As the availability and use of media platforms continue to expand, the cultural visibility of religion is on the rise, leading to questions about religious authority: Where does it come from? How is it established? What might be changing it? The contributors to The Media and Religious Authority examine the ways in which new centers of power and influence are emerging as religions seek to “brand” themselves in the media age. Putting their in-depth, incisive studies of particular instances of media production and reception in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America into conversation with one another, the volume explores how evolving mediations of religion in various places affect the prospects, aspirations, and durability of religious authority across the globe. An insightful combination of theoretical groundwork and individual case studies, The Media and Religious Authority invites us to rethink the relationships among the media, religion, and culture. The contributors are Karina Kosicki Bellotti, Alexandra Boutros, Pauline Hope Cheong, Peter Horsfield, Christine Hoff Kraemer, Joonseong Lee, Alf Linderman, Bahíyyah Maroon, Montré Aza Missouri, and Emily Zeamer, with an afterword by Lynn Schofield Clark.

George Burman Foster (1857–1918) was a key figure among the philosophers and theologians who composed the early “Chicago School.” This volume makes available the development of Foster’s religious thought by exploring his major writings as well as diverse shorter works. Conclusions are provided following each major section of the book. Through this approach we discover that Foster was laying the foundation for the emergence of American humanism.

Composed of archaic traditions and obsolete practices, and masterminded by the enemy of our souls, the spirit of religion seeks to keep individual believers and the corporate church stagnant and unaware of the call of the Holy Spirit for change. We witnessed the spirit of religion when the Pharisees failed to recognize the coming of the Christ. Today, the spirit of religion can be so subtle that we are unaware of its impact, instead being deceived into believing that God is directing us. Only when we recognize the hold that this counterfeit religion has over Christianity can we be freed to experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the heart of the church. Join C. Peter Wagner and other dynamic Christian leaders as they unveil the dark influence of the spirit of religion.

The problem investigated by this study has been indicated by the observation that there is prevalent instability in many Gikuyu families. This instability leads to strained relationships between family members both at the nuclear and extended levels, resulting in family break-ups, domestic violence and tragedies. These increasing unstable Gikuyu families are becoming a cause of concern for Gikuyu society and for the general human society. The study has been guided by theories of knowledge that acknowledge indemonstrable first principles that characterize human intelligence and theories that reject the dichotomy of methodologies between the natural sciences and the human sciences but support the validity of the scientific study of religion as a human science. Gikuyu Traditional Religion has been presented in the framework of the six dimensions of a religion defined by Ninian Smart, viz., the experiential, mythological, ritual, ethical, social and doctrinal. Extensive review of related literature and document analysis has established the incidence of spiritual authority in Gikuyu Traditional Religion and at the same time revealed the gap addressed by this study: that the spiritual authority has not been addressed as a legitimate partner to be entered into dialogue with.

Christopher Hitchens, described in the London Observer as “one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time” takes on his biggest subject yet–the increasingly dangerous role of religion in the world. In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris’s recent bestseller, The End Of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.

Jesus gave his disciples authority to preach the good news of the kingdom of God and to cast out demons, heal the sick, save the lost and set the captives free. Everywhere Jesus went, the kingdom came with power. There was no proclamation of the gospel without a demonstration of power. It was the authentic demonstration of Jesus’ power through his followers that ignited the greatest spiritual movements in the first century. Today, we are becoming more like the spiritual climate in the first century then like 1950 America. In a pluralistic, syncretistic society where all deities are considered equal, only the unequal display of Jesus’ power will convince people of the supremacy of Christ. The key to demonstrating the power of the King is Authority and authority is not just positional; it is developmental. Spiritual authority is rooted in identity, expanded in intimacy and activated by faith. This book takes an in depth look at how we can grow in identity, intimacy and faith so that we can develop our authority and release the kingdom.

Fully revised and updated, this handbook shows readers how to exercise authority in the spiritual realm, providing protection for themselves and others and transforming lives.