Reclaiming Our Roots, the most inclusive church history textbook on the market today, pays special attention to such matters as Christianity in the southern hemisphere, Eastern Orthodoxy, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history. It includes not just names, dates, and events in church history, but also sophisticated theological analyses of the issues that have made history, making it useable as a text for both history of Christian thought as well as introduction to church history courses. Readers are exposed to a variety of credible, scholarly interpretations of issues, events, and major figures, and encouraged to make their own judgments based upon the evidence and with the help of suggested primary source readings. Leading questions that open doors for group discussion and individual reflection on the core issues follow each section.

"A timely and groundbreaking take on the roots of the Christian church and its place in the entirety of God's kingdom. . . . There is no better time than now to learn about and become firmly grounded within your spiritual heritage." —from the foreword by Perry Stone The early church was made up of Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus, and the church's culture was rooted in Judaism and a Jewish understanding of God's relationship to His people. Over time, however, Christianity became increasingly more Roman than Jewish, and the church lost its identity. Rabbi Curt Landry's personal story is remarkably similar. Born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Landry was put up for adoption, and for more than thirty years he had no understanding of his heritage, his roots, or who his parents were. But when he discovered the truth of his story, his life changed completely. The key to a life of power and purpose is understanding who you are. In this revelatory book, Curt Landry helps Christians discover their roots in Judaism, empowering them to walk in the revelation of who they really are and who they are born to be. Reclaiming Our Forgotten Heritage reveals the mysteries of the church, letting Christians grasp the power that comes from connecting with their true identity.

This second volume of Reclaiming Our Roots carries readers on a whirlwind journey from the eve of the Reformation to developments in Christianity in the twentieth century. As in the first volume, Mark Ellingsen gives special attention to the history of Christianity in the southern hemisphere, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history. Ellingsen's careful and critical eye ranges over the entire panorama of modern church history. He provides balanced theological analyses of major movements and figures as well as the interactions between them. Ellingsen presents church history as an opportunity to enter into a dialogue with the church's richly diverse heritage. He sees the role of church history as: Community builder--teaching the faithful their heritage, Safety patrol--sensitizing church leaders to the errors of the past that they must still confront, Liberating instrument--learning to look at reality from the perspective of the other, no longer chained to one's own suppositions and cultural biases, and Source of theological creativity--providing access to the stimulating insights of the great theological minds of the past. This thought-provoking book offers readers a sympathetic exposure to a variety of credible, scholarly interpretations of major figures and encourages them to make their own judgments with the help of suggested primary source readings. Ellingsen closes each chapter with questions that lead readers to ponder the deeper meanings of various events in the history of Christianity.

The most inclusive church history text on the market today — it pays special attention to Christianity in the southern hemisphere, Eastern Orthodoxy, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history.

Reclaiming Our Food tells the stories of people across the United States who are finding new ways to grow, process, and distribute food for their own communities. Discover how abandoned urban lots have been turned into productive organic farms, how a family-run sustainable fish farm can stay local and be profitable, and how engaged communities are bringing fresh produce into school cafeterias. Through photographic essays and interviews with innovative food leaders, you’ll be inspired to get involved and help cultivate your own local food economy.

Majora Carter shows how brain drain cripples low-status communities and maps out a development strategy focused on talent retention to help them break out of economic stagnation. "My musical, In the Heights, explores issues of community, gentrification, identity and home, and the question: Are happy endings only ones that involve getting out of your neighborhood to achieve your dreams? In her refreshing new book, Majora Carter writes about these issues with great insight and clarity, asking us to re-examine our notions of what community development is and how we invest in the futures of our hometowns. This is an exciting conversation worth joining.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda How can we solve the problem of persistent poverty in low-status communities? Majora Carter argues that these areas need a talent-retention strategy, just like the ones companies have. Retaining homegrown talent is a critical part of creating a strong local economy that can resist gentrification. But too many people born in low-status communities measure their success by how far away from them they can get. Carter, who could have been one of them, returned to the South Bronx and devised a development strategy rooted in the conviction that these communities have the resources within themselves to succeed. She advocates measures such as • Building mixed-income instead of exclusively low-income housing to create a diverse and robust economic ecosystem • Showing homeowners how to maximize the long-term value of their property so they won't succumb to quick-cash offers from speculators • Keeping people and dollars in the community by developing vibrant “third spaces”—restaurants, bookstores, and places like Carter's own Boogie Down Grind Cafe This is a profoundly personal book. Carter writes about her brother's murder, how turning a local dumping ground into an award-winning park opened her eyes to the hidden potential in her community, her struggles as a woman of color confronting the “male and pale” real estate and nonprofit establishments, and much more. It is a powerful rethinking of poverty, economic development, and the meaning of success.