From its inception in the nineteenth century, the Wesleyan/Holiness religious tradition has offered an alternative construction of gender and supported the equality of the sexes. In Holy Boldness, Susie C. Stanley provides a comprehensive analysis of spiritual autobiographies by thirty-four American Wesleyan/Holiness women preachers, published between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. While a few of these women, primarily African Americans, have been added to the canon of American women's autobiography, Stanley argues for the expansion of the canon to incorporate the majority of the women in her study. She reveals how these empowered women carried out public ministries on behalf of evangelism and social justice. The defining doctrine of the Wesleyan/Holiness tradition is the belief in sanctification, or experiencing a state of holiness. Stanley's analysis illuminates how the concept of the sanctified self inspired women to break out of the narrow confines of the traditional "women's sphere" and engage in public ministries, from preaching at camp meetings and revivals to ministering in prisons and tenements. Moreover, as a result of the Wesleyan/Holiness emphasis on experience as a valid source of theology, many women preachers turned to autobiography as a way to share their spiritual quest and religiously motivated activities with others. In such writings, these preachers focused on the events that shaped their spiritual growth and their calling to ministry, often giving only the barest details of their personal lives. Thus, Holy Boldness is not a collective biography of these women but rather an exploration of how sanctification influenced their evangelistic and social ministries. Using the tools of feminist theory and autobiographical analysis in addition to historical and theological interpretation, Stanley traces a trajectory of Christian women's autobiographies and introduces many previously unknown spiritual autobiographies that will expand our understanding of Christian spirituality in nineteenth- and twentieth-century America. The Author: Susie C. Stanley is professor of historical theology at Messiah College. She is the author of Feminist Pillar of Fire: The Life of Alma White.

The disciples and early Christians faced doubt, opposition, and threats--just like many Christians do today. In Together with the World, Michael Wagenman shows how the book of Acts can help modern Christians respond to crisis and critique in our contemporary world. The book of Acts is about more than simply the beginning of church history. In Together for the World we find a group of disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, following God's call to spread the good news.

"This is a spiritually enriching, life-changing foundational book for seekers of truth and Born Again Believers at any level in their walk with Christ. It speaks of how all people were created by God, and for His glory and purpose. It is fi lled with spirit nourishing verses from the Bible to motivate readers to seek a more intimate relationship with God. It contains biblical affi rmations to decree, declare and meditate upon. At the end of each chapter blank note pages are included for the reader; useful for group study and/ or to note personal growth, thoughts and meditations. The book covers forty-seven special promises from God for the Born Again Believer. It will whet ones appetite to search out and explore the Bible for the thousands of promises contained therein."

TRUDIE KIBBE REED is the fifth President of the GREAT Bethune-Cookman University, and first women to serve in this capacity since founding president, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Residing in Daytona Beach, Florida, Dr. Reed maintains a challenging career and still finds the time to provide leadership to struggling congregations. An expert in Transformative Leadership, she is noted for radically transforming systems and organizations, based on the techniques discussed in this book. She is credited with launching the first Master of Science Program in Transformative Leadership, elevating Bethune-Cookman to its current university status in February '07. Dr. Reed pulls from a wealth of experience that includes two presidencies at the college/university level, as well as a member of the General Secretariat of a women's advocacy organization, and over 18 years in various top-tier rankings of The United Methodist Church administration. Dr. Reed serves on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church. Dr. Reed earned her doctoral degree in Adult and Higher Education from Teacher's College, Columbia University in New York, NY.

Within these pages are the last two previously unpublished works from notable American evangelical theologian, Donald. G. Bloesch. In his spiritual autobiography, Faith in Search of Obedience, Bloesch describes the foundation upon which own theology is based, namely, "a faith in search of obedience." This honest and challenging work reveals and reminds how we are justified by faith alone, but that faith drives us to obey and delight in God's law as we strive to perfect love through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Paradox of Holiness presents the theology of spiritual life as it is shaped and defined by the Word of God. Through this theological exposition, Bloesch presents and explores the paradox that exists in the pursuit of holiness for those who believe. For the theologian, pastor or lay person who is seeking to combine Word and Spirit, doctrine and life, into an active theology, this two-in-one volume by Donald Bloesch provides an honest and sober account of the challenges that may arise throughout the Christian pilgrimage, while pointing toward the hope, encouragement and new life that comes through the triumph of Christ on the cross.

You cannot make it without God’s mercy. Do we just need God’s grace in dark and shameful moments? Are prayers for mercy only for those times when we really mess up? Jonathan Parnell says we need God’s mercy all the time. In fact, contrary to many church cultures, Parnell shows that asking God for mercy should be as regular as asking God for our daily bread. There’s no doubt that David was in a terrible predicament when he first prayed the words of Psalm 51. It was a dark and shameful moment in the Bible, and one so dark and shameful it seldom feels relevant to us today. But David’s most desperate prayer is really a prayer for all of us—and not just for our worst moments, but for our every moment. In these pages, you'll discover: how to pray a daily, memorable prayer derived from Psalm 51 how to practice daily repentance and soul care how to pursue God and experience his joy in the Christian life This is God’s mercy, and it’s Mercy for Today.