Social Theology

A witty and devastating takedown of the "new" atheist position, Inside the Atheist Mind debunks the theories of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and others, revealing how inconsistent, illogical, and frankly ludicrous their conclusions truly are. Poking fun at atheists in a clever and intelligent way, Anthony DeStefano demonstrates just how full of holes the new atheism is and reveals that it is actually a "religion" of its own, complete with a creed, a set of commandments, a rigid moral code, and rewards and punishments.

In this Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Davis discusses the history of monasticism, from our earliest evidence for it, and the different types that have developed from antiquity to the present day. He considers where monasteries are located, from East Asia to North America, and everywhere in between, and how their settings impact the everyday life and worldview of the monks and nuns who dwell there. Exploring how monastic communities are organized, he also looks at how aspects of life like food, sleep, sex, work, and prayer are regimented.

Teaching to Live: Black Religion, Activist-Educators, and Radical Social Change interrogates the stories of African American activist-educators whose faith convictions inspired them to educate in radical and transformative ways. Almeda M. Wright explores the connections between religion, education, and struggles for freedom within twentieth-century African American communities by telling the stories of key African American teachers.

It would be logical for one to think that those who call themselves Christians would have a biblical worldview, but that is not the case. Statistics show that only 9% of those who identify as Christians think biblically about the issues of the world. That means that 91% of Christians have a secular or unbiblical worldview, which proves that they've been taken captive by the world's philosophies instead of taking them captive “according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). Worldview Matters covers six major worldviews from 30,000 feet, giving Christians a big picture view of the world today. Along the...

In 2005 a Chinook helicopter carrying 16 Special Ops soldiers crashed during a rescue mission in a remote part of Afghanistan, killing everyone on board. In that instant, machine gunner Caleb Daniels lost his best friend, Kip Jacoby, and seven members of his unit. Back in the U.S., Caleb begins to see them everywhere - dead Kip, with his Alice in Wonderland tattoos, and the rest of them, their burned bodies watching him. But there is something else haunting Caleb, too - a presence he calls the Black Thing, or the Destroyer.

Phillip E. Johnson pries the lid off public debate about questions of ultimate concern - questions often suppressed by our society’s intellectual elite. Moving far beyond matters of creation and evolution, Johnson outlines the questions we all ought to be asking about the meaning of human history, the limits of scientific inquiry, religion and education in a pluralistic society, truth, liberty and moral choices, and God and his word, Jesus Christ.

Remarriage after Divorce? A Biblical Defense of the Traditional Christian View delivers a compelling and deeply scriptural exploration of one of Christianity's most controversial topics. Author C.A. White defends the historical Christian view that while divorce may be permissible in some cases, remarriage while the original spouse is still alive constitutes adultery—without exceptions. White argues that repentance from such situations requires extraordinary steps, including separation or celibacy, as continuing in unrepentant adultery jeopardizes one's eternal soul.

In this very short introduction, Tim Bayne introduces the field of philosophy of religion and engages with some of the most burning questions philosophers discuss.

In a refreshing challenge to the common presumption that knowing involves amassing information, this book offers an eight-step approach that begins with love and pledge and ends with communion and shalom. Everyday adventures of knowing turn on a moment of insight that transforms and connects knower and known. No matter the field - science or art, business or theology, counseling or athletics - this little manual offers a how-to for knowing ventures.

Talking to key modern influences and thinkers, and drawing inspiration from the Bible and the historical experience of the Jewish people, Sacks argues that there are eight key factors in establishing, maintaining and passing on resilient moral values within a broad group, among them attitudes of lifelong learning and of thanksgiving, the importance of family life and community, and a culture of positive argument in place of destructive conflict.

Evangelical pastor Ed Dobson chronicles his year of living like Jesus and obeying his teachings. Dobson's transition from someone who follows Jesus to someone who lives like Jesus takes him into bars, inspires him to pick up hitchhikers, and deepens his understanding of suffering. As Dobson discovers, living like Jesus is quite different from what we imagine.

In this searing and personal book, intellectual activist and theologian Robyn Henderson-Espinoza bridges the gap between academia and activism, bringing the wisdom of the streets to the work of scholarship, all for the sake of political liberation and social change for marginalized communities. This is an invitation - a powerful and provocative call-to-action--to academic theologians to the work of social activism through movement building.

America's two greatest strengths - her liberal democratic culture and her free market economy - have made her a global superpower. But left unchecked, these two strengths can become great cultural weaknesses, sowing selfishness, recklessness, and apathy. In Resurrecting the Idea of a Christian Society, theologian R. R. Reno argues that America needs a renewal of Christian ideals - ideals that encourage self-sacrifice, responsibility, and solidarity.

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779) by the Scottish philosopher David Hume examines whether one can rationally come to any conclusions about God's nature. Three philosophers, Demea, Philo, and Cleanthes, debate this question in a series of dialogues. While all three agree that a god exists, they hold different views on God's nature.

America is on the brink of collapse. What will you do to save your country? America has suffered some big losses - eroding morals, a Godless culture, and a declining national spirit. These losses have corrupted the very fabric of our once-stalwart nation, coalescing into social and political overthrow with anarchy raging in the streets. Many wonder, Is this the end of America?

We’re not good at living with tension. It’s uncomfortable. It feels unsafe. The moment a friend, spouse, business, or political movement disagrees with us, we flee to the safety of like-minded thinkers, and dehumanize and attack anyone who thinks differently. No one wins. And if someone dares question our particular stance, we demonize them. This is killing us - families, friendships, civility, and discourse. It kills our chance to hear and be heard. We must step out of our bunkers and step into no-man’s-land....

InThe Jesus of Suburbia, Mike Erre reveals that we've created a Jesus in our own image. In a fresh, startling manner, Erre helps us understand that the real Jesus is calling us to live, act, and think in ways that overturn the status quo.

Revolution answers such questions as the following:? What is the role of the Christian and the church during these tumultuous times? How are we to respond to the racial upheaval happening in our nation? What is the church’s role in healing the divide in our fractured, divided country? Dr. Brown turns up the volume in this call to God’s remnant people to pray, repent, and act according to the teachings of Jesus - who is calling us to holy revolution.

God gave Israel the Year of Jubilee as a social reset. Taken together with Sabbath laws and gleaning laws (laws dealt with the harvest season), it was a way to celebrate God's gifts and put the pieces of a broken society back together again. These Old Testament economic ethics were highly practical laws with a theological vision that, if enacted, would set Israel apart as a just society in the midst of a cruel, greedy, and unjust world—not unlike our present day. José Humphreys and Adam Gustine take a close look at the economic ethics and practices of the Old Testament.

Charles E. Curran explores the social mission of the U.S. Catholic Church from a theological perspective, analyzing and assessing four aspects: the importance of social mission, who carries it out, how it is carried out, and the roles that the Church and individual Catholics play in supporting these efforts. In the early and mid-twentieth century the Catholic Church in the United States tended to focus its social mission on its own charities, hospitals, and schools.