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Raised as a Southern Baptist in Rome, Georgia, Susan M. Shaw earned graduate degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, was ordained a Southern Baptist minister, and prepared herself to lead a life of leadership and service among Southern Baptists. However, dramatic changes in both the makeup and the message of the Southern Baptist Convention during the 1980s and 1990s (a period known among Southern Baptists as "the Controversy") caused Shaw and many other Southern Baptists, especially women, to reconsider their allegiances. In God Speaks to Us, Too: Southern Baptist Women on Church, Home, and Society, Shaw presents her own experiences, as well as those of over 150 other current and former Southern Baptist women, in order to examine the role, identity, and culture of women in the largest Protestant denomination in the country. The Southern Baptist Convention was established in the United States in 1845 after a schism between Northern and Southern brethren over the question of slavery. Shaw sketches the history of the Southern Baptist faith from its formation, through its dramatic expansion following World War II, to the Controversy and its aftermath. The Controversy began as a successful attempt by fundamentalists within the denomination to pack the leadership and membership of the Southern Baptist Convention (the denomination's guiding body) with conservative and fundamentalist believers. Although no official strictures prohibit a Southern Baptist woman from occupying the primary leadership role within her congregation -- or her own family -- rhetoric emanating from the Southern Baptist Convention during the Controversy strongly discouraged such roles for its women, and church leadership remains overwhelmingly male as a result. Despite the vast difference between the denomination's radical beginnings and its current position among the most conservative American denominations, freedom of conscience is still prized. Shaw identifies "soul competency," or the notion of a free soul that is responsible for its own decisions, as the principle by which many Southern Baptist women reconcile their personal attitudes with conservative doctrine. These women are often perceived from without as submissive secondary citizens, but they are actually powerful actors within their families and churches. God Speaks to Us, Too reveals that Southern Baptist women understand themselves as agents of their own lives, even though they locate their faith within the framework of a highly patriarchal institution. Shaw presents these women through their own words, and concludes that they believe strongly in their ability to discern the voice of God for themselves.

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Book that reveals--sadly--our actual experiences.
This is a great book that sadly reveals our actual experiences.All Southern Baptists need to read this book to enlighten those in power who need to change the status quo. God will hold SBC leadership accountable.Amen and Amen.

God Speaks to Us, Too
Susan Shaw has done a great job of presenting the attitudes of women who are/were part of
the Southern Baptist Convention.Her extensive use of direct quotes, her selection
of photographs, and her summary statements create for this particular group of
women a picture of what we have experienced.It is positive, and not a whining, "poor me"
kind of presentation.I'm grateful that it is available.

"We've a Story to Tell"
This captivating book offers an insider's look at Southern Baptist women within southern culture. The theme of "soul competency" is thoughtfully explored through the eyes and experiences of many different women with a unifying result. "God Speaks to Us, Too" is both funny and provocative. The notion of being "raised right" is a humorous vein that runs throughout the book. From the "we speak in code" acronyms of WMU, RAs, GAs, BYPU, and others, to the carefully directed activities of coronation ceremonies and sword drills, this book is very funny indeed. And all is presented amidst the backdrop of the denomination's greatest crisis to date--the fundamentalist takeover of the convention in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This power struggle within the hierarchy, and the effect it had on the denomination and institutions of higher learning associated with it, directly influenced the lives of many different women. This is the continuing story of these women, their struggles, and their triumphs. This book will appeal to all women acquainted with the Southern Baptist tradition, and will enlighten those not familiar with this way of life. Well done, Susan Shaw!

A Collective Story Well Told
This is a "must read" for every person ever associated with the Southern Baptist Convention.Or for anyone supporting those who grieve the losses that gender discrimination has created for women who have lived the story.

Shaw speaks with authority, laced with immense sensitivity!

While no longer a Southern Baptist, despite two decades working for it's various mission boards, I was honored to be allowed to tell some of my story.As one of the older participants, the book raises many memories and emotions for me.Yet I feel connected to so many of the other women who have struggled painfully with the identity crisis and personal losses created by fearful men who have manipulated the system and scripture in order to preserve power and privilege.

