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Creating Church Online: Ritual, Community and New Media (Routledge Research in Religion, Media and Culture)
by Tim HutchingsOnline churches are internet-based Christian communities, pursuing worship, discussion, friendship, support, proselytization, and other key religious goals through computer-mediated communication. Hundreds of thousands of people are now involved with online congregations, generating new kinds of ritual, leadership, and community and new networks of global influence. Creating Church Online constructs a rich ethnographic account of the diverse cultures of online churches, from virtual worlds to video streams. This book also outlines the history of online churchgoing, from its origins in the 1980s to the present day, and traces the major themes of academic and Christian debate around this topic. Applying some of the leading current theories in the study of religion, media and culture to this data, Tim Hutchings proposes a new model of religious design in contexts of mediatization, and draws attention to digital networks, transformative third spaces and terrains of existential vulnerability. Creating Church Online advances our understanding of the significance and impact of digital media in the religious and social lives of its users, in search of new theoretical frameworks for digital religion.
Creating Cistercian Nuns: The Women's Religious Movement and Its Reform in Thirteenth-Century Champagne
by Anne E. LesterIn Creating Cistercian Nuns, Anne E. Lester addresses a central issue in the history of the medieval church: the role of women in the rise of the religious reform movement of the thirteenth century. Focusing on the county of Champagne in France, Lester reconstructs the history of the women’s religious movement and its institutionalization within the Cistercian order.The common picture of the early Cistercian order is that it was unreceptive to religious women. Male Cistercian leaders often avoided institutional oversight of communities of nuns, preferring instead to cultivate informal relationships of spiritual advice and guidance with religious women. As a result, scholars believed that women who wished to live a life of service and poverty were more likely to join one of the other reforming orders rather than the Cistercians. As Lester shows, however, this picture is deeply flawed. Between 1220 and 1240 the Cistercian order incorporated small independent communities of religious women in unprecedented numbers. Moreover, the order not only accommodated women but also responded to their interpretations of apostolic piety, even as it defined and determined what constituted Cistercian nuns in terms of dress, privileges, and liturgical practice. Lester reconstructs the lived experiences of these women, integrating their ideals and practices into the broader religious and social developments of the thirteenth century—including the crusade movement, penitential piety, the care of lepers, and the reform agenda of the Fourth Lateran Council. The book closes by addressing the reasons for the subsequent decline of Cistercian convents in the fourteenth century. Based on extensive analysis of unpublished archives, Creating Cistercian Nuns will force scholars to revise their understanding of the women’s religious movement as it unfolded during the thirteenth century.
Creating Community Cohesion
by David HerbertUsing approaches from sociology, media and religious studies, David Herbert compares recent public controversies involving or implicating religion in the UK (England and Northern Ireland), the Netherlands and France.
Creating Community: Five Keys to Building a Thriving Small Group Culture
by Andy Stanley Bill WillitsIn Creating Community, Andy Stanley and Bill Willits take you on their amazing journey of developing the small group culture at North Point Community Church. They reveal their five key discoveries about what it takes to create a compelling small group ministry. These discoveries have helped connect almost 8,000 people into North Point's adult small groups. This is not just another book about community; this is a book about strategy--strategy that builds a small group culture. Creating Community shares clear and simple principles to help people connect into meaningful relationships. The kind God desires for each of us. The kind He uses to change our lives.Small Groups That Succeed. Small groups are the key to impacting lives in your church. But a healthy small-group environment--one that fosters meaningful, lasting connections--doesn't just happen. So pull up a chair. Let's talk about how to make it happen. Bill Willits and bestselling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly eight thousand adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta . Simply put, the five principles clearly described here have passed the test. Put this proven method to work in your ministry and enjoy the tangible results--God's people doing life TOGETHER. "The small-group program at North Point Community Church is not an appendage; it is not a program we tacked on to an existing structure. It is part of our lifestyle. We think groups. We organize groups. We are driven by groups. Creating Community contains our blueprint for success. And I believe it has the potential power to revolutionize your own small-group ministry!" -- Andy Stanley Story Behind the BookCreating Community flows out of the North Point Community Church story. The message here is not just some new small group program, but reflects a passion lived out and implemented in their church from the very beginning. Even with phenomenal growth, the church has stayed true to its commitment to small groups and has fine-tuned its ministry process into one of the most unique and effective models in churches today. Andy Stanley and Bill Willits have put these successful principles into this new book with the hope and prayer that pastors, churches, and leader with put them into practice.From the Hardcover edition.
