Bücher veröffentlicht von Pickwick Publications

The historical ambivalence among Pentecostals about their relationship to culture and society needs evaluation. How do we understand Pentecostal engagement with society, and how are Pentecostals in North America engaging issues of race, class, gender, and ecology? What theologically motivates North American Pentecostals to respond to social issues? What categories best explain Pentecostal responses to social issues in North America? How do they compare to Pentecostal responses elsewhere? Recently, scholars of global Pentecostalism have proposed that the experience of the Spirit among Pentecostals has elicited the development of a Pentecostal ""theology of liberation,"" which has implications for understanding Pentecostal responses to social issues. These projects primarily explore the Pentecostal response to cultural issues in areas outside of North America and especially focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This volume assesses whether the categories of social liberation applied to non-Western Pentecostalism characterize Pentecostalism in North America. Is there evidence of a Pentecostal ""theology of liberation"" that explains Pentecostal engagement in North America? Do social-liberation categories fit the North American Pentecostal responses to social issues or are others more suitable? These and other important questions about the relation between liberation theology and North American Pentecostalism are thoroughly explored in this important collection of essays.""This significant collection of essays by theologians and social scientists addresses an important but understudied topic: the relationship between Pentecostalism and social action. By going beyond surface images and simple dichotomies (e.g., ''liberal'' and ''conservative''), the contributors demonstrate that contradictory forces in Pentecostalism have both constrained and liberated. More importantly, they point the way toward a more socially engaged future. Anyone with an interest in social justice or Pentecostalism should read this book."" --Matthew LeeUniversity of Akron""This is an important, thought-provoking, and timely collection with an array of burning issues in today''s world that are seldom discussed in Pentecostal academia. It is one of those paradigm-changing publications that should be read widely.""--Allan AndersonUniversity of Birmingham, UK""This book can be seen as a manifesto for a progressive North American Pentecostalism that connects the freedom of the Holy Spirit granted at Pentecost with social liberation and renewal. One finds a number of essays here that break through deprivation theories and assumptions concerning the inherently otherworldly nature of Pentecostalism to uncover another, much more liberating direction to the movement. This book is a must read for theologians, social scientists, religious historians, and anyone interested in the social witness of the churches.""--Frank D. MacchiaVanguard University of Southern CaliforniaMichael Wilkinson is Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Religion in Canada Institute at Trinity Western University. His is the author of The Spirit Said Go (2006) and the editor of Canadian Pentecostalism (2009). Steven M. Studebaker is Assistant Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at McMaster Divinity College. He is the editor of Defining Issues in Pentecostal Theology (Pickwick, 2008).

