What role does place play in the Christian life? In this STA volume, Jennifer Allen Craft gives a practical theology of the arts, contending that the arts place us in time, space, and community in ways that encourage us to be fully and imaginatively present in a variety of contexts: the natural world, our homes, our worshiping communities, and society.
Based on the 2016 conference of the Center for Pastor Theologians, this volume brings together the reflections of church leaders and academic theologians on the theme of human sexuality. Contributors engage with Scripture, draw on examples from church history, and delve into current issues in contemporary culture, including embodiment, marriage, homosexuality, pornography, transgenderism, and gender dysphoria.
Kelly M. Kapic meditates on how our suffering—particularly our physical suffering—relates to the Christian faith. This is not a theodicy or a book of easy answers. It is an invitation to reshape our understanding of suffering into the image of Jesus. What we discover is that in Christ and through his church, God displays his deep love and provision for his people.
Ray S. Anderson lays out a new and renewing theological foundation for engaging in Christian ministry. Illuminated by discussion and case studies, he shows how a biblically informed approach addresses real issues in Christ's power.
The questions our youth have are often the same ones that perplexed the great theologians. Andrew Root and Kenda Creasy Dean invite you to envision youth ministries full of practical theologians. Follow them into reflection on your own practice of theology, and learn how to share that theology through rich conversation and purposeful experience.
How can we grow closer to God? Is there a secret to spiritual life? Do we need a second blessing? Is sanctification instantaneous or is it a process? The nature of Christian spirituality has been widely debated throughout the history of the church. Donald L. Alexander brings together five scholars in a fascinating debate on sanctification and spirituality.
Edited by Mark R. McMinn and Timothy R. Phillips, this collection of essays is a multidisciplinary dialogue on the interface between psychology and theology that takes seriously the long, rich tradition of soul care in the church.
Editors Gary W. Moon and David G. Benner, along with a team of expert contributors, provide a comprehensive survey of spiritual direction in its myriad Christian forms. With insights on spiritual direction's relationship to psychotherapy and pastoral counseling, this book serves as an authoritative resource for spiritual transformation and pastoral care.
Mark Husbands and Jeffrey P. Greenman edit fourteen essays exploring the theme of the value and significance of the early church for the contemporary witness and practice of the evangelical church, presented at the Wheaton Theology Conference of 2007.
Practical theologian Andrew Root dissects relational ministry as we have come to understand it, calling for a new breed of "empathic minister" to take the helm in our churches. Bringing current practice in touch with incarnational theology, Root searches for a more robust understanding of the relationships that make up the body of Christ.