utah, killing two people. The only link-both victims belonged to the Mormon Church. The next day, a third bomb was detonated in the parked car of church-going family man, Mark Hoffman. Incredibly, he survived. It wasn't until authorities questioned the strangely evasive Hoffman that another, more shocking link between the victims emerged... It was the appearance of an alleged historic document that challenged the very bedrock of Mormon teaching, questioned the legitimacy of its founder, and threatened to disillusion millions of its faithful-unless the Mormon hierarchy buried the evidence. Drawing on exclusive interviews, The Mormon Murders reconstructs a secret conspiracy of God, greed, and murder that would expose one of the most ingenious con men in the annals of crime-and shake the very foundation of a multibillion-dollar empire to its core.
The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith
by Matthew Bowman"From one of the brightest of the new generation of Mormon-studies scholars comes a crisp, engaging account of the religion's history."--The Wall Street Journal With Mormonism on the nation's radar as never before, religious historian Matthew Bowman has written an essential book that pulls back the curtain on more than 180 years of Mormon history and doctrine. He recounts the church's origins and explains how the Mormon vision has evolved--and with it the esteem in which Mormons have been held in the eyes of their countrymen. Admired on the one hand as hardworking paragons of family values, Mormons have also been derided as oddballs and persecuted as polygamists, heretics, and zealots. The place of Mormonism in public life continues to generate heated debate, yet the faith has never been more popular. One of the fastest-growing religions in the world, it retains an uneasy sense of its relationship with the main line of American culture. Mormons will surely play an even greater role in American civic life in the years ahead. The Mormon People comes as a vital addition to the corpus of American religious history--a frank and balanced demystification of a faith that remains a mystery for many.With a new afterword by the author. "Fascinating and fair-minded . . . a sweeping soup-to-nuts primer on Mormonism."--The Boston Globe "A cogent, judicious, and important account of a faith that has been an important element in American history but remained surprisingly misunderstood."--Michael Beschloss "A thorough, stimulating rendering of the Mormon past and present."--Kirkus Reviews "[A] smart, lucid history."--Tom Brokawis a church with a powerful sense of its own identity and an uneasy sense of its relationship with the main line of American culture. Mormons will surely play an even greater role in American civic life in the years ahead. In such a time, The Mormon People comes as a vital addition to the corpus of American religious history--a frank and fair-minded demystification of a faith that remains a mystery for many.
The Mormon Question
by Sarah Barringer GordonFrom the Mormon Church's public announcement of its sanction of polygamy in 1852 until its formal decision to abandon the practice in 1890, people on both sides of the "Mormon question" debated central questions of constitutional law. Did principles of religious freedom and local self-government protect Mormons' claim to a distinct, religiously based legal order? Or was polygamy, as its opponents claimed, a new form of slavery--this time for white women in Utah? And did constitutional principles dictate that democracy and true liberty were founded on separation of church and state? As Sarah Barringer Gordon shows, the answers to these questions finally yielded an apparent victory for antipolygamists in the late nineteenth century, but only after decades of argument, litigation, and open conflict. Victory came at a price; as attention and national resources poured into Utah in the late 1870s and 1880s, antipolygamists turned more and more to coercion and punishment in the name of freedom. They also left a legacy in constitutional law and political theory that still governs our treatment of religious life: Americans are free to believe, but they may well not be free to act on their beliefs.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir: A Biography (Music in American Life)
by Michael HicksA first-of-its-kind history, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir tells the epic story of how an all-volunteer group founded by persecuted religious outcasts grew into a multimedia powerhouse synonymous with the mainstream and with Mormonism itself. Drawing on decades of work observing and researching the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Michael Hicks examines the personalities, decisions, and controversies that shaped "America's choir." Here is the miraculous story behind the Tabernacle's world-famous acoustics, the anti-Mormonism that greeted early tours, the clashes with Church leaders over repertoire and presentation, the radio-driven boom in popularity, the competing visions of rival conductors, and the Choir's aspiration to be accepted within classical music even as Mormons sought acceptance within American culture at large. Everything from Billboard hits to TV appearances to White House performances paved the way for Mormonism's crossover triumph. Yet, as Hicks shows, such success raised fundamental concerns regarding the Choir's mission, functions, and image.
The Morning After
by Kendra Norman-Bellamy Hank StewartIt's been a year since the death of Ms. Essie Mae Richardson, the elderly pillar of the Braxton Parks community. Before her untimely demise, Essie's prayers brought redemption to many of her neighborhood's problems; but now the impact of her death and the unfinished business that it left behind is threatening to unravel all that she prayed so hard for God to mend. While Colin Stephens still enjoys a blissful marriage to his wife, Angel, unbeknownst to him, she is wrestling with the guilt and regret of never saying goodbye to the woman she loved like a mother. And while their guards are down, a voice from Ms. Essie's past steps in and threatens to steal the security that the Stephenses have taken for granted. To Jennifer's relief, her fifteen-year-old son, Jerrod, was saved from gang-related activities by Ms. Essie's love and guidance. But now, just when it seems that the teenager is on a winning track, he's blindsided by more trouble than the streets could have ever offered. Through prayers and patience, Elaine Demps gained her husband's forgiveness for her infidelities, but after more than a year, she can't understand why he still hasn't moved back into the bedroom with her. Love tells her to give him more time, but loneliness pushes her back to the mindset that sent her searching for love in all the wrong places. Ms. Essie taught them that everything happens according to God's perfect timing, but to those left behind, it seems that the timing of Ms. Essie's death was all too soon. How will they keep from falling apart without the glue that held them together?
