The cross stirs intense feelings among Christians as well as non-Christians. Robin Jensen takes readers on an intellectual and spiritual journey through the two-thousand-year evolution of the cross as an idea and an artifact, illuminating the controversies--along with the forms of devotion--this central symbol of Christianity inspires. Jesus's death on the cross posed a dilemma for Saint Paul and the early Church fathers. Crucifixion was a humiliating form of execution reserved for slaves and criminals. How could their messiah and savior have been subjected to such an ignominious death? Wrestling with this paradox, they reimagined the cross as a triumphant expression of Christ's sacrificial love and miraculous resurrection. Over time, the symbol's transformation raised myriad doctrinal questions, particularly about the crucifix--the cross with the figure of Christ--and whether it should emphasize Jesus's suffering or his glorification. How should Jesus's body be depicted: alive or dead, naked or dressed? Should it be shown at all? Jensen's wide-ranging study focuses on the cross in painting and literature, the quest for the "true cross" in Jerusalem, and the symbol's role in conflicts from the Crusades to wars of colonial conquest. The Cross also reveals how Jews and Muslims viewed the most sacred of all Christian emblems and explains its role in public life in the West today.--
This series is designed to promote reflection on the history, theology, and practice of Christian worship and to stimulate worship renewal in Christian congregations. Written by pastoral worship leaders from diverse communities and scholars from a range of disciplines, these volumes seek to nurture worship practices that are at once spiritually vital and theologically rooted. Book jacket.
What can we learn from early Christian imagery about the theological meaning of baptism? Robin Jensen, a leading scholar of early Christian art and worship, examines multiple dimensions of the early Christian baptismal rite. She explores five models for understanding baptism--as cleansing from sin, sickness, and Satan; as incorporation into the community; as sanctifying and illuminative; as death and regeneration; and as the beginning of the new creation--showing how visual images, poetic language, architectural space, and symbolic actions signify and convey the theological meaning of this ritual practice. Considering image and action together, Jensen offers a holistic and integrated understanding of the power of baptism. The book is illustrated with photos.
Examining how God and eventually Christ are portrayed in early Christian art, Jensen explores questions of the relationship between art and theology, conflicts over idolatry and iconography, and how the Christological controversies affected the portrayals of Christ. Since much of this art comes from ancient Rome, she places her analysis in the context of the history of Roman portraiture. One hundred photographs enhance the discussion.
College on the Horizon She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s young, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen—Christy Miller’s good friend—in her senior year of high school with college fast approaching! In this fourth volume of the popular Sierra Jensen series, Sierra’s life becomes a roller coaster of decisions as she strives to Hold on Tight through choices about friendship, honesty, and college. Then, with high school graduation Closer Than Ever , she eagerly plans for Paul’s visit and can’t wait to know where everyone will be going to college. Finally, in Take My Hand , a misunderstanding with Paul means Sierra must start college hurt and confused. Is the damage to their relationship as final as it feels? Christy Miller knows a good friend when she meets her, and so will you— Sierra Jensen is better than ever! Hold On Tight Decisions, decisions. That’s all Sierra’s life is lately. Eager to escape the stress, she can’t wait to join her brother and a few friends on a road trip as they visit a university in Southern California and tack on a day at an amusement park. It’ll be great! But right from the start, things go wrong. And suddenly Sierra’s trip is full of more twists and turns than any roller coaster. There’s only one way to handle a wild ride like this: hold on tight, trust God to keep her safe—and scream for all she’s worth. Closer Than Ever Paul is coming home! What’s more, he’s coming to Sierra’s graduation party. She spends every spare moment planning—after all, his visit has to be perfect. Then, more good news! Sierra and Randy are accepted into Rancho Corona University . Sierra couldn’t be happier—until she hears Vicki hasn’t received an acceptance letter. Does that mean Sierra and her friends won’t be in college together? But the worst news of all comes on graduation night. There’s been a terrible accident. With limited information, Sierra fears the worst. Can she let go and trust her dreams to God? Take My Hand What a year! Not only is Sierra starting college, but her older sister, Tawni, is engaged—to Paul’s older brother, Jeremy! As the two families prepare for the wedding, Sierra’s excitement grows. At last, she and Paul will be together—face-to-face! But their longed-for reunion is marred by a costly misunderstanding that turns Paul away and sends Sierra off to college hurt and confused. Only the gentle wisdom of Sierra’s good friend, Christy Miller, helps her face a difficult decision. But is it too late for Sierra and Paul? Story Behind the Book “After writing the twelve-book Christy Miller series for teens, a new teen character showed up on the pages of the final novel. Her name was Sierra Jensen, and she was such a compelling character that readers began asking for a series about Sierra in order to hear more about her life choices. Our family had just moved to Portland at the time, and I found it easy to picture a sixteen-year-old like Sierra shopping at the local vintage clothing stores, hanging out with friends at a garage band concert, and serving at the homeless shelter on weekends.” —Robin Jones Gunn
An interdisciplinary study of the practice and purpose of early Christian baptism as it is depicted in pictorial art and as it was practiced in-built structures, this book integrates physical remains with literary evidence for the early Christian initiation rite.