This volume of ecumenical documents, key texts, and critical essays is the first collection of its kind exclusively dedicated to Pentecostalism and its contributions to Christian unity. In the first part, a cadre of internationally renowned scholars addresses the ecumenical heritage and perspectives of the Pentecostal movement since the early twentieth century. Part 2 offers a collection of final reports from international dialogues with Pentecostal participation. The final part contains programmatic essays in response to The Nature and Mission of the Church, a major study on the doctrine of the church published by the World Council of Churches. Most of these essays were first presented by the ecumenical-studies group of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, currently the only organized ecumenical think tank among Pentecostals in North America. Since its formation in 2001, the group has encouraged Pentecostal participation in ecumenical concerns, has hosted Roman Catholic-Pentecostal conversations at the annual meeting of the Society, has invited international scholarly debates on ecumenical matters, and has engaged in the study of ecumenical consensus statements. The essays and documents in this collection model the dedication and commitment among Pentecostals today that engage the challenges and opportunities of Christian unity from the perspective of a tradition that has often been falsely accused of being anti-ecumenical. This collection presents an invaluable resource for teachers, scholars, and pastors interested in engaging the global Christian arena from the worldwide and ecumenical image of Pentecostalism.Contributors Carmelo E. AlvarezHarold D. HunterDouglas JacobsenVeli-Matti KarkkainenFrank D. MacchiaRaymond R. PfisterCecil M. Robeck Jr.Paul van der LaanWolfgang Vondey""Of all of the dialogues with whom the Roman Catholics have been involved in the evangelical community, the Pentecostal may be the most interesting and influential. The Pentecostal and Catholic communities have experienced serious tension in certain parts of the world, especially in Latin America. Therefore these dialogues, and the reflections brought together in this book, should be a rich source for the task of making the results of the dialogues a common heritage in Catholic and Pentecostal seminaries, colleges and universities, and congregations around the world. Dr. Vondey has assembled a line-up of Pentecostal scholars known for their depth, scope, and fairness, a set of essays that should be of interest well beyond the Catholic and Pentecostal communities.""--Jeffrey Gros, FSCMemphis Theological Seminary""In the field of ecumenism the common perception is that the youngest and fastest growing movement in global Christianity has been absent. Pentecostalism and Christian Unity will not only expose this misunderstanding, but also prove to be an invaluable resource. Along with official bilateral documents, a series of essays documents the nature of Pentecostal ecumenical engagement and provides mature theological reflection on how to proceed. The ecumenical movement will be both enriched and challenged by this contribution.""--Ralph Del ColleMarquette UniversityWolfgang Vondey is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the School of Divinity of Regent University. He is the author of Beyond Pentecostalism: The Crisis of Global Christianity and the Renewal of the Theological Agenda (2010) and People of Bread: Rediscovering Ecclesiology (2008).

The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis''s masterpiece in ethics and the philosophy of science, warns of the danger of combining modern moral skepticism with the technological pursuit of human desires. The end result is the final destruction of human nature. From Brave New World to Star Trek, from steampunk to starships, science fiction film has considered from nearly every conceivable angle the same nexus of morality, technology, and humanity of which C. S. Lewis wrote. As a result, science fiction film has unintentionally given us stunning depictions of Lewis''s terrifying vision of the future. In Science Fiction Film and the Abolition of Man, scholars of religion, philosophy, literature, and film explore the connections between sci-fi film and the three parts of Lewis''s book: how sci-fi portrays ""Men without Chests"" incapable of responding properly to moral good, how it teaches the Tao or ""The Way,"" and how it portrays ""The Abolition of Man.""""Though The Abolition of Man is one of Lewis''s shortest books, it is also one of the most important and influential. This interesting collection of essays shows how the perceptive critiques and prescient warnings found in Abolition resound tellingly in many science fiction films and TV shows. A valuable and thought-provoking volume.""--Michael Ward, Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford ""Students of C. S. Lewis and fans of science fiction alike will find their understanding of today''s and tomorrow''s world enriched, and likely chastened, by this thought-provoking collection of essays.""--Charles T. Rubin, author of Eclipse of Man ""Here we have an engaging, accessible, and highly relevant collection of essays on how science fiction at its best portrays our possible subhuman future.""--Peter Lawler, Dana Professor of Political Science, Berry College ""Science fiction is often a kind of sociological exploration. Science Fiction and the Abolition of Man demonstrates this clearly. The diverse interpretations demonstrate why sociological explorations of sci-fi are always journeys worth taking."" --John Tenuto, Professor of Sociology, College of Lake Count ""Science fiction films have warned for decades: the purveyors of scientific technologies may promise a better and happier world, but in a culture bereft of orientation to goodness beyond ourselves, they can only provide different worlds--crafted at their whim, and often morally dangerous and profoundly unhappy. These delightful essays, by clarifying that warning through the lens of classic moral psychology, send us back to those great films with new eyes and, more importantly, refreshed hearts for goodness.""--Robert B. Kruschwitz, Professor of Philosophy, Baylor UniversityMark J. Boone is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Forman Christian College. He is the author of The Conversion and Therapy of Desire: Augustine''s Theology of Desire in the Cassiciacum Dialogues (Pickwick, 2016). Kevin C. Neece is a speaker on media, the arts, and pop culture from a Christian worldview perspective. He is the author of The Gospel according to Star Trek (Cascade, 2016).

