Books published by Abingdon Press

Stanford's "Mosaic" focuses on how God uses the brokenness in people's lives to make them better.

This is a 7-week study for older children (ages 9-12) about the final hours of Jesus' life, based on Adam Hamilton's book 24 Hours That Changed the World.

This is a 7-week study for younger children (ages 4-8) about the final hours of Jesus' life, based on Adam Hamilton's book 24 Hours That Changed the World.

This teacher book contains complete plans for 26 individual study sessions presented in biblical order. For each session, teachers are provided with: the session's stated purpose Bible background a step-by-step teaching plan a closing prayer Sessions: Genesis 1:1-2:4a It Was Good Genesis 2 God's Promise to Abram Exodus 3 Moses Encounters God Exodus 20:1-17 The Ten Commandments Deuteronomy 6:4-9 The Great Commandment Joshua 24:1-18 We Will Serve the Lord Ruth 1:1-18; 4:13-17 Where You Go, I Will Go 1 Kings 19:1-18 A Sound of Sheer Silence Esther 4 For Just Such a Time as This Psalm 23 The Lord Is My Shepherd Isaiah 52:13-53:12 The Suffering Servant Jeremiah 31:31-34 A New Covenant Amos 5:21-24 Let Justice Roll Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes Matthew 11:28-30 I Will Give You Rest Matthew 25:31-46 The Least of These Matthew 28: 16-20 Go Into All the World Mark 1:4-20 Jesus Begins His Mission Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-40 The Birth of Jesus John 3:1-17 God Gave His Only Son John 14 Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled Romans 8 The Spirit Helps Us 1 Corinthians 13 Love, the More Excellent Way 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 New Creation in Christ 1 John 4:7-12 God Is Love Revelation 21:1-6 A New Heaven and a New Earth Each lesson contains: Words for Bible Times (how the scriptures were heard) Words for Our Time (how we hear them today) Words for My Life (how we apply them to our life) separate Student book 9780687071999 26 sessions / 45-60 minute

Separate Leader's Guide # 9780687045396

Yoke of Obedience

In Her Words illustrates the contributions made to contemporary Christian theology by the increasing number of female theologians. Oden compiles selections from the writings of major female theologians from the early church through the present. The older selections have been translated into modern English. Each selection is accompanied by a brief introduction outlining its historical and theological context. Selections from the early church include Perpetua, The Martyrdom of Crispina, The Martyrdom of Agape, Irene, and Chione; from the monastic and middle period are Clare of Assisi, Hildegard of Bingen, Leoba, Julian of Norwich, and Catherine of Siena; and post-1500 C.E. include Teresa of Avila, Jane de Chantal, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Georgia Harkness.

In 1985, What They Don't Teach at Harvard Business School became a blockbuster bestseller because it offered proven-effective, "school of hard knocks" advice--not just classroom theories--to business people. Now, What Ministers Can't Learn in Seminary does the same thing for beginning and experienced pastors and seminarians. In bright, optimistic, good-humored language, R. Robert Cueni takes us step-by-step through the predictable crises of early ministry. He discusses the realities of congregational life, the difference between normal tensions and critical problems, and dozens of other problem areas. He also shows how to find a way through the maze of expectations held by church members. What Ministers Can't Learn in Seminary is distilled wisdom at its very best, offered with vigor and compassion--realistic about the church and highly affirmative of ministry.

How does an infinite God relate to finite human beings? How does the death of Jesus Christ bring about human salvation? How are Christians able to actively address the world's ills while maintaining their citizenship in the kingdom of God? These are questions the church grapples with today, as it always has. Yet, according to Thomas C. Oden, contemporary theology has neglected the church's traditional answer to these questions: the doctrine of grace. All too often modern theologians either ignore the doctrine of grace or relate it to the achievement of a particular political agenda. Oden asserts that only by reclaiming the centrality of grace--defined as God's self-giving through Jesus Christ in personal encounter with the individual human will--can Christian theology be true to the gospel. In order to reclaim the doctrine of grace, the author reaches back, beyond the fragmentation of theology that took place during and after the Enlightenment. He draws upon the ecumenical consensus held by early Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologians, councils, and creeds regarding this cardinal Christian doctrine. By adducing this ancient unity, Oden challenges modern assumptions concerning the sources and methods of the theological enterprise and calls contemporary Christians to discern what their forebears in the faith knew to be essential to the gospel: that to be a Christian is to be formed, nurtured, and upheld solely by divine grace.

