The meaning of compassion is more than just sympathy, empathy, pity, and concern. Compassion has a theological meaning. In this book, Andrew Purves sees compassion as the center of pastoral care, holding theology, spirituality, and ministry together. He examines how a renewed compassion gives ministry shape and content which "grows out of the life of God, and God's care for the world.
As a pastor, do you ever get the feeling that no matter what you try, nothing much seems to change? That is because the ministries themselves are not redemptive--they are not up to you. Only Jesus' ministry is redemptive. Jesus has to ''show up.'' Theologian Andrew Purves explores at the deepest level the true and essential nature of Christian ministry. He says that the attempt to be an effective minister is a major problem. Ministers are ''in the way.'' He radically claims that ministries need to be crucified. They need to be killed off so that Christ can make them live. Rooting church service in Christ's own continuing ministry, Purves provides a vision for students and practicing clergy to reclaim the vital connection between Christ and participation in his ministry today, even if it means letting Christ put to death the ministries to which pastors cling so closely. A radical appraisal for a critical malady affecting the life of the Christian church written in plain, down-to-earth language.
In Pastoral Care in the Classical Tradition, Andrew Purves argued that pastoral care and theology has long ignored Scripture and Christian doctrine, and pastoral practice has become secularized in both method and goal, the fiefdom of psychology and the social sciences. He builds further on this idea here, presenting a christological basis for ministry and pastoral theology.
This book takes us deep into the practice of ministry showing us the basis of ministry in the hope of Christ's resurrection. Ministry in and with Christ takes place in the mood of Holy Saturday, that is, between Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, between the times. We find Christ's real joy and hope in the midst of struggles, difficulties and even suffering as we serve and minister in his name. This book takes us deep into the practice of ministry showing us the basis of ministry in the hope of Christ's resurrection. Ministry in and with Christ takes place in the mood of Holy Saturday, that is, between Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, between the times. We find Christ's real joy and hope in the midst of struggles, difficulties and even suffering as we serve and minister in his name.
These essays and sermons articulate the basics of the Christian faith and are by some of the best-known evangelical voices in the Presbyterian Church today. The main ideas in these essays are congruent with the basic theology contained in "Union in Christ: A Declaration for the Church," which was adopted by the Presbyterian Coalition, a group that seeks renewal within the Presbyterian Church. Contributors include: Elizabeth Achtemeier, Joseph Rightmyer, James Logan, Scott Sunquist, Charles Partee, Catherine J. S. Purves, Jeffrey Bullock, Earl Palmer, Clayton Bell, Margaret Kim Peterson, Peter Barnes, Jack Haberer, Sherron George, James Singleton, and others.
The Scottish theologians John McLeod Campbell, Hugh Ross Mackintosh and Thomas F. Torrance were theologians of reconciliation, who emphasized the reality of God's redemptive grace in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In this magisterial treatment, Andrew Purves unfolds the riches of their theology for pastoral ministry today.
Purves and Partee discuss theology's relevance to personal life and Christian faith from an evangelical perspective and through the lens of the Reformed tradition. "Encountering God" focuses on basic issues of Christian faith as they are filtered through contemporary experience: the merits of doctrine, God, Jesus, faith, justification, sanctification, salvation, sin, predestination, lamentation, hope and joy.
Governments around the world are wrestling with the problems of enormous debts, low growth, high unemployment and a gap between the demands of public expen-diture and what can be raised through taxation. This problem has been acute since the financial crisis, but has been a hallmark of western economies for decades.Only a few countries have been able to avoid this pattern, mostly those blessed with vast natural resources such as oil. However, there are two small islands with no natural resources which have also enjoyed high growth combined with low taxation: Hong Kong and Singapore. Nor do they have any public debts, in fact, on the contrary, they generally run a budget surplus, and investment income is a feature of their government revenue.Andrew Purves, who grew up on the island of Hong Kong, has gone beyond the conventional analysis of taxation, and asked what each jurisdiction has in common, to bring about this happy state of affairs.The result is quite surprising for two countries which sit at the top of the table for promoting free markets and other capitalist ideals of small government.All land in Hong Kong is owned by the government, who makes it available for use by lease in return for a Government Rent, while Singapore now controls over half of its land area, as well as significant stakes in its strategic industries, which deliver a steady stream of unconventional income. Although in Hong Kong this situation has developed almost by accident, Purves suggests that here lies a model for generating public revenue that could be adopted in other countries to allow a shift in taxation from production and consumption to the Economic Rent of land, as advocated by Adam Smith over two hundred years ago.As a businessman in London, Andrew Purves, is keenly aware of the damaging impact of current taxation on economic activity.
