This is the story of Thomas Frank Christian, the doubter. He was brought up on a farm, and influenced by his local pastor, he enters the minor seminary at the age of thirteen to study to become a Roman Catholic priest. We follow him through some ups and downs into the major seminary, where he is sexually attacked by his roommate. Tom goes on to be ordained. He serves six years in suburban parishes and spends many hours working with juveniles and adults who are in trouble with the law. He also begins to question many of the requirements of his church. Some of the questions turn into doubts, and he looks seriously at the need for obligatory celibacy. In his ecumenical contacts with married ministers and rabbis, he decides there is no justifiable reason not to be married and have a family. He goes to the archbishop and tells him he is ready to leave the priesthood. He gives the archbishop six months' notice. Tom goes through a difficult documented process to leave the priesthood, but eventually, Pope Paul VI grants his release to become a layman. A week after resigning, he starts a career in the field of criminal justice as a probation counselor. He spends thirty-five years working in three states, writes three books in his field, and mediates victim-and-offender cases on 48 Hours, HBO, and National Public Radio. Tom is married in a private ceremony to prevent scandal. He and his wife have three children and five grandchildren. In 2019, they celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. The book ends with a series of questions and doubts about modern-day religion.
With advice on how church leaders can improve the health of local congregations, this book takes a close look at the styles of church leadership that exist within the body, and offers a holistic method to create and preserve a healthy congregation through spiritual maturity.
Relationships, Thomas will take you on an honest reflection of your thinking and beliefs so that you will discover what love has got to do with your own life. Book jacket.
Commissioned by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for use in United Methodist doctrine/polity/history courses." This in-depth analysis of the connection between United Methodist polity and theology addresses ways in which historical developments have shaped--and continue to shape--the organization of the church. This revised edition incorporates the actions of The United Methodist General Conference, 2004. The book discusses continuing reforms of the church's plan for baptism and church membership, as well as the emergence of deacon's orders and other changes to ordained ministry procedures. The text is now cross-referenced to the Book of Discipline, 2004, including the revised order of disciplinary chapters and paragraph numbering. Denominational statistics are updated, along with references to recent works on The United Methodist Church and American religious life.
Learn to use four characteristics of "preaching with moral imagination" to proclaim freedom for all. The author describes the four characteristics using examples like Robert F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,Prathia Hall, and the Moral Monday Movement, along with musicians and other artists of today. Moral imagination helps the hearer to see what they cannot see, to hear what they cannot hear--to inhabit the lives of others, so that they can embody Christ and true freedom for those others. This book equips and empowers preachers to transcend their basic skills and techniques, so that their proclamation of the Word causes actual turnaround in the hearts and lives of their hearers, and in their communities. "Frank Thomas has written a passionate summons: amid the current destructive chaos of our society there is an urgent need for moral imagination. Such imagination is the antithesis of “diabolic” and “idolatrous” imagination that is all to the fore in our public discourse and practice. Thomas fleshes out “moral imagination” with close reflection on the practice of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Before he finishes Thomas shows how the urgency of “moral imagination” belongs peculiarly to the work of the preacher. This book is a welcome call for gospel-grounded courage and truth about the neighbor issued in a way that refuses the self-serving fakery that dominates our public life." --Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary "Timely and prophetic, How to Preach a Dangerous Sermon presents a homiletic essential for our churches today. Thomas insists that it is up to the preacher to recapture and reclaim the moral imagination of our nation so that the Gospel’s message of freedom is true for all people. With attention to specific figures whose witness models the qualities and characteristics of moral imagination, Thomas inspires the preacher toward powerful proclamation that both challenges and critiques any speech that subjugates or subordinates. How to Preach a Dangerous Sermon is must read for preachers to recover and reimagine the leadership role of the church for the sake of justice for all." --Karoline M. Lewis, Associate Professor of Biblical Preaching and the Marbury E. Anderson Chair of Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary; author of She: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Women in Ministry. "In this lucid and compelling book, Frank Thomas plumbs the depths of American moral rhetoric for insights that will help preachers. How to Preach a Dangerous Sermon provides new and dramatic ways in which the moral imagination in a democratic society can be nurtured by visionary, empathic, wise, and artistic preachers."