Surveying the content and character of early Christian iconography from the third to the sixth century CE, this substantially revised and updated new edition of Understanding Early Christian Art makes the critical tools of art historians accessible to students. It opens by discussing a series of questions pertaining to the evidence itself and how scholars through the centuries have regarded this material as expressing and transmitting aspects of the developing faith and practice of early adherents of Christianity. It considers possible sources for the various motifs and the complex relationship between words and images, as well as the importance of studying visual and material culture alongside theological and liturgical texts. Rather than organising surviving examples by medium or chronology, the chapters categorise the evidence according to their general iconographic type, such as generic symbols, biblical narratives, and portraits. Each chapter takes up important questions of visual culture, formal style, and the ways in which the iconography is distinct from or shows parallels with contemporary documentary sources like sermons, exegetical works, catechetical lectures, or dogmatic treatises. Concluding with a discussion of the late-emerging depictions of Jesus’s crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, it remains a valuable guide to comprehending the complex theology, history, and context of Christian art. Augmented by over 140 full-colour images, accompanied by parallel text, the interdisciplinary and boundary-breaking approach taken in this extensively revised edition of Understanding Early Christian Art enables students and scholars in fields such as religion and art history to further their understanding and knowledge of the art of the early Christian era.
Although she is excited about the prospects of a great summer when both Randy and Drake show an interest in her, sixteen-year-old Sierra finds her inexperience with dating leads to confused, unsettling feelings.
On a trip to Southern California, Sierra has a rocky reunion with her love interest Paul, whom she has not seen in more than a year, and feels confusion yet again about their future.
Even the briefest glance at an art museum’s holdings or an introductory history textbook demonstrates the profound influence of Christian images and art. From Idols to Icons tells the fascinating history of the dramatic shift in Christian attitudes toward sacred images from the third through the early seventh century. From attacks on the cult images of polytheism to the emergence of Christian narrative iconography to the appearance of portrait-type representations of holy figures, this book examines the primary theological critiques and defenses of holy images in light of the surviving material evidence for early Christian visual art. Against the previous assumption that fourth- and fifth-century Christians simply forgot or ignored their predecessors’ censure and reverted to more alluring pagan practices, Robin M. Jensen contends that each stage of this profound change was uniquely Christian. Through a careful consideration of the cults of saints’ remains, devotional portraits, and pilgrimages to sacred sites, Jensen shows how the Christian devotion to holy images came to be rooted in their evolving conviction that the divine was accessible in and through visible objects.
Dirty Words: The Rhetoric of Public Sex Education, 1870-1924, details the approaches and outcomes of sex-education initiatives in the Progressive Era. In analyzing the rhetorical strategies of sex education advocates, Robin E. Jensen engages with rich sources such as lectures, books, movies, and posters that were often shaped by female health advocates and instructors. She offers a revised narrative that demonstrates how women were both leaders and innovators in early U.S. sex-education movements, striving to provide education to underserved populations of women, minorities, and the working class. Investigating the communicative and rhetorical practices surrounding the emergence of public sex education in the United States, Jensen shows how women in particular struggled for a platform to create and circulate arguments concerning this controversial issue. The book also provides insight into overlooked discourses about public sex education by analyzing a previously understudied campaign targeted at African American men in the 1920s, offering theoretical categorizations of discursive strategies that citizens have used to discuss sex education over time, and laying out implications for health communicators and sexual educators in the present day.
