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Writing Methods in Theological Reflection offers a stimulating, provocative and accessible book that will be of use to students and practitioners who are seeking ways to use their own experience in the work of spiritual and theological reflection, This work is intended for use by the many students of theology/ministry/chaplaincy who are charged with the task of producing works of theological reflection upon placements, life experiences and faithful practiceIt will also be of general interest to a wide range of readers trying to correlate their life experiences with their spiritual beliefs.

Whilst things have arguably moved on in the last decade, the church continues to discriminate against people on the grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality.Drawing from ten years of lectures and essays from leading figures associated with the movement such as Loretta Minghella, Anthony Reddie, and Michael Jaggesar, this book marks the 20th anniversary of the Inclusive Church network. Together the essays offer a unique and inspiring account of what an inclusive church is, why it matters, and where it is going.

It is long past time for the church to talk seriously about social class. Bringing together the stories of eight contemporary Christian ministers and theologians from working-class backgrounds, and putting their own life experiences into conversation with theological reflection, Confounding the Mighty explores what role class plays in the life of Churches, education establishments and social justice movements in 21st Century Britain and beyond. Written from a diverse variety of social locations, chapters explore how class relates to faith, Church, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, education, leadership, work and wider social justice issues. While lamenting injustice and personal experiences of oppression, this book suggests radical changes in how Christians, churches and theologians relate to class issues, pointing towards renewed structures and practices to bring class justice in churches and wider society. Recognising that class is a thorny issue, the book seeks to bring a progressive theological perspective on class which pays close attention to related issues and promotes liberation for all.

It feels like the world is ending. In the midst of apocalyptic times it's tempting to cling on tightly to what we still have. But what if our desire to save the world is part of the problem?Theology for the End of the World suggests that in responding to the deeply entwined systems of capitalism, racism and patriarchy we should stop trying to unearth a 'good version' of Christianity which stands opposed to these forms of violence and seek instead to reckon with the role that Christianity has played in making the world we now inhabit. How has Christianity shaped the histories of marriage and the family? How did Christianity invent race and give birth to capitalism? Grappling with the ambivalent inheritance of Christianity, a tradition passed down by enslaved people and enslavers; by violent husbands, resourceful wives and courageous sex workers; by rich people and the dispossessed, the book suggests Christians should give up on trying to redeem the world - a social order founded on violence and exploitation - and seek instead to end it.

What happens when 'go, make disciples' meets 'Black Lives Matter'? Arising from the Council for World Mission's "Legacies of Slavery" project, this book offers an unapologetic exploration of Christian Mission and its history, and the ways in which this legacy has unleashed notions of White supremacy, systemic racism and global capitalism on the world. Contributors reflect on the past and consider the future of world mission in an age of renewed understandings of empire and its impact. Contributors include Mike Higton, David Clough, Eve Parker, James Butler, Cathy Ross, Jione Havea, Peniel Rajkumar, Victoria Turner, Carol Troupe, Michael Jagessar, Paul Weller, Jill Marsh, Kevin Ellis, Rachel Starr, Kevin Snyman, Al Barrett and Ruth Harley.

Convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2022, the Lambeth Conference was an international meeting of Anglican bishops. The conference discussed church and world affairs and the global mission of the Anglican Communion for the decade ahead.The Lambeth Conference 2022 Report God's Church for God's World offers a detailed record of the conference, and full outlines of the major addresses and departmental reports. It also presents the final wording of the Lambeth Calls and Statements.

This is not a theology of neurodiversity. It is a theology from neurodiversity. In her ground-breaking and daring theological exploration, Claire Williams considers how the experience of God for an autistic person challenges and interrogates our normal theologies about knowing God. Demonstrating how her autistic perspective offers a distinct and fresh hermeneutical lens, Williams shows that a liberation theology of neurodiversity can gift the church a new way of understanding worship, practice, ethics and even the nature of Christian hope itself.

Now widely recognised within palliative care, the concept of 'total pain' is an intensely theological one at heart. In Light to those in Darkness clinician and theologian Dr Charlie Bell holds up the concept to theological scrutiny. Bell reflects on the ways that the doctrine of 'the communion of saints', might be used to help the church understand how it can address "total pain" within individuals, and collective trauma within the wider community. As such the book offers both an important theological reflection for those in pastoral care roles and a broader challenge to the church to become a place of solidarity and accompaniment.

As debates around sexuality rumble on within certain sections of the church, and become increasingly entrenched and embittered, there is an increasing need from non-evangelicals and evangelicals alike to grasp the historical and cultural context in which current debates about sexuality are happening. Offering a detailed examination of the development, consolidation and fracturing of an evangelical anglican consensus on the sexuality, Defusing the Sexuality Debate seeks to explain why current disagreements are so intractible and offer some suggestions as to how all sides could facilitate a more constructive conversation. Building on an exploration of the development of tradition and biblical scholarship in evangelical anglicanism during the twentieth century, the book makes the case that conflicts over sexuality are symbolic of deeper disagreements over the place of christianity in the modern world.

What is the biggest threat facing churches today? Not enough young people? Too little mission and evangelism? Unsustainable buildings? Unappealing styles of worship? Not enough diversity? Whatever the reasons, the church today seems to exist in a state of anxiety, concerned with its self-preservation. In this bold and hopeful book, Martyn Percy argues that a being a broken church is in fact good news, as it is only through the cracks that the overwhelming abundance of God can shine through. This collection of essays and reflections considers what it means to be a precarious church. The term suggests uncertainty and peril, yet it is rooted in the Latin precatio, meaning prayer. It argues that the Church's vocation is not to be successful or even to survive but to be precarious, liminal, unpredictable and mysterious - a place of encounter with the holy. The questions that should consume us are not, "how shall we remove the risks and alleviate our anxieties?", but rather "how shall we live in this age of uncertainty?" Every age has had its uncertainties and this inspiring volume explores what faithfulness to each other and to God looks like in an age of anxiety.