--John S. McClure, Charles G. Finney Professor of Preaching and Worship, Vanderbilt Divinity School "Warning: Preachers, if you are comfortable with the status quo of white privilege, patriarchy, hetero-normativity, and classism, do not read this book. If you are comfortable with sermon series that reduce the gospel to self-help acronyms, don’t read this book. But if you have the courage to look honestly at our landscape and bring the moral imagination of the Christian tradition to bear on it, open these pages and your sermons may never be the same again. But then again neither will the church--or the world--be the same anymore, if enough of us follow Thomas’s advice." --O. Wesley Allen, Jr., Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
Learn to engage with a dangerous God, to preach the sermons your community needs today. Every sermon has a theology, and a god of that theology behind it. Preaching is more effective, and has more integrity when preachers understand the god behind their theology. Specifically, whether the god is a universal God, like the one expressed by Christ and the Christian faith, or a tribal god, which is sometimes dressed up to resemble Christianity but is something else entirely. Frank A. Thomas culminates his exploration of the Dangerous Sermon with this book, which leads readers through the process of identifying and understanding the gods behind theology, and their connection to preaching. The reader is equipped to discern the metaphors, symbols, and rhetorical indicators which point to the god a preacher is serving and calling others to serve. Praise for The God of the Dangerous Sermon Enlightening, vibrant, and memorable. A vital resource for anyone who seeks to preach substantive sermons. –Donyelle McCray, Associate Professor of Homiletics, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT With dexterous and definitive argument, Thomas compels preachers to be accountable for the God behind their rhetoric. –Karoline M. Lewis, Marbury E. Anderson Chair of Biblical Preaching, Professor of Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN The God of the Dangerous Sermon and its two companion books will raise up the next wave of preachers who simultaneously nurture faith communities and bear witness to the God of justice we know in the face of Jesus Christ. –Gregory V. Palmer, Resident Bishop of the Ohio West Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church Warning to all preachers: Do not open this book by Frank Thomas unless you are ready to be changed. No one else lays out the promise and perils of preaching with such clarity and compassion. I know I do not live up to the call of the God of the Dangerous sermon every single Sunday, but Frank Thomas sure makes me want to. Great teachers and preachers will do that. –Lillian Daniel, senior pastor of First Congregational Church in Dubuque, IA; author of Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To In God of the Dangerous Sermon, Frank Thomas refines his theoretical vision of celebration in African American preaching and demonstrates how and why theological content is at the heart of his project. For Thomas, celebration is rhetorical theology made possible because of the actions and character of a God whose divine performance consists of healing the brokenhearted, liberating the oppressed, and refusing to be tribal. A legend in his time, this is Thomas at the height of his native genius and creative powers. –Kenyatta R. Gilbert, professor of homiletics, Howard University School of Divinity, Washington, DC; author of Exodus Preaching: Crafting Sermons about Justice and Hope from Abingdon Press
The book of Revelation is perhaps the most theologically complex and literarily sophisticated — and also the most sensual — document in the New Testament. In this commentary John Christopher Thomas’s literary and exegetical analysis makes the challenging text of Revelation more accessible and easier to understand. Frank Macchia follows up with sustained theological essays on the book’s most significant themes and issues, accenting especially the underappreciated place of the Holy Spirit in the theology of Revelation.
The promise of America has always been creative potential: enterprise, industry, optimism, idealism, and hope. This promise, known since the beginning of the New World and named since the Great Depression as the "American Dream", is what makes immigrants cry at the base of the Statue of Liberty. But there is a dark side to the American Dream, too--one that we don't talk about much in polite company. A side characterized by the exploitation and domination of subjugated people. The national climate has caused many to question the validity of the American Dream, and whether it even offers a viable vision for the nation. There are few greater questions to ask. Our collective future depends on a common vision. If the American Dream is dead, then what happens next? This book evaluates the American Dream, establishes its roots, gives reasons for its decline, and offers solutions to reclaim the promise of the American Dream that is more aligned with Jesus' vision of the kingdom of God and Martin Luther King Jr' s vision of the "Beloved Community". Our challenge is to develop a redesigned American Dream, a sustainable future for all, free from exploitation and domination of subjugated people.
