What is the biggest threat facing churches today? Not enough young people? Too little mission and evangelism? Unsustainable buildings? Unappealing styles of worship? Not enough diversity? Whatever the reasons, the church today seems to exist in a state of anxiety, concerned with its self-preservation. In this bold and hopeful book, Martyn Percy argues that a being a broken church is in fact good news, as it is only through the cracks that the overwhelming abundance of God can shine through. This collection of essays and reflections considers what it means to be a precarious church. The term suggests uncertainty and peril, yet it is rooted in the Latin precatio, meaning prayer. It argues that the Church’s vocation is not to be successful or even to survive but to be precarious, liminal, unpredictable and mysterious – a place of encounter with the holy. The questions that should consume us are not, “how shall we remove the risks and alleviate our anxieties?”, but rather “how shall we live in this age of uncertainty?” Every age has had its uncertainties and this inspiring volume explores what faithfulness to each other and to God looks like in an age of anxiety.

Although most evangelical traditions bar women from ordained ministry, many women have carved out unofficial positions of power in their husbands' spiritual empires or their own ministries. The biggest stars write bestselling books, grab high ratings on Christian television, and even preach. Bowler offers a sympathetic and revealing portrait of megachurch women celebrities, showing how they must balance the demands of celebrity culture and conservative, male-dominated faiths. And black celebrity preachers' wives carry a special burden of respectability. A compelling account of women's search for spiritual authority in the age of celebrity. -- adapted from jacket

America is at a crisis point, and its future depends on you. In This Precarious Moment, Dr. Jim Garlow and evangelical political activist David Barton offer practical solutions to the six problems that plague our nation: racial strife, a massive immigration disaster, failure to understand Israel’s role in the world, how to reach millennials for Christ, a misunderstanding of the government’s role in religion and culture, and a church that has capitulated to culture. Thankfully, there are steps we can take. Join Garlow and Barton as they equip Christians with the knowledge they need to take on today’s challenges during this precarious moment in American history.

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems – both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series.

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Christian theology of religions remains a central component of the Christian response to global religious diversity. In the face of theological refusals to engage with issues of religious absolutism and new impressions from interreligious encounters, this book seeks to inject fresh energy into a debate that has stalled in recent years. The encounter between Christians and people of different religious persuasions raises questions of how to interpret Christian absolutism for a new and developing consciousness that values the experience of the religious other. This book argues that interreligious dialogue, interreligious ethical collaboration, and comparative studies all point to a pluralist future, where we are obliged to recognize the spiritual authenticity of the experience animating many religions. Building friendly relations between faith communities is to be applauded but it is insufficient in the face of the many challenges confronting the global human community. Whether we are speaking of cooperation in civil society, peace in the world, or the overarching ecological crisis encompassing the planet as a whole, the acceptance of the diversity of religions as a positive religious value will strengthen the sense of global responsibility that is needed.