Creating Cultures of Belonging: Cultivating Organizations Where Women and Men Thrive
by Beth Birmingham Eeva Sallinen SimardWith increasing interest from donors and board members to see faith-based, missional organizations reflect the diversity of God's kingdom, these organizations desire to have women in positions of leadership.belonging cultureCreating Cultures of Belonging
Creating Enlightened Organizations
by Judi NealThere is a growing movement to incorporate faith and spirituality in the workplace, to do things better, to utilize all the human capabilities of employees, and to truly revolutionize the role of business in the world. Creating Enlightened Organizations is the first book to provide a truly comprehensive approach to creating an organization designed to unleash full human potential in the workplace. Businesses have learned how to involve employees in problem solving, improve the emotional intelligence of their leaders, reengineer the business processes and create customer delight, but they have left out one essential ingredient that makes all the difference - the human spirit. There is a hunger for meaning and purpose in our workplaces and in our institutions. This book simplifies and organizes the best of what is going on in organizations at the individual, team and systems levels and provides guidance for putting it to practical use. It also offers a radically new view of the purpose of business in society and provides examples of leading edge organizations that make a positive difference in the world. Spirituality is the new competitive edge, and enlightened organizations know how to integrate the human spirit and spiritual values into their business practices.
Creating Family Traditions
by Gloria Gaither Shirley DobsonThere's something tender, sacred and very special about family traditions. Some are inherited from past generations, and some are born within your own family. Either way, traditions create closeness and seal the ties that bind families together. InCreating Family Traditions,Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson share their own ideas that will help make meaningful, long-lasting memories throughout the years to come. It's packed with easy-to-do, fun-filled activities for holidays and special occasions through all the seasons of the year, and can be enjoyed by all, from toddlers to grandparents. This is the second book in theLet's Make a Memoryseries. There's something tender, sacred and very special about family traditions. Some are inherited from past generations, and some are born within your own family. Either way, traditions create closeness and seal the ties that bind families together. InCreating Family Traditions,Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson share their own ideas that will help make meaningful, long-lasting memories throughout the years to come. It's packed with easy-to-do, fun-filled activities for holidays and special occasions through all the seasons of the year, and can be enjoyed by all, from toddlers to grandparents. This is the second book in theLet's Make a Memoryseries. Story Behind the Book We believed that the best memories aren't necessarily made of grand plans, vacation budgets or whole weekend outings. Indeed, the best memories are often made of delight in silly, simple things, and the most precious moments are just that - only moments: a hug, a tickling match, a pillow fight, a surprise stop for ice cream, or a detour from the ordinary to see the stars. This collection of ideas is meant to be just that - ideas. They may make you think of even better ways to create traditions, but these are places to start. May we all hold each other a little more closely and remember "home" a little more fondly because of ordinary days made holy by the sacrament of loving. From the Hardcover edition.
Creating Holy Spaces: Worship Visuals for the Revised Common Lectionary
by Delia Halverson Karen ApplebyWorship should be about more than just your ears. Worship means more when we’re experiencing more than simply the spoken, read, and sung word. That’s why Delia Halverson and Karen Appleby have written Creating Holy Space; to help us worship with our eyes as well as our ears.The book contains suggestions for worship visuals tied to each Sunday of all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary. These visuals can be assembled on the altar, placed elsewhere in the sanctuary, or photographed to be used for projection. The weekly entries describe each of the four readings for that Sunday, and suggest viuals appropriate to each, creating a multi-sensory experience of worship bound up with the day’s lectionary theme.
Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice
by Michael L. SatlowHow can we define "Judaism," and what are the common threads uniting ancient rabbis, Maimonides, the authors of the Zohar, and modern secular Jews in Israel? Michael L. Satlow offers a fresh perspective on Judaism that recognizes both its similarities and its immense diversity. Presenting snapshots of Judaism from around the globe and throughout history, Satlow explores the links between vastly different communities and their Jewish traditions. He studies the geonim, rabbinical scholars who lived in Iraq from the ninth to twelfth centuries; the intellectual flourishing of Jews in medieval Spain; how the Hasidim of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe confronted modernity; and the post-World War II development of distinct American and Israeli Jewish identities. Satlow pays close attention to how communities define themselves, their relationship to biblical and rabbinic texts, and their ritual practices. His fascinating portraits reveal the amazingly creative ways Jews have adapted over time to social and political challenges and continue to remain a "Jewish family."
Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice
by Michael SatlowHow can we define "Judaism," and what are the common threads uniting ancient rabbis, Maimonides, the authors of the Zohar, and modern secular Jews in Israel? Michael L. Satlow offers a fresh perspective on Judaism that recognizes both its similarities and its immense diversity. Presenting snapshots of Judaism from around the globe and throughout history, Satlow explores the links between vastly different communities and their Jewish traditions. He studies the geonim, rabbinical scholars who lived in Iraq from the ninth to twelfth centuries; the intellectual flourishing of Jews in medieval Spain; how the Hasidim of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe confronted modernity; and the post-World War II development of distinct American and Israeli Jewish identities. Satlow pays close attention to how communities define themselves, their relationship to biblical and rabbinic texts, and their ritual practices. His fascinating portraits reveal the amazingly creative ways Jews have adapted over time to social and political challenges and continue to remain a "Jewish family."
Creating Meaning in Funerals: How Families and Communities Make Sense of Death
by William G. HoyCreating Meaning in Funerals is a book about the ways in which bereaved families and communities create meaningful ceremonies against a backdrop of what is culturally appropriate, even when their choices might make little economic sense to those outside the culture. The culmination of these customs and practices, this book maintains, is how bereaved individuals, families, and communities are drawn into significant meaning making in early bereavement. Readers will be repeatedly challenged to suspend their own biases, observe the customs and beliefs of others thoughtfully, and provide counseling support and encouragement to bereaved individuals for whom funerals were or were not effective means of coping with their loss.Discussion questions at the end of each chapter make the book useful for educational settings such as funeral service classroom instruction, thanatology classes, and grief counseling courses. Each chapter is also accompanied by its own reference list to make chapters more useful individually.