Through the unique lens of African American preaching, Frank Thomas explores the theology, dynamics, and guidelines for celebrative preaching. "They Like to Never Quit Praisin' God: The Role of Celebration in Preaching" provides the steps that are essential to understand and experience the Gospel through celebration and praise. This revised edition is updated with two new sermon illustrations and a sermon preparation worksheet.
Preachers increasingly see the need for to deliver sermons that are "dangerous" in a variety of ways, the way they challenge hearers' comfort levels and challenge established powers and hierachies. Thomas helps readers understand those dangers—especially the forces of power and hierarchy that are so intrinsic in our everyday lives and in society as a whole. He teaches how to anticipate and navigate those forces, to open opportunities for dangerous preaching, and to mitigate negative impact on congregants, the preacher, and the preacher-congregation relationships. Surviving a Dangerous Sermon is a logical follow-up to Thomas's previous book, How to Preach a Dangerous Sermon.It equips preachers to say what must be said, in a way that it is heard, so that the sermon has a chance to do its work on human hearts, without negative consequences.
In a groundbreaking book that rethinks spiritual formation, Gary Thomas argues that the contemporary church is in danger of accepting Christianity as a historical reality but not as a present power. Is the grace that pardons powerful enough to transform? Answering with a resounding yes, Thomas presents a compelling picture of what it means to be a “God oasis” in a God-forgetting world.“The first chapter alone is worth reading many times. This is beauty and struggle. This is the death that leads to life.”John Ortberg, Pastor and Author, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church“Set this book down ... slowly ... turn around ... and run away ... unless you hunger for a deeper vision of faith and thirst for genuine life transformation ... if you do, read on.”Kevin Harney, Pastor and Author“Once again, Gary Thomas challenges me to live passionately for God and to apply his transforming power to my daily decisions.”Kay Warren, Executive Director, HIV/AIDS Initiative, Saddleback ChurchThe Beautiful Fight will energize your life and your church. It will inspire you, equip you, and challenge you to delve ever deeper into what it means to be a truly holy believer, transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Discover just how radical Christian transformation can be, as you learn to see with new eyes, think with a new mind, and feel with a new heart. Thomas rallies you to the Beautiful Fight—the struggle to fully express the wonder and life-changing power of Christ in this world through every aspect of who you are.
This collection explores how the body became a touchstone for late antique religious practice and imagination. When we read the stories and testimonies of late ancient Christians, what different types of bodies stand before us? How do we understand the range of bodily experiences—solitary and social, private and public—that clothed ancient Christians? How can bodily experience help us explore matters of gender, religious identity, class, and ethnicity? The Garb of Being investigates these questions through stories from the Eastern Christian world of antiquity: monks and martyrs, families and congregations, and textual bodies. Contributors include S. Abrams Rebillard, T. Arentzen, S. P. Brock, R. S. Falcasantos , C. M. Furey, S. H. Griffith, R. Krawiec, B. McNary-Zak, J.-N. Mellon Saint-Laurent, C. T. Schroeder, A. P. Urbano, F. M. Young
Have you ever stopped to talk to God and had no idea where to start or what to say? Do you ever wonder if He hears you? Do you wonder if He understands what you are going through? In this book, three pastors dissect the Lord’s Prayer to answer these questions, give insight into what each part means, and show you how to use it to enhance your own prayer life. Prayer gives you joy in the good times, strength and courage in the bad times, and helps you know who God is in a true relationship with Him. Therefore, it is worth it to look closely at Jesus’ example and see what He said about how to pray. You’ll learn: -What the Lord’s Prayer is and what it isn’t -Why we should slow down when we begin to pray -Why saying “Thy will be done” can be difficult -The heart of God when we ask for things -A deeper understanding of forgiveness -The role of temptation in our lives Each chapter ends with questions you can either answer by yourself or use for group study. Our hope is that by walking through Jesus’ words and example, your prayer life and relationship with Him will grow stronger and deeper.