If only we could do a better job of helping students at ""connecting the dots,"" theological educators commonly lament. Integration, often proposed as a solution to the woes of professional education for ministry, would help students integrate knowledge, skills, spirituality, and integrity. When these remain disconnected, incompetence ensues, and the cost runs high for churches, denominations, and ministers themselves. However, we fail in thinking that integrating work is for students alone. It is a multifaceted, constructive process of learning that is contextual, reflective, and dialogical. It aims toward important ends--competent leaders who can guide Christian communities today. It entails rhythms, not stages, and dynamic movement, including disintegration. Integrating work is learning in motion, across domains, and among and between persons. It is social and communal, born of a life of learning together for faculty, staff, administrators and students. It is work that bridges the long-standing gaps between school, ministry practice, and life. It's a verb, not a noun. Here a diverse group of theological educators, through descriptive case studies, theological reflection, and theory building, offer a distinctive contribution to understanding integrating work and how best to achieve it across three domains: in community, curriculums, and courses.

How should Christians respond to terrorism and terrorists in their midst? Terrorism is a global problem, and no society on earth faces it alone. The mainly Christian society of Kenya has suffered more than most as it attempts to counter the threat of al-Shabaab. Some pastors have asked for permission to carry guns. Many Christians support government military action, while others recommend pacifist stances, and strive for dialogue and reconciliation with the Muslim community. In this book, ten Kenyan Christian thinkers and practitioners share their experiences and insights. A response section from seven others, including a Kenyan Muslim scholar, enrich the discussion.

More than one person has joked over the years that Evangelical believers do not have an ecclesiology. In one sense, that is absurd: Evangelical churches (especially if you include Pentecostals in that group) are some of the fastest-growing, most vibrant churches in the world. Evangelicals are proclaiming the gospel, praising the Lord, reading the Bible, and loving the poor. But there is a case to be made that the Evangelical devotion to the mission of the church has left Evangelicals with little time to reflect on the church itself. In this collection of essays, first given at annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society, the authors take time to reflect on the nature of the church in an Evangelical context, asking after the way in which it is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.""This remarkable set of well-crafted essays wonderfully expresses the vitality of contemporary Evangelical ecclesiology: layered, diverse, throbbing with Christ Jesus at the center of concern. Organized by the four creedal ''marks,'' the volume casts a wide net. There is serious theological discussion here of matters that are usually left to journalists: Internet churches and new monasticism. There is also focus on traditionally queried topics: Johannine narrative, Bonhoeffer, Torrance. Finally, we happily discover themes less familiar to Evangelicals: beauty, kenosis, the Eucharist. What is both apparent and exciting is how ecclesiological reflection is today leading Evangelicals to creative self-critique, even as it uncovers the irrepressible energies of the Evangelical search for ecclesial communion.""  --Ephraim Radner, Professor of Historical Theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto""This impressive collection of high quality essays is a sign of the vitality of ecclesiology in our time. Here we see gifted members of the younger generation of Evangelical and Reformed theologians rediscovering the ancient truth that the Church is part of the Gospel and that word and sacrament go hand-in-hand. These studies richly repay our attention as they show how the way of salvation passes through the Church.""--Paul Avis, honorary professor, Exeter University, UK; Editor-in-Chief of EcclesiologyGreg Peters is Associate Professor of Medieval and Spiritual Theology in the Torrey Honors Institute of Biola University. He is the author of Reforming the Monastery (2014), The Story of Monasticism (2015) and editor (with C. Colt Anderson) of A Companion to Priesthood and Holy Orders in the Middle Ages (2016).Matt Jenson is Associate Professor of Theology in the Torrey Honors Institute of Biola University. He is the author of The Gravity of Sin (2007) and (with David Wilhite) The Church: A Guide for the Perplexed (2010).

