Civilization and Christianity depend heavily upon one another. There is no true civilization which is not religious; nor can there be a healthy religion among a populace which is not supported by civilization. Today, too many Christians see no inconsistency in the juxtaposition of a private religion and an irreligious society, nor do they perceive how ruinous this is for both society and religion. But how are society and religion to be joined without either making religion a tool of the secular power, or the secular power a tool of religion?

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Friday Night Lights, the heart-wrenching and hilarious true story of an American city on its knees and a man who will do anything to save it. A Prayer for the City is acclaimed journalist Buzz Bissinger's true epic of Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell, an utterly unique, unorthodox, and idiosyncratic leader willing to go to any length for the sake of his city: take unions head on, personally lobby President Clinton to save 10,000 defense jobs, or wrestle Smiley the Pig on Hot Dog Day—all the while bearing in mind the eternal fickleness of constituents whose favor may hinge on a missed garbage pick-up or an overzealous meter maid. It is also the story of citizens in crisis: a woman fighting ceaselessly to give her great-grandchildren a better life, a father of six who may lose his job at the Navy Shipyard, and a policy analyst whose experiences as a crime victim tempt her to abandon her job and ideals. "Fascinating, humane" (The New Yorker) and alive with detail and insight, A Prayer for the City describes the rare combination of political courage and optimism that may be the only hope for America's urban centers.

Distinguished Catholic and Jewish scholars, theologians, and linguists offer important insights into the functions of language as well as penetrating analyses of the feminists' influence on Scripture and worship.

Against a historical backdrop of relic theft and propaganda campaigns waged by two cities vying for patriarchal authority in medieval Venetia, Thomas Dale shows how Romanesque mural painting shaped sacred space and institutional identity. His focus is on the late twelfth-century murals in the crypt of Aquileia Cathedral. The crypt, which contains the relics of Aquileia's founding bishop, Saint Hermagoras, has a historical significance rooted in a legend identifying the saint as a direct disciple of Saint Mark the Evangelist. On this basis, the Carolingians promoted the city's status as patriarchal see of Venetia--a claim that prompted Venice to steal Mark's relics from Alexandria, Egypt, and appropriate Aquileia's history. This book, the first English-language study of the crypt, explores how the paintings complement the relics of Hermagoras in their distinct devotional and political roles. Hermagoras's intercessory power is activated by his orant image displayed over the central aisle within a larger hierarchy of apostles, martyrs, and bishops. The surrounding hagiographic cycle justifies in legalistic fashion Aquileia's patriarchal title and the consecration of the city as locus sanctus of Venetia by the blood of its martyrs. The iconic images in the eastern lunettes present the Virgin's compassio as a pictorial model for the vicarious experience of Christ's Passion. Finally, a fictive curtain over the socle presents allegories of spiritual warfare in the form of exempla from crusades, pilgrimage, and the epic poem Psychomachia, which Dale analyzes as a gloss on the main program.

Leading while female—whether in business, politics, the home, local communities, or the church—can be incredibly life-giving and spiritually fulfilling, yet lonely and difficult. “We Pray with Her” means supporting all the hers, both established and just starting up the ladder, who are leading the charge in today’s culture. It is a commitment to let them know that they are not alone, and that we are praying with along with them. In a world of glass ceilings, harassment, and “boy’s clubs,” women often encounter obstacles when they seek to forge ahead in their work to leave a positive mark through their labor, personal efforts, and causes. Women business leaders, political candidates, clergy, and trailblazers of all kinds need the support and encouragement of their fellow women. We are not intended to walk through life alone, and by raising each other up in prayer we will in-turn be inspired in our own efforts, grow in our faith, be understanding of shortfalls, and celebrate successes along with our fellow women. This inspiring devotional is a collection of 100 entries written by the women of WePrayWithHer, a grassroots movement turned online collective of women faith leaders, explores themes such as call, vocation, persistence, resistance, and struggle. Whether you’re a woman leader looking for personal inspiration, in a supportive role to a leader, an aspiring leader, or a woman who wants to support her sisters in Christ, you’ll find a home within these pages. Join the movement with your prayers, by mentoring, and through daily acts of solidarity with the women in your life and community. In these readings you’ll be emboldened to support one another as we strive to live the life to which God has called us.

What is it like to be young and religious in migration society? This volume presents research at the intersection of religion, age and race. The chapters’ foci range from methodological challenges to conceptual work and empirical case studies. The authors present research on various religious traditions including contributions on young Alevis, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, and apply an array of theoretical angles among them feminist, post- and de-colonial perspectives. Furthermore, the volume engages in the debate over novel conceptual frameworks attuned to investigate contemporary manifestations of youth religiosity, for example in digital spaces. The methodological chapters advocate for reflexivity in the context of empirical research on religion in migration society and promote a self-evaluative assessment of researchers’ positionalities.

In this searing meditation on the bonds of family and the allure of extremist faith, one of today’s most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace—a revelatory memoir that “invites comparison to Hillbilly Elegy” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “Searing, heartrending . . . This stunning tale reminds us that the only way to keep living is to ask God for the impossible: love, forgiveness, and hope.”—Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason Raised by an impoverished widow who earned room and board as a Bible teacher in 1950s Atlanta, Philip Yancey and his brother, Marshall, found ways to venture out beyond the confines of their eight-foot-wide trailer. But when Yancey was in college, he uncovered a shocking secret about his father’s death—a secret that began to illuminate the motivations that drove his mother to extreme, often hostile religious convictions and a belief that her sons had been ordained for a divine cause. Searching for answers, Yancey dives into his family origins, taking us on an evocative journey from the backwoods of the Bible Belt to the bustling streets of Philadelphia; from trailer parks to church sanctuaries; from family oddballs to fire-and-brimstone preachers and childhood awakenings through nature, music, and literature. In time, the weight of religious and family pressure sent both sons on opposite paths—one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a “toxic faith,” the other into a self-destructive spiral. Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post–World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and Sixties-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear. “I truly believe this is the one book I was put on earth to write,” says Yancey. “So many of the strands from my childhood—racial hostility, political division, culture wars—have resurfaced in modern form. Looking back points me forward.”