I beg to differ with one of the original descriptions of this book:After hearing far too many stories of collusion with clergy sexual abuse and other forms of oppression in the SBC, I no longer respect the leaders; and long ago, I ceased to be influenced by them.

However, thanks to Susan Shaw, parts of our individual stories, as well as the very important collective story, will live on.It needs to be told so that the next generation--both male AND female--will realize that they have many options, as well as obligations for accountability, whether they choose to stay or to leave this "established church of the South."

Dee Ann Miller
www.takecourage.org

... Read more

Product Description
"Accurate statistics are at the base of every advanced movement," -I. J. Van Ness, 1918.Southern Baptists have been compiling statistics about themselves for nearly 130 years, ranging from the numbers of baptisms to the number of filmstrip projectors in each church. The kind of information gathered and the methods of collection have changed over the years, but the importance of doing so has not. Data collection helps individual churches, associations, and the Southern Baptist Convention determine where they are, how they can best allocate resources, and their choices about shaping their future. From the days when geographical distances meant sending numerous letters to churches whose data was incomplete or late to the use of sophisticated software programs and the Internet, Cliff Tharp traces the history of the denomination's statistics-gathering process. More than just dry facts and figures, the process itself, as well as the kind of information sought, tells us much about the history and inner workings of the Southern Baptist Convention. Gathering information has not been without controversy, and indeed there is nothing glamorous about the work involved, prompting Van Ness to write that "the man who does it has to stand out of sight." As the man who stood out of sight for many years, Tharp presents an insider's view of the data-gathering process and a compelling argument for its continuing importance. You'll see Southern Baptist history through a different lens and learn why statistics will play an even more significant role in the denomination's future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ONE OF THE WORKS THAT INFLUENCED LIBERATION THEOLOGY AND THE "THEOLOGY OF HOPE"
Johann Baptist Metz (born 1928) is a Catholic priest and theologian, who is an Emeritus Professor of Fundamental Theology at Westphalian Wilhelms University in Germany.His political emphasis in theology strongly influenced Liberation Theology.(This 1968 book received both the Nihil Obstat and the Imprimatur.)

The essays in this book were written between 1961 and 1967. Metz states in the Preface, "These essays do not ... aim at being a unified theological treatise on 'the world,' but rather are concerned with the question of the 'secular' starting point and the point of reference of the theological responsibility of the believer. It is a question which must always be asked anew, and which today is an indispensable one."

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

"(T)he task of theology is to show that the historically irreversible process of secularization does not mean that Christianity is disappearing, but that it has become truly historically effective."
"The secularity of the world... has fundamentally ... arisen not against Christianity but through it. It is originally a Christian event.."
"In contrast, the Christian appears as the truly secular man---for only he is prepared to let the secular sphere be itself, through his imitation in faith of that more profound acceptance out of which all that is secular about the world draws its life, its liberating acceptance through God and Jesus Christ."
"The danger of the disappearance of faith, the beginning of unbelief is obvious here: religion is easily seen as a 'sector,' one of many modes of experience within this pluralist world-consciousness."
"The orientation of the modern era to the future, and the understanding of the world as history, which results from this orientation, is based upon the biblical belief in the promises of God. This biblical faith demands that theology be eschatology."

He concludes on the note, "Thus the indirect form of the responsibility of the Christian community for planning for the future requires the 'publication,' the socially critical mobilization of its original heritage: hope and love. The Christian community must bring this 'tradition' of hope and love into our planned society, which is more and more losing its memory and therefore losing its history."

... Read more

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This indispensable guide to the conduct and operation of Baptist churches provides rules and procedures for their orderly function. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

From A to Z
This book is an absolute necessity for anybody looking for church history, polity, or just why we do things in churches, this is it! ... Read more

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In this book, George Vandeman helps us to better understand the Lutherans, Baptists, and other faiths.