Happenstance…or God’s Great Plan? She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s cute, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller’s good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All twelve books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra’s incredible God-led journey! Volume Two: Paul’s voice lives in her memory, but now it’s loud, clear, and right behind her in Close Your Eyes . With summer fast approaching, it is Without a Doubt bound to be Sierra’s best yet. In With This Ring, she can’t help but ponder the meaning of first kisses and lifetime commitments. Close Your Eyes Sierra Jensen has prayed and prayed for the unattainable Paul, but no answers have arrived yet. She hopes a visit with her classmates to a homeless shelter will take her mind off Paul, but guess what? He’s working there! Finally they talk, and before Sierra knows it, Paul agrees to come over for dinner. Their evening together is perfect—until Randy shows up on Sierra’s doorstep! Can things get any more confusing? Without a Doubt What could be more fun than a backpacking expedition? Sierra can’t wait to go, especially since things in her life have gotten so…complicated. Paul has moved to Scotland, and Randy is moving into Sierra’s heart. But just when things start to make sense, Sierra is asked out by Drake—the gorgeous guy her best friend, Amy, likes. How can Sierra even think about Drake when she knows doing so will hurt Amy and Randy? When a freak snowstorm hits, Sierra suddenly realizes what really matters most—but is it too late? With This Ring Sierra is on her way to Southern California for the very best reason of all: a wedding! Tracy and Doug’s long-awaited I dos are about to happen, and Sierra is eager to join Christy Miller and the rest of their friends. As soon as she arrives, Sierra discovers that everyone seems to be in love—except for her. That’s okay…she has what she needs—a gold purity ring from her dad and a vow of her own: to save herself for marriage. But when Sierra returns home, she wonders if her best friend, Amy, has settled for less than God’s best. Can Sierra convince her that purity is worth celebrating? Story Behind the Book “After writing the twelve-book Christy Miller series for teens, a new character showed up on the pages of the final novel. Her name was Sierra Jensen, and she was so compelling as a teenage character that readers began asking for a series about Sierra in order to hear more about her life choices. Our family had just moved to Portland at the time, and I found it easy to picture a sixteen-year-old like Sierra shopping at the local vintage clothing stores, hanging out with friends at a garage band concert, and serving at the homeless shelter on weekends.” —Robin Jones Gunn
Happenstance…or God’s Great Plan? She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s cute, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller’s good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All twelve books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra’s incredible God-led journey! Volume Three: An exciting trip to Europe challenges Sierra to Open Your Heart to loving others without expectations. At the start of her senior year, only Time Will Tell the truth about Sierra’s friendships. And in Now Picture This, she wonders if her relationship with Paul is as picture perfect as she thinks! Christy Miller knows a good friend when she meets her, and so will you—Sierra Jensen is at it again! Open Your Heart What an adventure! Having Christy Miller invite Sierra on an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe was amazing—but that was just the beginning. Sierra never imagined she’d meet someone like Alex, a dark-eyed Russian college student who’s a Christian. Or that they’d all come face-to-face with disaster. Through it all, one question haunts Sierra: c an she learn to love others without expecting anything in return? Will she finally be able to open her heart to others—and to God? Time Will Tell Sierra’s senior year of high school is here, but after the great summer she just had, how can it be anything but a letdown? Sure enough, the year tanks big-time when the school issues her buddy Randy an ultimatum. Stuck in the middle—Sierra wonders, what’s right? Her friend or the rules? She longs to talk it over with Amy, but Sierra’s best friend still isn’t talking to her. What’s worse, she hasn’t heard a word from Paul! No doubt about it, this school year is totally frustrating! Will Sierra ever understand her friendships or God’s plans for them? Now Picture This Why can’t everyone just leave Sierra alone? All she wants to do is find a place to read the letter she just received from Paul—to soak in every word and memorize the photo he sent her—but Thanksgiving at the Jensen house means relatives everywhere! Sierra hides out, immersed in her ideas for Paul’s birthday and Christmas gifts, especially his requested gift: a photo of her. Sierra’s determined—the photo has to be spectacular! But a small voice of doubt nags at her. What does God think of her ignoring her family and friends this way? Is her picture-perfect relationship with Paul really all she thinks it is? Story Behind the Book “After writing the twelve-book Christy Miller series for teens, a new character showed up on the pages of the final novel. Her name was Sierra Jensen, and she was so compelling as a teenage character that readers began asking for a series about Sierra in order to hear more about her life choices. Our family had just moved to Portland at the time, and I found it easy to picture a sixteen-year-old like Sierra shopping at the local vintage clothing stores, hanging out with friends at a garage band concert, and serving at the homeless shelter on weekends.” —Robin Jones Gunn
While helping to care for her ailing grandmother and trying to adjust to a new school and a new city, sixteen-year-old Sierra hopes that God will bring something good into her life.