One of "our most insightful social observers"* cracks the great political mystery of our time: how conservatism, once a marker of class privilege, became the creed of millions of ordinary Americans With his acclaimed wit and acuity, Thomas Frank turns his eye on what he calls the "thirty-year backlash"—the populist revolt against a supposedly liberal establishment. The high point of that backlash is the Republican Party's success in building the most unnatural of alliances: between blue-collar Midwesterners and Wall Street business interests, workers and bosses, populists and right-wingers. In asking "what 's the matter with Kansas?"—how a place famous for its radicalism became one of the most conservative states in the union—Frank, a native Kansan and onetime Republican, seeks to answer some broader American riddles: Why do so many of us vote against our economic interests? Where's the outrage at corporate manipulators? And whatever happened to middle-American progressivism? The questions are urgent as well as provocative. Frank answers them by examining pop conservatism—the bestsellers, the radio talk shows, the vicious political combat—and showing how our long culture wars have left us with an electorate far more concerned with their leaders' "values" and down-home qualities than with their stands on hard questions of policy. A brilliant analysis—and funny to boot—What's the Matter with Kansas? presents a critical assessment of who we are, while telling a remarkable story of how a group of frat boys, lawyers, and CEOs came to convince a nation that they spoke on behalf of the People. *Los Angeles Times
The Book Of Revelation Made Plain And Clear is intended to remove all apprehension and hesitation from reading the great book of Revelation. Frank Thomas' simple and straightforward treatment clears away much of the confusion and misunderstanding that has for so long been associated with this wonderful book of prophecy. Applying an easy to understand and chronological approach, The Book of Revelation Made Plain And Clear is a fresh and unique look at Revelation and will enable every Bible student to find the hope and encouragement that it was meant to offer.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Author Gary Thomas takes you to new levels of inspiration and insight in Simply Sacred, a devotional made up of selections from his best spiritual writings. Abounding with spiritual insights and practical truth, this book will provide you the freedom to approach life in Christ with new wonder and joy each and every day.
In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, many of America's Christian evangelicals have denounced Islam as a "demonic" and inherently violent religion, provoking frustration among other Christian conservatives who wish to present a more appealing message to the world's Muslims. Yet as Thomas Kidd reveals in this sobering book, the conflicted views expressed by today's evangelicals have deep roots in American history. Tracing Islam's role in the popular imagination of American Christians from the colonial period to today, Kidd demonstrates that Protestant evangelicals have viewed Islam as a global threat--while also actively seeking to convert Muslims to the Christian faith--since the nation's founding. He shows how accounts of "Mahometan" despotism and lurid stories of European enslavement by Barbary pirates fueled early evangelicals' fears concerning Islam, and describes the growing conservatism of American missions to Muslim lands up through the post-World War II era. Kidd exposes American Christians' anxieties about an internal Islamic threat from groups like the Nation of Islam in the 1960s and America's immigrant Muslim population today, and he demonstrates why Islam has become central to evangelical "end-times" narratives. Pointing to many evangelicals' unwillingness to acknowledge Islam's theological commonalities with Christianity and their continued portrayal of Islam as an "evil" and false religion, Kidd explains why Christians themselves are ironically to blame for the failure of evangelism in the Muslim world. American Christians and Islam is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the causes of the mounting tensions between Christians and Muslims today.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Justice Restored is a true story of two young men who meet one early morning in Albany, New York. Gary Geiger is an amateur athlete who works the night shift at a motel close to New York's state capitol. Wayne Blanchard is a high school drop out, on parole from a robbery of a pizza delivery man back in Syracuse. Wayne and five of his partners decide to rob the motel. They hear that due to tourism, there may be up to $50, 000 in the safe. In the course of the robbery they find only $150 dollars. Thinking they have knocked Gary out, the gang splits. Wayne takes a final look in and sees Gary running to a door. Is he going to pull an alarm? Wayne shoots, turns and runs to the getaway car. Gary is