A practical overview and explanation of different things one would find in a church: architecture, design, artifacts, symbolism. Useful for anyone of any religious background who visits a church or cathedral.

Small enough to fit in a pocket yet serious enough to provide real answers, this primer is a must-have for architecture and history buffs, tourists, and churchgoers interested in decoding the styles and symbols of religious buildings. Every building contains clues embedded in its design that identify not only its architectural style but also who designed it, what kind of congregation it was built for, and why. This practical yet charming handbook is the key to decoding the style, history, evolution, and social significance of religious buildings. Not strictly limited to churches, it also covers abbeys, chapels, and monasteries, among other structures. Organized according to architectural element (windows, domes, arches, etc.), each element is presented in chronological order. Additional chapters explore the architectural influence of geography, history, and various creeds, along with an illustrated timeline showing how, where, and in many cases why certain church features evolved through the centuries. There is also a useful introduction to naming each component of a church, from vaults to buttresses and transepts to apses. All entries are illustrated with period engravings and line drawings. This book will be invaluable for architecture buffs and anyone who has ever wondered why classic New England churches are white with little ornament, why Quaker meetinghouses have no altars, or why Episcopalians traditionally favored the Gothic style.

Here is the church, here is the steeple . . . This update to the classic children's rhyme is an introduction to church for a new era, a whirlwind tour through all the wonderful things church can be and do and mean. From megachurches to little chapels to underground meetings, from welcoming to helping to feeding the hungry, church can be and do a lot of things. But ultimately that old rhyme said it best: the church is the people! With gently rhyming text by Sarah Raymond Cunningham and the vibrant and diverse illustrations of Ariel Landy, This Is the Church is an ideal gift for baptisms, confirmations, or any occasion in which children are welcomed into the life of the body of Christ.

‘In a world where justice is too often about power, Isabelle Hamley shows that God’s justice brings transformation, healing and hope for all.’ JUSTIN WELBY What is justice? It’s a question we encounter everywhere in life and that over the last years has increasingly demanded an answer. In Embracing Justice, Isabelle Hamley invites us on an exhilarating journey through Scripture to discover how we, as churches, communities and individual Christians, can seek and practice justice even when enmeshed in such a fractured world. Full of practical encouragement, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book for 2022 brilliantly weaves together biblical texts, diverse voices, contemporary stories, and personal and group meditations to reveal liberating and imaginative ways in which me may grow in discipleship – and more fully reflect the justice, mercy and compassion of Christ in our lives. With six chapters to take you from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, this Lent devotional for 2022 is essential reading for anyone interested in the issues of justice – from climate and economic justice to gender and racial equality – that are increasingly at the forefront of global consciousness, and the role that Christians and the Church must play in them. Suitable for use both as a single study for individuals and for small groups to prepare for Easter, Embracing Justice will encourage, inform and motivate anyone looking for Christian books about justice. It will help you understand justice from a biblical perspective, and inspire you to seek it in every aspect of your life. Although the world is broken, unequal and violent, the call to reflect God’s own justice and mercy continues to sound like a steady drumbeat, impossible to ignore. Company with Isabelle Hamley this Lent, and discover that we can all join God’s mission of transformation and embrace his justice.

An enlightening anthology by world-renowned theologians, historians and researchers that exposes and challenges misrepresentations and age-old beliefs. With an introduction by ABC Radio Talk Show Host Bill Jenkins.

A revealing look at the identity and mission of the Black church What is the true nature and mission of the church? Is its proper Christian purpose to save souls, or to transform the social order? This question is especially fraught when the church is one built by an enslaved people and formed, from its beginning, at the center of an oppressed community’s fight for personhood and freedom. Such is the central tension in the identity and mission of the Black church in the United States. For decades the Black church and Black theology have held each other at arm’s length. Black theology has emphasized the role of Christian faith in addressing racism and other forms of oppression, arguing that Jesus urged his disciples to seek the freedom of all peoples. Meanwhile, the Black church, even when focused on social concerns, has often emphasized personal piety rather than social protest. With the rising influence of white evangelicalism, biblical fundamentalism, and the prosperity gospel, the divide has become even more pronounced. In The Divided Mind of the Black Church, Raphael G. Warnock, Senior Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., traces the historical significance of the rise and development of Black theology as an important conversation partner for the Black church. Calling for honest dialogue between Black and womanist theologians and Black pastors, this fresh theological treatment demands a new look at the church’s essential mission.

Reading the corpus of texts written by the Fathers of the Church has always been a core area in Christian theology. However, scholars and academics are by no means united in the question how these important but difficult authors should be read and interpreted. Many of them are divided by implicit (but often unquestioned) assumptions about the best way to approach the texts or by underlying hermeneutical questions about the norms, limits and opportunities of reading Ancient Christian writers. This book will raise profound hermeneutical questions surrounding the reading of the Fathers with greater clarity than it has been done before. The contributors to this volume are theologians and historians who have used contemporary post-modern approaches to illuminate the Ancien corpus of texts. The chapters discuss issues such as What makes a 'good' reading of a church Father? What constitutes a 'responsible' reading? Is the reading of the Fathers limited to a specialist audience? What can modern thinkers contribute to our reading of the Fathers?