Although Christianity is the world’s largest religion, there is confusion over what it means to be Christian within contemporary society. For individuals it is difficult to find, form, or receive a Christian identity, let alone maintain one within a secular world. Within organizations such as the church and professions there is often a disconnection between public and private identities and the reality of being Christian in our culture. For society there is the problem of disparate portrayals of Christianity, the marginalized status of Christianity with an associated lack of influence of Christians on our society, and the ongoing shaping of Christian identity by the public arena itself. Associated questions are: should Christians try to engage in, and even shape, the public arena and if so, how? This volume examines the problem of confused and misunderstood Christian identity in a post-Christian age. It suggests ways of shaping Christian identity for the benefit of individuals and for the common good. The importance of well-formed Christian identities is illustrated by research and analysis of selected professions so that the public life of Christians can be more fulfilling and effective. This book will be valuable for all those who are interested in religious identity within a secular society. People of faith and religious organizations will benefit from a penetrating analysis of what it means to be Christian today. Similarly, those whose work involves the church, counseling, education and the performing arts will find specific applications that address concerns about faith in the workplace.

Christian schools and colleges that include spiritual formation and Christian maturity within their mission are facing challenges. The challenge of being a Christian college within a secular society is well-recognized. There are intellectual clashes of secular versus religious worldviews to be negotiated, and clashes of social imaginaries where habitual ways of responding come into conflict. These challenges are difficult enough for staff of a Christian college when most students have a Christian background and there may be a common language and assumptions. Even more difficult are the challenges faced by Christian staff of a Christian college when most students identify with non-Christian religions. What does a college’s mission of forming mature Christians mean when students are largely Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, or other non-Christian faiths? Should staff modify curricula to reduce cognitive clashes? Should teaching practices be changed to reduce the dissonance of different social imaginaries? How can staff draw from Christian values of tolerance and respect to support non-Christian students in their formation of values and ethics while still respecting diversity? This volume draws together the work of scholars and researchers who have pondered the nature, purpose, and means of formation. It offers an analysis of the scope, context, and methods of formation of mature people without denying or downplaying the difficulties of formation. It offers hope that people who are mature in all areas of life, including the spiritual domain, can be formed and urges educators to encompass all domains in their formative work.

This volume offers Christian spiritual instructors a language for the soul uncovered from the storehouses of Christianity’s ancient living spiritual tradition. That language describes the deep soul movements that unfold in the interior life of believers in response to the Divine invitation. It presents an accessible language of the soul for use in today’s professional, educational, ministerial, and everyday life situations. The end product is an experiential dictionary comprised of sixty word-concepts, which name and explore the inward human reactions to the whispering of God’s Spirit. Those reactions result from inward desires that lead to the embrace of faith, the quest for consecration, and the journey of discipleship. Nurturing these intra-personal choices and commitments is the central task of Christian ministry, but many faith instructors remain unaware of these critical inner-life processes. More than other resources available today, this experiential dictionary informs, enriches, and intensifies the spiritual journeys of genuine disciples and seekers. The volume is tailored for seminaries, churches, schools, and community settings. It has application to the training of ministry leaders, the instruction of believers, and in supporting the growing number of secular mystics who are open to merging their journeys of self-discovery with the quest for Christ-discovery.

"This book probes the beating theological heart of Luther's evangelical theology." — Michael J. Chan, Ph.D., Concordia College In his Galatians commentary of 1535, Martin Luther insists that"our theology" relies on the proper distinction of two kinds of righteousness: Alien and Proper. In relation to our Creator, we freely receive our"alien" righteousness from Christ who has obtained it for us through his death and resurrection. In relation to humanity and God's created order, we practice a"proper" righteousness by actively fulfilling God's commands that set down the form and pattern for good human living. The Alien and the Proper “ helps us to appropriate Luther' s theology as our theology as well.” — Mark Mattes, Lutheran Bible Institute Chair of Theology, Grand View University Luther posited that this distinction was the key to understanding our humanity. His regular use of this anthropological principle, particularly when applied to justification by faith, the nature of sin, and the proper practice of God's gift of humanity, demonstrates its centrality and importance. In The Alien and the Proper, five authors examine the historical development of Luther's Twofold Righteousness and propose ways in which it can continue to serve Christians today. Through these essays you will learn about Luther's radical divergence from medieval theological formulations, and you will discover what it means to be human. Essays by: David A. LumppCharles P. ArandWilliam W. SchumacherJoel BiermannTimothy SaleskaRobert Kolb (editor)

Thomas Ogletree has devoted much of his career to exploring the significance of Ernst Troeltsch's seminal work, The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches. The articles in The World Calling use a Troeltschian lens to explore fundamental issues underlying any Christian social witness in the context of American democratic institutions.

Written by known experts and edited by Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, this reference work with its full bibliographies and cross-references to other volumes in the series is the best for researching the New Testament in its ancient setting.

Christianity Has the Resources to Address Intellectual and Cultural Issues. Do You? Christians can feel overwhelmed at the sheer number of competing worldviews in today’s pluralistic, multicultural society. Thankfully, you don’t have to memorize a different argument to answer every new issue. Instead, you can master a single line of defense, grounded in Scripture, that applies to any theory. In Romans, Paul reveals the strategy for defending the Christian message in a pluralistic culture where many are hearing it for the first time. Finding Truth is the real-world training manual that equips you to confidently address issues you’ll face in the classroom, workplace, and popular culture.