For graduating seminary students, Stephen Sprinkle has written a practical theological guide for preparing for ordination in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), United Church of Christ, American Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and other closely related denominations. He provides a theology of what ordination is and what it means to the person being ordained, to the life of the church at large, and to the congregation gathered for the celebration. Sprinkle includes "hands-on" practical guidance on how to plan the service, plus samples of ordination services from each of the four traditions.

The Process of Admission to Ordained Ministry: A Comparative Study Volume II

Throughout 2005 and 2006, various events were held to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination of women in the Presbyterian Church as ministers of the Word and Sacrament, as well as seventy-five years of their ordination as elders and one hundred years as deacons. In this collection of insightful essays, well-known women from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reflect on their personal journeys of ordination as church leaders. This historically significant book is ideal for clergy, educators, and church leaders and is the perfect resource for church libraries. Contributors include Joanna M. Adams; Susan R. Andrews; Deborah A. Block; Cynthia M. Campbell; Marj Carpenter; Choi, Moon Young; Melva Wilson Costen; Roberta Hestenes; Jane Parker Huber; Marian McClure; Ofelia Miriam Ortega; Jean Marie Peacock; Barbara A. Roche; and Letty M. Russell.

The Process of Admission to Ordained Ministry: A Comparative Study Volume I

The growing interest in the relationship between religion and law is, in the case of Christianity, often viewed in monolithic terms. Moreover, the debate is often seen in terms of the relationship of Christianity to the state along with discussions about, for example, religious freedom. Christianity is often seen as responding to claims made on it by the state and by the growth of secularism. This book takes a different approach. First, it makes the claim that Christianity has something of value to say about various pressing issues which are of direct relevance to contemporary society. Amongst these are the place of human rights and that of individual claims of conscience. Second, it does not regard Christianity as a monolithic whole but takes as its starting point the sundering of Christendom at the Reformation, which, it claims, led in many cases to divergent patterns of thought between Catholics and Protestants about law and its place in society. However, as this book shows, in many cases, Catholic and Protestant thinking on areas such as natural law is not as divergent as it is often thought. Five hundred years after the Reformation, the work presents a reflection on the roots of Catholic and Protestant thinking on law and its place in society. It will be of interest to canon lawyers as well as academics and students of law and religion.

A collection of meditations on the importance of stewardship. Much has changed in the 21st-century world of stewardship. Now a person may use electronic funds transfer or use a credit card after clicking on a website link instead of dropping a check in the offering plate. Stewardship witness videos can be linked to the church’s website. One-Minute Stewardship is designed to promote the development of a meaningful theology of giving in a new age. These short reflections, indexed by Scripture, theme, event, and lectionary, can be included in weekly parish e-mails, newsletters, weekly bulletins, or read as an invitation to the offering during worship. The book addresses the issue of designated giving, which is usually separate from general stewardship appeals and is designed to empower clergy and lay leaders to promote the message of good stewardship every Sunday of the year.

This book provides a constructive analysis of Thomas F. Torrance’s ecclesiology. Holding the doctrine of the Trinity to be the “ground and grammar of theology,” Torrance viewed the doctrine of the Trinity as foundational for all ecclesiological reflection: What does it mean to be the people of the God whom Christians name as Father, Son, and Spirit? Tyler examines Torrance’s development of the rich potential of the metaphor koinonia, involving both a vertical dimension––the Church’s union with Christ through the Spirit––and a horizontal dimension––its visible existence in human history, lived out in space and time, and considers how the relationship between these two dimensions informs the structured forms of the Church’s life, its ecumenical breadth, and its missional vision.