Table of Contents

What I Like About the Lutherans
What I Like About the Baptists
What I Like About the Methodists
What I Like About the Charismatics
What I Like About the Catholics
What I Like About Our Jewish Friends
Why So many Denominations?
What I Like About the Adventists ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

God's Unveiling of Truth and Light Through The Years
It's about Reformation and how God has guided His Church through all ages. A celebration of various movements, and their part in the continual unveiling of light till Jesus' words are fulfilled; "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" by the leading of the Holy Spirit into "all truth". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A beauitful, evocative book
In Giving Glory to God in Appalachia, Howard Dorgan explores the worship practices of Primitive, Regular, Old Regular, Union, Missionary, and Free Will Baptists.If you think that sounds like a dull, academic concept for a book, think again.The worship practices of the denominations under consideration are varied and often exuberant, and Dorgan's writing is highly evocative, conveying in rich detail the joy and pathos of worship in these mountain churches.

As Dorgan states in the introduction, he is less concerned with academic theorizing and more concerned with presenting a vivid, first-hand account of all that he has seen and heard.And in the nearly fifteen years he spent researching his book, Dorgan saw quite a lot:spirited, vociferous sermons, creek baptisms, foot washings, home comings, dinners on the ground, and evangelistic radio broadcasts.Dorgan's prose is at its most enchaining when he presents tableaus of these phenomena:a foot washing precipitates the erasure of interpersonal turmoil between two women; a preacher uses his lively mode of sermonic delivery to orchestrate the rapturous shouts and "hollers" of a group of women; a radio evangelist exhorts a recent widower to except salvation.The wonderful pictures interspersed throughout the book and the transcription of sermons help to further reify the worship scenes that Dorgan describes.

At times, Dorgan's prose is intensely personal.Dorgan is always aware that he is writing about sets of shared values and worship practices that mean a great deal to the congregations he is studying, and Dorgan treats his subjects and their beliefs with tremendous sensitivity and respect.Ultimately, Dorgan is writing about people and the ways in which they invest their lives with meaning and purpose.This gives Giving Glory to God in Appalachia a universal appeal:even readers who find the religious settings in the book completely alien will be able to sympathize with the congregations' search for meaning.

To sum up:Dorgan has written a beautiful, enthralling book.Don't think--just buy. And while you're at it, you might want to consider Airwaves Of Zion: Radio Religion In Appalachia
(ISBN-10: 0870497979), also by Dorgan. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A Must for Oprah's Book Club!!!
This book is one of the most thought provoking reads!Just imagine the struggle Jan Willis must have gone through trying to "find her place" in this world.Her journey from the Jim Crow south to the top of the Buddhist cooperative spirit is one I will not soon forget.Hey Oprah, you'll love this!!!

An amazing story
This book is one that is profoundly moving and an amazing journey of one woman's life.It chronicles some of the most significant pieces of history of the United States--segregation, MLK, Jr, the civil rights movement.

The chapters about travels to the East and meetings with Tibetan Buddhist Lamas (Lama Thubten Yeshe and Geshe Rabten) are poignant and fascinating.

Here there is tenderness, humor, wisdom, and triumph.It's a wonderful, wonderful book and really is a must read.

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the best sourcebook for Baptist resources
This book is a collection of historical sources which were used in the magisterial volome by H. Leon McBeth "The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness". The author gives a short introduction to important documents. This book should be used by professional historians as a companion to Baptist studies. Many materials printed in this volume are not published somewhere else, so you don't need look for and collect the sources by yourself.

Great Sources!
There are diverse voices from across the centuries that one can find nowhere else in this great collection by Leon McBeth.!