The Morning Star
by Meir GottesmanAyelet Shtayner is tall, beautiful, talented - and single. When Deep Hollow Synagogue hits on a novel approach to the community's shidduch crisis, they unleash secrets that none could ever have imagined. Secrets that throw us back thousands of years to an ancient Jerusalem, where a dozen young boys are secluded in a Guarded Courtyard, waiting to play a vital role in the future of the Mikdash. <p><p> 2,000 Years Ago...Attackers thunder down on the crowding Levites, and the terrible battle is begun... Enemies from all corners of Judaea gather, intent on thwarting the young boys' scared mission. Success hinges on the rambunctious shoulders of Yehudah ben Yitzchak, a small figure straddled atop a huge bull, coal-black pei'ot flying. "You, yeled, you must keep on searching until you find her!" Even if that search continues until the rise of the morning star... <p> The Morning Star is studded with personalities we won't forget: Lemel the Shammas, who towers over Deep Hollow SYnagogue in the yeallow-and-orange jacket that is his second skin. Rabbi Shtayner, the beloved but little-understood rabbi of the community. Heshy Roiter, the bashful bus driver...People whose lives and pasts are intertwined in mysterious ways. In The Morning Star, Meir Uri Gottesman, bestselling author of Deep Blue and The Harp, gives us the gift of a story that is intriguing, uplifting, and breathtaking in its scope.
The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might
by Courtney Weber&“A masterfully blend of history, mythology, spell work and personal anecdote that beautifully explores the depth and breadth of &‘The Great Queen.&’&” —Amy Blackthorn, priestess of The Morrigan, and author of Blackthorn&’s Botanical Magic&“She is the spirit of fury and peace, power and destruction, joy and terror,&” writes author Courtney Weber. "She is warrior, queen, death omen, mother, murderer, lover, spy, conspirator, faery, shape-shifter, healer, and sometimes the living earth itself. A captivating contradiction: a demonic female who both haunts and heals; benevolent in one moment, ghastly the next, and kind the moment after that.&”The Morrigan is one of Pagan Ireland&’s most famous—and notorious—goddesses. Her name translated as &“phantom queen&” or &“great queen,&” the Morrigan is famous for being a goddess of war, witchcraft and death, protection and retribution. This book also explores her patronage of motherhood, healing, shapeshifting, and the land. Classified among the Sidhe (fairies), the Morrigan dates back at least to Ireland&’s Iron Age, but she is as modern as she is ancient―enjoying a growing contemporary and global following.Author Courtney Weber provides a guide for the modern devotee of this complex, mysterious goddess that encompasses practical veneration with modern devotionals, entwined with traditional lore and Irish-Celtic history.
The Mortal Storm
by Phyllis BottomeFreya Roth has everything a young woman could want. Her father is a kind and brilliant professor, her mother loving and beautiful, and there are three fine brothers. She is studying to be a doctor, and her suitro is rich and handsome. Then Hitler comes into power. Her older half-brothers turn against their stepfather, who is Jewish, and both are members of the Nazi Party. At the same time, Freya meets a young Communist peasant with whom she falls in love. Personal and political differences destroy the family's once uncloded happiness, and danger grows for Freya. This book, written in 1938, foreshadowed the horrors of years to come. It was also a feminist statement, made in an entertaining way. A film of this story with James Steward and Margaret Sullivan radically changed the plot although some of the seeds that must have attracted the producers are still there. However, the book is much less conventional and more forthright. "The Mortal Storm" is a poignant, exciting and thought-provoking book.
The Mortality and Morality of Nations
by Uriel AbulofStanding at the edge of life's abyss, we seek meaningful order. We commonly find this 'symbolic immortality' in religion, civilization, state and nation. What happens, however, when the nation itself appears mortal? The Mortality and Morality of Nations seeks to answer this question, theoretically and empirically. It argues that mortality makes morality, and right makes might; the nation's sense of a looming abyss informs its quest for a higher moral ground, which, if reached, can bolster its vitality. The book investigates nationalism's promise of moral immortality and its limitations via three case studies: French Canadians, Israeli Jews, and Afrikaners. All three have been insecure about the validity of their identity or the viability of their polity, or both. They have sought partial redress in existential self-legitimation: by the nation, of the nation and for the nation's very existence.