Faith and the Future of the Countryside

Faith and the Future of the Countryside
Author: Jill Hopkinson
Publisher: Canterbury Press
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2014-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1848254253

A practical and theological handbook for rural ministry. Addressing the concerns of rural communities today, it will help you understand key issues in the context of mission and respond both pastorally and prophetically.

Faith and the Future of the Countryside

Faith and the Future of the Countryside
Author: Alan Smith
Publisher: Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2012
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1848251173

Faith and the Future of the Countryside offers up to date resources for theological reflection, preaching and practical action in response to issues affecting rural congregations and whole communities in the 21st century. Arising out of a conference marking the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Archbishops' report, Faith in the Countryside, this forward looking volume focuses on sustainability - environmental, economic, communal and ecclesial. Including contributions from practitioners in a variety of Christian denominations this is a resource book for clergy, church leaders and others in rural ministry to enable them to understand key issues in the context of mission and enable the church to respond to those issues through its prophetic voice and practical local actions. Topics included are the changing profile of rural communities, health and wellbeing, the politics of food production, the rural economy, the local effects of climate change, the pastoral mission of the rural church, spirituality and the countryside and more.

My Country, 'Tis of Thee

My Country, 'Tis of Thee
Author: Keith Ellison
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2014-01-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1451666896

As the first Muslim elected to Congress, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison explores what it's like to be an American in the twenty-first century. As a Black, Latino, and former Catholic who converted to Islam, Keith Ellison, is the first Muslim elected to Congress—from a district with fewer than 1 percent Muslims and 11 percent Blacks. With his unique perspective on uniting a disparate community and speaking to a common goal, Ellison takes a provocative look at America and what needs to change to accommodate different races and beliefs. Filled with anecdotes, statistics, and social commentary, Ellison touches on everything from the Tea Party to Obama, from race to the immigration debate and more. He also draws some very clear distinctions between parties and shows why the deep polarization is unhealthy for America. Deeply patriotic, with My Country ’Tis of Thee, Ellison strives to help define what it means to be an American today.

God's Country

God's Country
Author: Bradley Roth
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2017-09-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1513802402

With the poetic force of Kathleen Norris and the pastoral warmth of Eugene Peterson, Kansas pastor Roth sets forth a vision for vibrant rural churches, for ministry in congregations that bear a profound sense of both loss and possibility, and for harvesting fruits of transformation and renewal. Rooted in stories from Scripture, his own ministry, and interviews with rural church leaders, Roth offers a sturdy theological and practical alternative to church-growth strategies that rely on success stories and flashy metrics. Reclaiming God’s vision for the rural church, Roth writes, means learning how to praise, abide, watch, pray, grow, work the edges, die, befriend, and dream. In God’s Country, rediscover the stunning abundance of God’s presence in rural communities. Name the ways that the rural church testifies to God’s glory and goodness. Learn to live and love and minister right where you are, no matter how small or unassuming it may seem. Winner of the Award of Merit, Christianity Today 2018 Book Awards, The Church / Pastoral Leadership category. Free downloadable study guide available here.

Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy

Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy
Author: David M. Elcott
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Pess
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2021-05-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0268200599

Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy highlights the use of religious identity to fuel the rise of illiberal, nationalist, and populist democracy. In Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy, David Elcott, C. Colt Anderson, Tobias Cremer, and Volker Haarmann present a pragmatic and modernist exploration of how religion engages in the public square. Elcott and his co-authors are concerned about the ways religious identity is being used to foster the exclusion of individuals and communities from citizenship, political representation, and a role in determining public policy. They examine the ways religious identity is weaponized to fuel populist revolts against a political, social, and economic order that values democracy in a global and strikingly diverse world. Included is a history and political analysis of religion, politics, and policies in Europe and the United States that foster this illiberal rebellion. The authors explore what constitutes a constructive religious voice in the political arena, even in nurturing patriotism and democracy, and what undermines and threatens liberal democracies. To lay the groundwork for a religious response, the book offers chapters showing how Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism can nourish liberal democracy. The authors encourage people of faith to promote foundational support for the institutions and values of the democratic enterprise from within their own religious traditions and to stand against the hostility and cruelty that historically have resulted when religious zealotry and state power combine. Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy is intended for readers who value democracy and are concerned about growing threats to it, and especially for people of faith and religious leaders, as well as for scholars of political science, religion, and democracy.

God's Country

God's Country
Author: Brad Roth
Publisher: Herald Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017-08-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781513802398

With the poetic force of Kathleen Norris and the pastoral warmth of Eugene Peterson, Kansas pastor Roth sets forth a vision for vibrant rural churches, for ministry in congregations that bear a profound sense of both loss and possibility, and for harvesting fruits of transformation and renewal. Rooted in stories from Scripture, his own ministry, and interviews with rural church leaders, Roth offers a sturdy theological and practical alternative to church-growth strategies that rely on success stories and flashy metrics. Reclaiming God’s vision for the rural church, Roth writes, means learning how to praise, abide, watch, pray, grow, work the edges, die, befriend, and dream. In God’s Country, rediscover the stunning abundance of God’s presence in rural communities. Name the ways that the rural church testifies to God’s glory and goodness. Learn to live and love and minister right where you are, no matter how small or unassuming it may seem. Winner of the Award of Merit, Christianity Today 2018 Book Awards, The Church / Pastoral Leadership category. Free downloadable study guide available here.

George W. Bush on God and Country

George W. Bush on God and Country
Author: George Walker Bush
Publisher: Allegiance Press, Incorporated
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2004
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

This remarkable compilation gives readers portions of every address Bush has given in public life about faith in God, his commitment to life and freedom, patriotism, and his hope in the American people.

God and Country

God and Country
Author: Monique El-Faizy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2008-12-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1596919817

In this important exploration of one of the most misunderstood phenomena of our day, former fundamentalist Christian Monique El-Faizy argues that evangelicals have become the new establishment, constituting over 40% of our population by some estimates. The 2004 Presidential election opened the eyes of many so-called blue state Americans to the reach of evangelical Christianity, yet much of the media and Hollywood still fail to understand the paradigm shift that has placed evangelicals in the American mainstream. With the intimate perspective of a former insider, God and Country takes readers past the edges of the evangelical community into its heart, presenting an in-depth look at megachurches, Christian rock, Christian publishing, and the day-to-day lives of evangelical Americans. El-Faizy shows how, by mimicking many elements of secular America and creating strong communities, evangelical leaders lure converts by the thousands. But while the public face of the movement has softened, the conservative old guard still drives the political agenda. Evangelicals see every aspect of their life through the prism of their faith; their belief is central to every decision, personal, social or political. To dismiss or miscast such an influential population would be a grave mistake. Intelligent, clear-headed and piercing, God and Country is essential reading for anyone interested in our nation's future.