Creating Peace by Being Peace: The Essene Sevenfold Path
by Gabriel CousensRepresenting a synthesis of the author's decades of multidisciplinary work in meditation, psychiatry, psychotherapy, and spirituality, Creating Peace by Being Peace guides readers in creating peace on seven levels of engagement, from the body to the ecology to God. Author Gabriel Cousens addresses the increasingly urgent need to transform humankind with the ancient peace wisdom of the Essenes, a Judaic mystical group that flourished two millennia ago. He begins by explaining the Essenes and the lessons they can teach us as creators of peace. Individual chapters cover a wide range of possibility, from the personal ("Peace with the Mind") to the political ("Peace with the Community"). The final chapter, "Integrating Peace on Every Level," presents a comprehensive plan for peace with the body, mind, family, community, culture, ecology, and God as a pervasive experience in life--moment to moment, day by day. Cousens blends documentary evidence with original interpretation to show that the Essenes actually did live this experience of peace. Most importantly, he transfers their gift to modern seekers as a breathing blueprint for realizing this reality as we walk in our lives; work according to our gifts, joys, and sacred design; and live the path of spiritual awakening--the sevenfold peace.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Creating Religious Childhoods in Anglo-World and British Colonial Contexts, 1800-1950 (Studies in Childhood, 1700 to the Present)
by Hugh Morrison Mary Clare MartinDrawing on examples from British world expressions of Christianity, this collection further greater understanding of religion as a critical element of modern children’s and young people’s history. It builds on emerging scholarship that challenges the view that religion had a solely negative impact on nineteenth- and twentieth-century children, or that ‘secularization’ is the only lens to apply to childhood and religion. Putting forth the argument that religion was an abiding influence among British world children throughout the nineteenth and most of the twentieth centuries, this volume places ‘religion’ at the center of analysis and discussion. At the same time, it positions the religious factor within a broader social and cultural framework. The essays focus on the historical contexts in which religion was formative for children in various ‘British’ settings denoted as ‘Anglo’ or ‘colonial’ during the nineteenth and early- to mid-twentieth centuries. These contexts include mission fields, churches, families, Sunday schools, camps, schools and youth movements. Together they are treated as ‘sites’ in which religion contributed to identity formation, albeit in different ways relating to such factors as gender, race, disability and denomination. The contributors develop this subject for childhoods that were experienced largely, but not exclusively, outside the ‘metropole’, in a diversity of geographical settings. By extending the geographic range, even within the British world, it provides a more rounded perspective on children’s global engagement with religion.
Creating Sacred Places in First Century Corinth (Religion and Spatial Studies)
by Alisha N. PaddockThis book applies spatial theories from human and cultural geography to the archaeological remains of Ancient Corinth in order to consider how sacred places could have been created in the first century. Building on Philip Sheldrake's theory, among others, the book defines sacred place as a space with significance. Significance is found in the group&’s spiritual history, their identity, and the proper behaviours required to keep the group remaining a group. The book further argues that if any of these elements of place are not recognized nor upheld, the group risks becoming placeless.
Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students: A Catholic Schools Perspective
by Michael J. BaylyMake sure your Catholic school's LGBT students are getting the support they need Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students is a comprehensive training guidebook for educators who are committed to diversity and the full inclusion of LGBT students in every aspect of the Catholic high school experience. Based on five years of pilot testing in Catholic schools, this unique book emphasizes safe-staff training in integrating the Church's pastoral, social, and moral dimensions with the special needs of LGBT students. The book presents strategies and resources for building safer schools, helpful materials for communicating with parents, and general guidelines for developing and maintaining professional helping relationships with LGBT students. Based on a "training the trainer" model, Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students encourages the development of grassroots leadership within the school. This unique book promotes a positive framework for navigating the challenging landscape of the Catholic tradition and the LGBT experience as it helps to establish anti-harassment and anti-bullying protocols for school environments and models for developing LGBT student support groups and gay/straight student alliances. The book promotes role-play by students, alumni, teachers, and parents-a hallmark of the ministry work and training methods of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities-and is flexible enough to allow each school's individual climate and culture to be respected.Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students includes:* first-hand stories from students and teachers* realistic, dynamic, and creative role-play scenarios that explore various relationships between students, teachers, parents, administrators, and the school board* opening prayer and meditation rituals* a special foreword by Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton, one of the few Catholic bishops to publicly affirm LGBT persons* an extensive bibliography and glossary regarding the experiences, language, culture, and spirituality of LGBT youth* the latest research findings on at-risk behaviors of LGBT teenagers * training handouts that are easy to duplicate and use as transparencies* a manual log that can be used as a training diary* and much more!Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students is an essential resource for faculty and staff members at Catholic high schools, particularly school administrators, chaplains, campus ministers, psychologists, social workers, and counselors.