The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis''s masterpiece in ethics and the philosophy of science, warns of the danger of combining modern moral skepticism with the technological pursuit of human desires. The end result is the final destruction of human nature. From Brave New World to Star Trek, from steampunk to starships, science fiction film has considered from nearly every conceivable angle the same nexus of morality, technology, and humanity of which C. S. Lewis wrote. As a result, science fiction film has unintentionally given us stunning depictions of Lewis''s terrifying vision of the future. In Science Fiction Film and the Abolition of Man, scholars of religion, philosophy, literature, and film explore the connections between sci-fi film and the three parts of Lewis''s book: how sci-fi portrays ""Men without Chests"" incapable of responding properly to moral good, how it teaches the Tao or ""The Way,"" and how it portrays ""The Abolition of Man.""""Though The Abolition of Man is one of Lewis''s shortest books, it is also one of the most important and influential. This interesting collection of essays shows how the perceptive critiques and prescient warnings found in Abolition resound tellingly in many science fiction films and TV shows. A valuable and thought-provoking volume.""--Michael Ward, Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford ""Students of C. S. Lewis and fans of science fiction alike will find their understanding of today''s and tomorrow''s world enriched, and likely chastened, by this thought-provoking collection of essays.""--Charles T. Rubin, author of Eclipse of Man ""Here we have an engaging, accessible, and highly relevant collection of essays on how science fiction at its best portrays our possible subhuman future.""--Peter Lawler, Dana Professor of Political Science, Berry College ""Science fiction is often a kind of sociological exploration. Science Fiction and the Abolition of Man demonstrates this clearly. The diverse interpretations demonstrate why sociological explorations of sci-fi are always journeys worth taking."" --John Tenuto, Professor of Sociology, College of Lake Count ""Science fiction films have warned for decades: the purveyors of scientific technologies may promise a better and happier world, but in a culture bereft of orientation to goodness beyond ourselves, they can only provide different worlds--crafted at their whim, and often morally dangerous and profoundly unhappy. These delightful essays, by clarifying that warning through the lens of classic moral psychology, send us back to those great films with new eyes and, more importantly, refreshed hearts for goodness.""--Robert B. Kruschwitz, Professor of Philosophy, Baylor UniversityMark J. Boone is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Forman Christian College. He is the author of The Conversion and Therapy of Desire: Augustine''s Theology of Desire in the Cassiciacum Dialogues (Pickwick, 2016). Kevin C. Neece is a speaker on media, the arts, and pop culture from a Christian worldview perspective. He is the author of The Gospel according to Star Trek (Cascade, 2016).

David Alan Black has been one of the leading voices in New Testament studies over the last forty years. His contributions to Greek grammar, textual criticism, the Synoptic problem, the authorship of Hebrews, and many more have challenged scholars and students to get into the text of the New Testament like never before and to rethink the status quo based on all the evidence. The present volume consists of thirteen studies, written by some of Black's colleagues, friends, and former students, on a number of New Testament topics in honor of his successful research and teaching career. Not only do they address issues that have garnered his attention over the years, they also extend the scholarly discussion with up-to-date research and fresh evaluations of the evidence, making this book a valuable contribution in itself to the field that Black has devoted himself to since he began his career.

The essays in this volume, which are written by friends, colleagues, and former students, are dedicated to Gary B. McGee as a memorial to his life, work, and service. As a professor with a clear calling to teach, he modeled this passion at the Open Bible College (Des Moines, Iowa), Central Bible College (Springfield, Missouri), and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (Springfield, Missouri). He exuded the understanding that quality teaching, superior scholarship, a genuine Pentecostal spirituality, and an irenic spirit can and should go together.Within the title of this volume, A Light to the Nations, two aspects become clear. First, each person is called to be ""a light to the nations,"" as Gary McGee modeled. Second, and foundational to the first, is the reality that Jesus Christ is the ultimate light, and our energies, study, discussions, and life in general should rely on this fact. As a reflection of Gary McGee's life and ministry, these two aspects are focused through three lenses, which are the three sections of this volume: Ecumenism, Missions, and Pentecostalism. The essays represent a diversity of subjects and denote various explorations by colleagues and friends of Gary B. McGee.