Happenstance…or God’s Great Plan? She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s cute, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller’s good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All twelve books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra’s incredible God-led journey! Volume One: In Only You, Sierra, she’s nervous to be the “new girl” after her family moves to Portland and wonders if meeting Paul in London was only by chance. Just when everything important seems to elude her, all it takes is one weekend In Your Dreams to prove otherwise. But even a vacation doesn’t keep her troubles away in Don’t You Wish. Christy Miller knows a good friend when she meets her, and so will you— Get ready for Sierra Jensen! Only You, Sierra The Europe mission trip brought Sierra Jensen the best gift possible: two new friends, Katie and Christy. But now Sierra is headed home, and she can’t help but wonder will her friendships last? And what about her new home? Her family moved while she was gone, and that means facing a new high school. And the biggest question of all: Will she ever find love? Then a chance meeting in a London airport answers that question. Paul makes her heart leap. But she’ll never see him again! Or will she? In Your Dreams Sierra has had it! She’s done everything she can to find the right job, good friends, and most important, true love. But nothing is working out. Now she has to stay home to care for her grandmother. By herself. For the whole weekend! It will be terrible. But a series of startling surprises shows Sierra just how wrong she is—and before she knows it, she’s on her way to the perfect job, her first real date, and an encounter with a mysterious stranger. Don’t You Wish Sierra has three wishes: visit her California friends; have her older sister, Tawni, disappear; and learn more about the mysterious stranger. When Easter break arrives, Sierra’s first wish comes true! She’s headed to Newport Beach for fun, sun, and surf. Unfortunately, not only does Tawni not disappear, she accompanies Sierra on her escape. What’s worse, everyone has a boyfriend except Sierra. But will her wishes begin to change as she realizes God wants to mold her according to His wishes? Story Behind the Book “After writing the twelve-book Christy Miller series for teens, a new character showed up on the pages of the final novel. Her name was Sierra Jensen, and she was so compelling as a teenage character that readers began asking for a series about Sierra in order to hear more about her life choices. Our family had just moved to Portland at the time, and I found it easy to picture a sixteen-year-old like Sierra shopping at the local vintage clothing stores, hanging out with friends at a garage band concert, and serving at the homeless shelter on weekends.” —Robin Jones Gunn
Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend. Now Boarding at Gate 10 After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When Matthew starts to show a romantic interest in Christy, she realizes this summer vacation could change everything she thought her future would be. In the Event of a Water Landing Fifteen-year-old Sierra Jensen can’t wait to spend her summer vacation with her friend Jana at a pristine lake in Montana. But when they arrive, it becomes clear that Jana’s only interest is acquiring a boyfriend. Sierra just wants to hang out with the guys as friends, but Jana turns every encounter into a possible romantic relationship. As their friendship begins to suffer, Sierra wonders if it’s possible to find a Forever Friend who will listen to you, laugh with you, and keep your confidences.
Only You, Sierra Sierra was nervous about the future. She had always been the bold, free-spirited type. But then, her whole foundation of home and family had never before been rocked. Sierra Jensen settled back into her seat and gazed through the train window at the English countryside. So much was on her mind, and her heart was flooded with emotions. She hoped the friendship she had made with Katie and Christy the past week during the Europe mission trip would last forever. She dreaded the flight back to the States, knowing that everything would be completely different when she returned home. While in England, Sierra's family had moved to a different state. She hated the thought of going to a new high school in the middle of her junior year, where everybody already had their cliques and boyfriends. The prospect of another dateless year made her heart sink. She wondered if she'd ever find love, and then in a London airport, she met Paul. Her heart, which had sunk so low, leapt! But of course, it was just a chance meeting...wasn't it? She would never see him again...would she?
Faced with a serious lack of communication with her sister Tawni and her friend Amy, Sierra tries to trust in God to help her understand her relationships with the people in her life and not prejudge them.
This book explores the arguments, appeals, and narratives that have defined the meaning of infertility in the modern history of the United States and Europe. Throughout the last century, the inability of women to conceive children has been explained by discrepant views: that women are individually culpable for their own reproductive health problems, or that they require the intervention of medical experts to correct abnormalities. Using doctor-patient correspondence, oral histories, and contemporaneous popular and scientific news coverage, Robin Jensen parses the often thin rhetorical divide between moralization and medicalization, revealing how dominating explanations for infertility have emerged from seemingly competing narratives. Her longitudinal account illustrates the ways in which old arguments and appeals do not disappear in the light of new information, but instead reemerge at subsequent, often seemingly disconnected moments to combine and contend with new assertions. Tracing the transformation of language surrounding infertility from “barrenness” to “(in)fertility,” this rhetorical analysis both explicates how language was and is used to establish the concept of infertility and shows the implications these rhetorical constructions continue to have for individuals and the societies in which they live.
While visiting an amusement park and potential colleges, Sierra realizes that graduation is only a few months away, and it's a downhill rush from there.