Whether through suspicion or ignorance, serious consideration of what Mary can teach us has been lacking in large swathes of the church for some time. Drawing on careful biblical exegesis, church history and ecumenical thinking, this book suggests how a serious understanding of Mary might influence our ethical thought, and considers some of the key theological tensions at the heart of the church's engagement with Mary.

The recent pandemic has highlighted an increasing need for support for those experiencing mental health challenges and those caring for them. There is an urgent need for clergy and others involved in pastoral care both to attend to their own well-being and to develop resilience.The role of pastors in accompanying those grieving, planning, and conducting funerals carries a toll of emotional and psychological resources which need to be replenished routinely. Showing how everything from singing in choirs or joining theatre or dance groups to painting or sculpting can help those in leadership to develop a flexible mindset and give relief to the pressures of responsible roles, Creative Repair is essential reading both for those who train others as pastors and those who are themselves in training and preparing to take on pastoral responsibility themselves.

The term 'witness' has become synonymous with evangelism, but true witnessing is usually found in dissenting: it refuses to bow to idols, or to take the easy road, or deny Christ and all he died for. This collection is rooted in that belief that having the mind of Christ means we will do things differently.It offers practical resources for pastoral care that celebrates people on the margins of the church, and provides liturgies for those who suffer racism or injustice, who experience tragedy and loss, who raise their voices in protest or lament, and more. These texts do not carry the stamp of approval of any church body, but will bring the light of the gospel where it is needed. Arranged in six sections, it includes contributions from well-known and new voices covering the themes of:¿Witness in Ordinary Time¿Communion¿Birth and Baptism¿United in Love¿Suffering Presence¿Death and Resurrection

Amidst a world of seemingly endless movement and change many of us feel a longing to be rooted. It is this instinct that has led many to value the parish system, and to question the place of new churches, be they fresh expressions or church plants. This book is about the instinct to form churches that are of and for a particular place, and what this might mean in a world where place is contested, interconnected, and ever-changing. Above all it is an attempt to move the conversation beyond the binary choices of parish or non, new or inherited. It offers a powerful and persuasive vision for a Church that is national only by being local; a vision that can only be realised as churches continually become present to their places.

Why does bad theology happen to good people?Is it even possible for theology to go "bad"? On the one hand, the answer ought to be 'no'. It comes from God, so how can it be bad? Yet theology is predominately human construct, and as a result, humans can influence their theological conclusions with their own desires and beliefs. The result, more often than we care to admit, is 'bad theology'.Drawing on a careful definition of 'bad theology' as theology which denies human flourishing, avoids self-reflection and doesn't seek justice and equality, Leah Robinson offers a series of penetrating case studies which show what bad theology can look like when put into action. As we look at how theology can be bad, she argues, we might begin to understand how it might be better.

(Un)Certain: A Collective Memoir of Deconstructing Faith uncovers the courage and vulnerability of over 150 individuals from around the world as they navigate through their unravelling beliefs. Olivia Jackson weaves together stories of deeply committed believers who reached a breaking point with the Christian certainties and doctrines they once held dear. Exploring tales of abuse, exclusionary or harsh theologies, and a slow crumbling of conviction as interviewees share their journey towards a carefully considered expansion of faith, the book offers a glimpse into the nuanced and diverse experiences of those who reached the end of the road and dared to keep walking.

Jonah's radical and enigmatic nature calls for deeper exploration and engagement. Given its brevity, it is also an ideal text for multiple readings from a range of perspectives that complement, build upon, or challenge and critique each other. In Jonah's Story, Our Challenge, each chapter brings a different hermeneutical tool to the text, to demonstrate the wealth of fresh readings and new vistas which can open up, and the rich resources for ministry which can come from these multiple readings.

What might it mean us to be formed as disciples not only by the church but also by the world? In Political Formation: Being Formed by the Spirit in Church and World, Jenny Leith argues that ethical and political formation of Christians takes place through the work of the Spirit both in the church and in civic life, and the church, too, has something to learn from wider political practices and movements. This account of formation places centre stage a reckoning with the forms of exclusion and marginalisation that mar the church, and yields an understanding of the church as not only ethically formative but also in constant need of being formed itself.Offering a fresh vision for ecclesiology, which grapples with the ethical failings of the church and takes seriously the need for the church to keep on recognising and repenting of its sins, the book offers a major new contribution to discussions around Christian formation and the relationship between discipleship and ethics.

A companion to The Religion of Being which deserves to become a classic of modern spirituality. The analysis of a violent religious experience becomes a postmodern vision of the world and a secular version of the doctrine of the Trinity.

SCM Studies in Biblical Theology 23

This is one of the most important books produced in this century by an English scholar Dr Richardson'sbook is short, but almost every other sentence requires to be underlined. It is sifted knowledge, succinctly expressed, and though closely packed, it is always lucid' (The Guardian).'Dr Richardson has rendered an important service to the Christian Church by offering us this remarkably fresh, stimulating, and competent survey ... In addition to the working out of its main thesis, Dr Richardson's book contains full and valuable notes on many of the critical problems which have been hotly debated by New Testament scholarship' (Times Literary Supplement).Alan Richardson is now Dean of York and author of a number of distinguished works, among which are: Christian Apologetics, Creeds in the Making, An Introduction to the Theology of the New Testament,The Political Christ, Preface to Bible Study and Religion in Contemporary Debate. He is also the Editor ofA Theological Word Book of the Bible and A Dictionary of Christian Theology.