Creating True Peace
by Thich Nhat HanhCreating True Peace is both a profound work of spiritual guidance and a practical blueprint for peaceful inner change and global change. It is the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh's answer to our deep-rooted crisis of violence and our feelings of helplessness, victimization, and fear.<P><P> As a world-renowned writer, scholar, spiritual leader, and Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most visible, revered activists for peace and Engaged Buddhism -- the practice he created that combines mindful living and social action. Having lived through two wars in his native Vietnam, he works to prevent conflict of all kinds -- from the internal violence of individual thoughts to interpersonal and international aggression. Now, in this new book, perhaps his most important work to date, Thich Nhat Hanh uses a beautiful blend of visionary insight, inspiring stories of peacemaking, and a combination of meditation practices and instruction to show us how to take Right Action. A book for people of all faiths, it is a magnum opus -- a compendium of peace practices that can help anyone practice nonviolent thought and behavior, even in the midst of world upheaval. More than any of his previous books, Creating True Peace tells stories of Thich Nhat Hanh and his students practicing peace during wartime. These demonstrate that violence is an outmoded response we can no longer afford. The simple, but powerful daily actions and everyday interactions that Thich Nhat Hanh recommends can root out violence where it lives in our hearts and minds and help us discover the power to create peace at every level of life -- personal, family, neighborhood, community, state, nation, and world. Whether dealing with extreme emotions and challenging situations or managing interpersonal and international conflicts, Thich Nhat Hanh relies on the 2,600-year-old traditional wisdom and scholarship of the Buddha, as well as other great scriptures. He teaches us to look more deeply into our thoughts and lives so that we can know what to do and what not to do to transform them into something better. With a combination of courage, sweetness, and candor, he tells us that we can make a difference; we are not helpless; we can create peace here and now. Creating True Peace shows us how.
Creating Understanding: A Handbook For Christian Communications Across Cultural Landscapes
by Donald K. SmithThis book is built on twenty-three propositions about communication, propositions that, when taken together, encompass fundamental truths about human communication from a Christian perspective. Creating Understanding puts communications media into proper perspective. It makes meaning and understanding the focus of the effort of communication. It is committed to having the purposes of communication determine the means to be employed. This book is a foundation on which the enterprise of Christian ministry can be built or refined. It provides perspective, constantly, on the ways the cultural landscape is informing and affecting the communication process.
Creating a Century of Humanism
by Daisaku IkedaFor these troubled and confusing times, Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda offers advice on how to bring harmony, hope, and assurance to all people. These five brief lectures on Nichiren' s writings delve into key concepts such as respecting all people, showing through our own lives the power of Buddhist practice, and what it means to champion human dignity.
Creating a Charmed Life
by Victoria MoranHow Does She Do It? We all know-and envy-women who appear to live "charmed" lives. They seem to unhurriedly and effortlessly manage the whirlwind of their busy lives with grace and poise. Good things happen to them, and their lives are filled with serendipity, joy, and prosperity. But it's not a matter of luck, according to Victoria Moran; a charmed life isn't something that happens to you-it's something you create! In Creating a Charmed Life, Victoria Moran unveils practical, spiritual secrets for expanding your capacity to love, know, and experience a fuller, richer life. Her insight, humor, and unassailable wisdom shine through each page to illuminate the magic in all our lives. Relish the calm Create miracles Nurture your dreams Savor simplicity Invite adventure Nourish your spirit
Creating a Charmed Life
by Victoria MoranHow Does She Do It? We all know-and envy-women who appear to live "charmed" lives. They seem to unhurriedly and effortlessly manage the whirlwind of their busy lives with grace and poise. Good things happen to them, and their lives are filled with serendipity, joy, and prosperity. But it's not a matter of luck, according to Victoria Moran; a charmed life isn't something that happens to you-it's something you create! In Creating a Charmed Life, Victoria Moran unveils practical, spiritual secrets for expanding your capacity to love, know, and experience a fuller, richer life. Her insight, humor, and unassailable wisdom shine through each page to illuminate the magic in all our lives.Relish the calmCreate miraclesNurture your dreamsSavor simplicityInvite adventureNourish your spirit