Happenstance…or God’s Great Plan? She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s cute, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller’s good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All twelve books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra’s incredible God-led journey! Volume One: In Only You, Sierra, she’s nervous to be the “new girl” after her family moves to Portland and wonders if meeting Paul in London was only by chance. Just when everything important seems to elude her, all it takes is one weekend In Your Dreams to prove otherwise. But even a vacation doesn’t keep her troubles away in Don’t You Wish. Christy Miller knows a good friend when she meets her, and so will you— Get ready for Sierra Jensen! Only You, Sierra The Europe mission trip brought Sierra Jensen the best gift possible: two new friends, Katie and Christy. But now Sierra is headed home, and she can’t help but wonder will her friendships last? And what about her new home? Her family moved while she was gone, and that means facing a new high school. And the biggest question of all: Will she ever find love? Then a chance meeting in a London airport answers that question. Paul makes her heart leap. But she’ll never see him again! Or will she? In Your Dreams Sierra has had it! She’s done everything she can to find the right job, good friends, and most important, true love. But nothing is working out. Now she has to stay home to care for her grandmother. By herself. For the whole weekend! It will be terrible. But a series of startling surprises shows Sierra just how wrong she is—and before she knows it, she’s on her way to the perfect job, her first real date, and an encounter with a mysterious stranger. Don’t You Wish Sierra has three wishes: visit her California friends; have her older sister, Tawni, disappear; and learn more about the mysterious stranger. When Easter break arrives, Sierra’s first wish comes true! She’s headed to Newport Beach for fun, sun, and surf. Unfortunately, not only does Tawni not disappear, she accompanies Sierra on her escape. What’s worse, everyone has a boyfriend except Sierra. But will her wishes begin to change as she realizes God wants to mold her according to His wishes? Story Behind the Book “After writing the twelve-book Christy Miller series for teens, a new character showed up on the pages of the final novel. Her name was Sierra Jensen, and she was so compelling as a teenage character that readers began asking for a series about Sierra in order to hear more about her life choices. Our family had just moved to Portland at the time, and I found it easy to picture a sixteen-year-old like Sierra shopping at the local vintage clothing stores, hanging out with friends at a garage band concert, and serving at the homeless shelter on weekends.” —Robin Jones Gunn
College on the Horizon She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s young, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen—Christy Miller’s good friend—in her senior year of high school with college fast approaching! In this fourth volume of the popular Sierra Jensen series, Sierra’s life becomes a roller coaster of decisions as she strives to Hold on Tight through choices about friendship, honesty, and college. Then, with high school graduation Closer Than Ever , she eagerly plans for Paul’s visit and can’t wait to know where everyone will be going to college. Finally, in Take My Hand , a misunderstanding with Paul means Sierra must start college hurt and confused. Is the damage to their relationship as final as it feels? Christy Miller knows a good friend when she meets her, and so will you— Sierra Jensen is better than ever! Hold On Tight Decisions, decisions. That’s all Sierra’s life is lately. Eager to escape the stress, she can’t wait to join her brother and a few friends on a road trip as they visit a university in Southern California and tack on a day at an amusement park. It’ll be great! But right from the start, things go wrong. And suddenly Sierra’s trip is full of more twists and turns than any roller coaster. There’s only one way to handle a wild ride like this: hold on tight, trust God to keep her safe—and scream for all she’s worth. Closer Than Ever Paul is coming home! What’s more, he’s coming to Sierra’s graduation party. She spends every spare moment planning—after all, his visit has to be perfect. Then, more good news! Sierra and Randy are accepted into Rancho Corona University . Sierra couldn’t be happier—until she hears Vicki hasn’t received an acceptance letter. Does that mean Sierra and her friends won’t be in college together? But the worst news of all comes on graduation night. There’s been a terrible accident. With limited information, Sierra fears the worst. Can she let go and trust her dreams to God? Take My Hand What a year! Not only is Sierra starting college, but her older sister, Tawni, is engaged—to Paul’s older brother, Jeremy! As the two families prepare for the wedding, Sierra’s excitement grows. At last, she and Paul will be together—face-to-face! But their longed-for reunion is marred by a costly misunderstanding that turns Paul away and sends Sierra off to college hurt and confused. Only the gentle wisdom of Sierra’s good friend, Christy Miller, helps her face a difficult decision. But is it too late for Sierra and Paul? Story Behind the Book “After writing the twelve-book Christy Miller series for teens, a new teen character showed up on the pages of the final novel. Her name was Sierra Jensen, and she was such a compelling character that readers began asking for a series about Sierra in order to hear more about her life choices. Our family had just moved to Portland at the time, and I found it easy to picture a sixteen-year-old like Sierra shopping at the local vintage clothing stores, hanging out with friends at a garage band concert, and serving at the homeless shelter on weekends.” —Robin Jones Gunn
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.