3 remarkable books reveal what neuroscientists have just learned about your brain — and you! Neuroscientists have made absolutely stunning discoveries about the brain: discoveries that are intimately linked to everything from your health and happiness to the age-old debate on free will. In these three extraordinary books, leading scientists and science journalists illuminate these discoveries, helping you understand what they may mean — and what may come next. In Brains: How They Seem to Work, Dale Purves reviews the current state of neuroscientific research, previewing a coming paradigm shift that may transform the way scientists think about brains yet again. Building on new research on visual perception, he shows why common ideas about brain networks can’t be right, uncovers the factors that determine our subjective experience, sheds new light on the so-called “ghost in the machine,” and points towards a far deeper understanding of what it means to be human. Next, in Pictures of the Mind, Miriam Boleyn-Fitzgerald uses images from the latest fMRI and PET scanners to illuminate science’s new understanding of the brain as amazingly flexible, resilient, and plastic. Through masterfully written narrative and stunning imagery, you'll watch human brains healing, growing, and adapting… gain powerful new insights into the interplay between environment and genetics… begin understanding how people can influence their own intellectual abilities and emotional makeup… and join scientists in tantalizing discoveries about everything from coma to PTSD and Alzheimer’s. Finally, in The Root of Thought, Andrew Koob shows why glial cells — once thought to be merely “brain glue” — may actually hold the key to understanding intelligence, treating psychiatric disorders and brain injuries, and perhaps even curing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. You'll learn how these crucial cells grow and develop... why almost all brain tumors are comprised of them… and even their apparent role in your every thought and dream! From world-renowned scientists and science journalists, including Dale Purves, Miriam Boleyn-Fitzgerald, and Andrew Koob
Finding practical theology not always able to present frameworks for understanding concrete and lived experience with divine action, Andrew Root's Christopraxis seeks to reset the edifice of practical theology on a new foundation. While not minimizing its commitment to the lived and concrete, Root argues that practical theology has neglected deeper theological underpinnings. Root seeks to create a practical theology that is properly and fully theological, post-postmodern, post-Aristotelian, and that attends to doctrines such as divine action and justification.
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Over the Past few decades mainline Protestant congregations have not easily embraced the notion of spirituality. As much as any aspect of church life, spirituality has been misunderstood, misused, and resisted by both clergy and laity. Yet times are changing. Today many people feel a deep spiritual hunger and are out looking for fulfillment in a wide variety of settings. In this new context, mainline congregations need to awaken to the presence of the Spirit in their midst and equip leaders to nurture both the personal and corporate spirituality of their congregations. Beyond the Ordinary is explicitly written to help church leaders who have had no formal training in spiritual formation. Drawing from years of experience teaching Christian spirituality, Ben Campbell Johnson and Andrew Dreitcer explore the spiritual dimensions of leadership, looking in depth at the meaning of spirituality as it relates to the tasks of ministry. This friendly, inspiring book will enable readers to erase the negative stereotypes of spirituality and develop vital models and practices for the church today. The book introduces a faithful understanding and practice of the spiritual life to those who have not yet dipped into the well that is Christian spirituality. For those who have already tasted this water and still thirst, it offers a way to dip even more deeply. Chapters discuss the issues surrounding a meaningful spirituality for our changing times, the importance of holding prayer and mission in tension, and the crucial role of Scripture in the formation of our lives. The authors also underscore the importance of vision, myth, and discernment in the spiritual life of the church. And they discuss the power of spiritual practices like discernment and visioning for enhancing the spirituality of congregations and helping them become agents of social transformation. Intended for personal and group use by pastors, elders, other church leaders, and those preparing for service in the church, the book includes questions for reflection and discussion as well as journaling exercises to encourage learning and growth.
Andrew Murray is a nineteenth-century writer whose words still inspire today. In Humility, Murray calls all Christians to turn from pride, empty themselves, and study the character of Christ to be filled with his grace. It is often called the best work on the topic ever written. Abiding in Christ invites you to listen to words from Scripture, read a daily meditation, pray, and surrender yourself anew to Christ. This thirty-one-day devotional is as timely now as it was in 1895, when it was first published. Living a Prayerful Life outlines the way to overcome prayerlessness, which Murray believed was the greatest roadblock to spiritual growth. In his familiar devotional style, he then offers inspiring and practical guidelines for becoming a prayer warrior, including examples from the prayer lives of the apostle Paul, George Muller, and Hudson Taylor. The wisdom in these pages will encourage and equip you to live a life of humility, surrender, and prayer, bringing you closer to the one who created you and longs to be with you.
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