Creating a Charmed Life
by Victoria MoranHow Does She Do It? We all know-and envy-women who appear to live "charmed" lives. They seem to unhurriedly and effortlessly manage the whirlwind of their busy lives with grace and poise. Good things happen to them, and their lives are filled with serendipity, joy, and prosperity. But it's not a matter of luck, according to Victoria Moran; a charmed life isn't something that happens to you-it's something you create! In Creating a Charmed Life, Victoria Moran unveils practical, spiritual secrets for expanding your capacity to love, know, and experience a fuller, richer life. Her insight, humor, and unassailable wisdom shine through each page to illuminate the magic in all our lives.Relish the calmCreate miraclesNurture your dreamsSavor simplicityInvite adventureNourish your spirit
Creating a Christian Lifestyle
by Carl KochSenior year is a pivotal moment in the life of teens, a time when young men and women are shaping their goals and hopes for the future and seeking spiritual guidance. Creating a Christian Lifestyle, a comprehensive one-semester course, addresses significant issues teens will face as they choose among the many life paths they may travel--single or married life, religious life, or ordained ministry. The text examines themes common to all those paths: identity and autonomy, love, communication, sexuality, friendship, creativity and learning, work, money and possessions, and suffering and healing. Thought-provoking stories, poems, and personal examples lead students into discussion; engaging activities invite reflection, discussion, and journal writing. The full-color lively design and over 50 original artworks by students stimulate students' interest.
Creating a Haven of Peace: When You're Feeling Down, Finances Are Flat, and Tempers Are Rising
by Joanne Fairchild MillerAn inspiring personal story of overcoming hardship and finding comfort in the midst of chaos: &“Great practical ideas . . . They&’ll work for you too&” (Dave Ramsey). &“SANCTUARY! SANCTUARY! SANCTUARY!&” yells Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame as he enters the cathedral to escape his tormentors. Sanctuary: A place of asylum and immunity. A place of peace and unconditional love. A place to escape from the everyday stressors of life. An attainable retreat accomplished through intentional living. Creating a Haven of Peace provides a formula for creating Sanctuary in your own home—an escape from the busyness and chaos surrounding our families today. Here are very attainable steps to creating the life you desire—as well as real-life stories and advice that explore such topics as: How incorporating the five senses can turn your home into a Sanctuary of peace and love that supersedes the &“security&” you think money can provideHow relationship trumps all in building a foundation for peaceHow &“being your own boss&” isn&’t all it&’s cut out to be—the myths and realities of living the unpredictable entrepreneurial life When the business failed, the IRS was knocking at the door, the kids were hungry, and they had borrowed a beat up car from a friend, Joanne Fairchild Miller assumed this was the beginning of poverty and embarrassment. Instead, it turned out to be the wakeup call for her family&’s greatest and most successful adventure. Here, she shares her own personal experience of how &“The Ugly Year&” led to unexpected life change, and how you too can change your own life story.
Creating a Healthier Church: Family Systems Theory, Leadership, and Congregational Life
by Ronald W. RichardsonAn introduction to the Bowen Family Systems Theory and its applications both to church life and to the role of leadership in creating a healthier church, this book explains the complexities of congregational emotional life in understandable language.
Creating a Meaningful Life: A Practical Guide for Counselors, Therapists, and Other Helping Professionals
by Shannon HodgesCreating a Meaningful Life builds on the tenets of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to answer some of life’s basic questions, such as "How do I create a meaningful, purposeful life?" and "Is the life I am living one that brings me fulfillment, purpose, and a sense of inner peace?" Using a variety of techniques, including journaling, grounding exercises, cognitive self-talk restructuring, and more, chapters invite counseling professionals and students to explore their inner landscape, better understand themselves and find communion with others.