Provides six proven successful "mega-strategies" for bringing more people into the church. Explains why John Wesley's writings still hold valuable insights for church growth. "In reading the manuscript, I was inspired by the constant swing between theory and practice. Here is a valid principle, writes Hunter; here is how it works in Tampa, Florida, or Wilmington, Delaware. I was also enthused, as you will be, to observe how McGavran and Wesley targeted 'responsive' people, how they both used indigenous music and language and culture, how they identified needs and met them, and how determined both were to have supportive fellowship groups, lest converts die 'aborning'."--Richard Wilke, from the foreword.

This is the first volume published in more than twenty years that is specifically focused on the theology of evangelism in the Wesleyan tradition. It contains essays written by key Methodist leaders from Asia, America, Europe, and Africa, thus offering a wide range of views of the nature and purpose of evangelism in the Weslayen heritage. It also provides focused and stimulating theological reflection. These essays were first presented as a symposium at the Mission Resource Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in February 1992.

This sequel to Seymour and Miller's popular Contemporary Approaches to Christian Education offers new information and ideas regarding the major theological issues within Christian education today. In one volume, the world's leading Christian educators reflect on such issues as tradition in the church, religious pluralism, human development, spirituality, ecumenical learning, feminist and liberation theology, practical theology, and hermeneutics. Contributors include Charles R. Foster, Susanne Johnson, Fumitaka Matsuoka, Melanie A. May, David Merritt, Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore, Romney Moseley, Robert T. O'Gorman, Richard R. Osmer, Marianne Sawicki, and Choan-Seng Song.

"Taking on the gods is a significant responsibility of pastoral counseling. Confronting those psychic structures, forces, and images which masquerade as God; bringing love, faith, and hope into the lives of persons; and being an extension ministry of Jesus Christ walking in the hells of human existence are all ways of expressing the true evangelistic purposes of pastoral counseling. The thought of taking on the gods in one's clients and in oneself may seem like arrogance or a humbling and awesome challenge. Nevertheless, taking on the gods is at the heart and soul of pastoral counseling." --from the author's Introduction

Story Journey offers a series of biblical stories to be learned and explored in a variety of ways. Each story is printed in episodes to facilitate memorization. Exegetical comments are offered, with references to good commentaries that explain the meaning of the story in the original context. Each chapter also includes suggestions about ways to connect the story with contemporary experience and to pray with the story Boomershine's chapters describe the essence of story as intertwining truth. Boomershine distinguishes learning a story in solitude from learning it with a friend or relating the story to another person altogether. Besides moral instruction, Boomershine examines roles stories have in pastoral care, peacemaking/arbitration scenarios.

Women in the United Methodist tradition have long expressed their commitment to Christ and to their sisters and brothers. Here is a collection of essays and primary source documents that tells the stories of pioneering ministries of United Methodist women--of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds--from the eighteenth century. Each essay traces the individual faith journeys and self-understanding of its subject. The stories also reveal the sexism and racism that confronted each woman overtly or covertly in church and society, as well as their own attitudes toward it. A selection of primary source documents by the subject follows each essay; these personal statements express vividly each woman's vision of vocation. In this way, the volume provides a lens for interpreting and analyzing the subjects' lives through their own words and enables women and men of today to identify with the commitment, experiences, and struggles of these pioneers and apply them to their own faith journeys. Thus, through the witness of these women, Spirituality and Social Responsibility calls the church to accountability and discipleship, both pastorally and prophetically.