“Sealed in Christ is an excellent teaching tool for congregations. In a remarkably simple and interesting way, the author has interwoven central theological affirmations of our church by explaining the different symbols that make up the seal: the dove, the fish, the open bible, the cup, and the fire, forming the cross. The book will help […]
This practical resource will assist individuals and adult groups in church school classes, sessions, and retreats by clarifying some of the major themes of each chapter in The Re-Forming Tradition. Study helps for the other volumes of The Presbyterian Presence: The Twentieth Century Experience series are also included. The writers offer excellent suggestions to spur […]
This focus on the expression of faith among American Presbyterians surveys important developments in Presbyterian theology and worship. The book provides an understanding of the changes in mainstream Protestantism and American Christianity by analyzing Preaching, worship, hymnody, devotional materials, and social justice pronouncements.
This volume considers three issues — outreach, ecumenism, and pluralism — that have confounded the witness of faith in the Presbyterian Church. Examples are given of the interlocking and sometimes interfering interplay among outreach, ecumenism, and pluralism in the quest for distinctive Presbyterian discipleship.
The meaning of declining membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been hotly contested since the 1960s. Drawing on statistical analysis of membership trends, congregational surveys, individual interviews, research on disaffiliation, and case studies of congregations and presbyteries, this volume examines patterns and causes of congregational growth and decline in the Presbyterian church.
This book addresses the organizational character of American religious history, which points to a tentative but significant conclusion: The Presbyterian church has been undergoing an organizational revolution, and membership decline that began in the mid-1960s.
This valuable book examines the results of research on theological education in the twentieth century, spiritual formation among seminarians, and the changing nature of Presbyterian-related colleges. Several essays review Christian education among Presbyterians, focusing on the forming of curricula for church schools, the use of scripture in Presbyterian curricula, and the publications from denominational presses. […]
Prominent writers from different disciplines strive to analyze the Presbyterian predicament and to offer solutions. Robert Wuthnow (Princeton University) uses sociology to trace the decline of American Presbyterianism in relation to other mainline denominations. Edward Farley (Vanderbilt University) lists areas in which Presbyterians’ heritage of ‘critical modernism’ can be discerned. Barbara Wheeler (Auburn Theological Seminary) […]
This book challenges American Presbyterians to remember their calling as Christians. The authors believe that Presbyterians are summoned to a character of life that will awaken and address the religious questions of today with powerful and persuasive Christian perspectives and answers.
Vital Signs summarizes the research on American mainstream Protestantism in the twentieth century and assesses the significance of that research for these denominations as they confront the twenty-first century. Written primarily for church members and pastors or priests, this book will be a valuable resource for congregations and denominations, helping them to understand the trends […]