seriously wounded. After leaving the state, Wayne is finally apprehended and tried. Based on Gary's testimony, Wayne is convicted and sentenced to twelve and one half to twenty-five years in prison. Gary suffers post-traumatic stress for years and feels the only way he can finally recover is to meet with Wayne in the correctional facility. Dr. Thomas Christian from the New York State Unified Court System prepares Gary and Wayne to have a victim and offender mediation. Home Box Office hears about the meeting and receives permission from all parties to film the encounter. After airing internationally, the program is nominated for an Ace award. Gary is relieved and has his questions answered and finds closure. He forgives Wayne and encourages him to change his lifestyle. Wayne takes responsibility for his behavior and is accountable to Gary for his actions. Gary now not only survives from the trauma but thrives on it as he speaks to many schools, and community and victims groups using the HBO video ofthe mediation as a teaching tool. After serving twelve and on half years (the minimum sentence), Wayne was up for parole consideration. Gary recommends Wayne get a second chance. While out on parole, Wayne witnesses a drive by shooting and recognizes the perpetrators. He comes to Gary and Dr. Christian to seek their advice. Should he turn the people in and be labeled a snitch or stand up for his community and testify against them. Wayne decides to repay Gary and the community for his past crime and comes forward and testifies. Two more predators are taken off the streets. Truly, a sense of justice is now restored for both Gary Geiger and Wayne Blanchard.
It all started back in 1995, shortly before Christmas. I felt inspired to write a Christmas story, so I did. In all truthfulness it tore me up to write it, because my vision was not limited to my words. It made me remember what Christmas was really all about. At that time I decided to write a story each year for Christmas and give copies out as gifts. After a few years I started writing stories for Thanksgiving and Easter as well. Then I started to write stories whenever I felt moved by the Lord. The recipients of my stories would often encourage me to publish them. So now I offer a second collection of what I call, for lack of a better title, Holiday Stories Volume 2'. They carry a decided Christian slant and hopefully give reason to be thankful. Hopefully they will bring you enjoyment, and many thoughtful moments. It's difficult to try to describe this mixed bag of stories, especially when you know it's only through the help of the Lord that the ideas and stories came into being. There is a similar central theme to many of the stories. There is that common thread of spirituality in the message of each story. The stories all are to bring a remembrance of Jesus Christ and what he did for sinful humankind. The stories are to illustrate a higher and purer love in sacrificial action in a world that we are all too familiar with. I hope you will enjoy these stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. And I pray to the Lord that my words will convey the vision that I was granted when I wrote them.
Thomas Edward Frank points out that the dominant paradigm of many contemporary books about church administration reflects an underlying “theology of progress,” a distilling of the gospel into self-worth, a conflation of basilea with market growth. According to Frank, good fortune and blessing are confused; praise and good feeling are identified. This paradigm of success and progress, however, fails to account adequately for the vision of the believers' presence in the world as ecclesia. “The soul of the congregation,” argues Frank, is a way of being and being-in-the-world, and not didactic or productive. Every congregation is a unique culture comprising the artifacts, practices, values, outlooks, symbols, stories, language, ritual, and collective character that makes it particularly itself. This culture--or soul--is an outgrowth of the life together of a particular mix of individuals, families, ethnic and community forms that have connected in a certain place over time. By carefully observing congregational culture, leaders and participants can deepen understanding and appreciation for the congregation as it has endured, and recognize possibilities for ministry derived from the congregation's values and strengths. In a series of delightful letters and engrossing reflections, Frank invites us to practice this art of discernment, of seeing, listening, paying attention, and spinning webs of connection with experiences, memories, traditions, and ideas that have gone before. Rather than reach for some newfangled church marketing or growth paradigm that does not feed the soul, he urges us to lean on what we already have among us. In so doing, we will rediscover the soul of the congregation of which we are already a part.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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