A Superb Supplement
Leon McBeth adds his Sourcebook for the Baptist Heritage as a larger extension of footnote material for his "Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness" (Broadman, 1987)The student of Baptist history will certainly appreciate this extra volume because of the effort that McBeth has included in its pages to carefully illustrate not only the genuine scholarship that he has put into his work, but also the 'human' side of the people about whom he is writing.(There are some personal letters included within the Sourcebook to give the reader some glimpses into the lives of the people or the events connected with the materials presented in the BH.)Furthermore, this book gives the readers the chance to read the primary materials for themselves and to dialogue with McBeth's conclusions. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Good Overview
I learned a lot from reading this book because I knew nothing about how African-Americans clung so strongly to the Baptist Church (especially along the southern atlantic coast).

Within this book you will clearly understand how and why the National Baptist Convention splintered into so many different factions and how the Southern Baptist Church came to dissociate iself from it.

A good read...and not too academic to boot. ... Read more

Product Description
...an important contribution...it is difficult to see how the historical argument could be any better presented than has been done by James McGoldrick. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

What Other Church?
When fundamentalist Christians are faced with the relative novelty of many of their cherished beliefs and practices within the context of Church history, they could react in one of three ways: first, they could acknowledge the facts of history but dismiss the importance of any historical support for their ecclesial tradition as irrelevant; second, they could acknowledge the historical evidence and adjust their beliefs to be more in accordance with historical Christianity (often leading to a move to Rome, Anglicanism, or Orthodoxy); third, they could dismiss the evidence as biased and construct a rival Church history more to their own liking.

Even though the extensive research into Church history of the last century should render the latter choice as a hopeless one, it is unfortunately all too common within a subculture where conspiracy theories are taken seriously as historical evidence. Through numerous error filled volumes (e.g., J. M. Carroll's Trail of Blood), revisionist histories have been constructed wherein a supposed alternate strain of Christianity conforming to the faith of the Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, Oneness Pentecostals, etc. (according to whomever is doing the reconstruction) is traced in opposition to the known Church of history. This "other" church supposedly can be followed through dissident groups who were persecuted by the Church as heretics but who were in actuality the "true Christians".

James Edward McGoldrick deals with the claims of the "Landmark Baptist" movement (where many heretical movements are considered persecuted historical Baptists) in Baptist Successionism. As a former adherent of the movement, McGoldrick understands the appeal of the revisionist product - after all, how can one claim to follow the true Christian faith when history shows your beliefs to have their roots a millennia and a half after the Resurrection? Has the grace of God not been operating all these centuries? Has God taken a vacation?

Revisionism claims to solve this by placing a rival Church of God alongside the corrupted so-called Church (whose "apostasy" is usually blamed on the Emperor Constantine). Of course, one cannot argue from silence and so candidates for the "true Church" are needed and found in various known dissident (and frequently heretical) sects throughout history. The effort has been so persuasive in some circles that some Baptists now believe they are not actually Protestants but can in fact trace their history back to the Apostolic Church in an unbroken succession.

McGoldrick, a professor of history at Cedarville College, was swept up by such views as an undergraduate but in his later investigations into Church history discovered them to be historically untenable. Such revisionism usually centers on one or two beliefs wherein a certain dissident group might agree with them as opposed to the historic Church, but ignores the greater picture whereby such groups by and large do not resemble Baptists or any other Protestants at all and their motivations for agreeing upon certain issues has nothing to do with Baptist principles. His analysis is comprehensive, impressive, and irrefutable - there were no Baptists prior to the Protestant Reformation and efforts to project Baptist beliefs upon the groups commonly cited are based on wishful thinking.

Dissident group after dissident group are placed under the historical microscope: Montanists, Novations, Paulicans, Bogomils, Petrobrusians, Arnoldists, Henricians, Albigenses, and Waldenses. Each group is shown to have no basic affinity to standard Baptist doctrine. Some were in schism on certain issues from the larger Church but had far more in common with them than anything we would consider Baptist. Others were so tainted by dualism as to only be "Christian" in a nominal sense. In no case is any group even remotely attached to Baptist beliefs and practices. McGoldrick also includes a refutation of the claim that St. Patrick was a Baptist. This contention is ridiculous but it shows how revisionists argue from silence (St. Patrick wrote very little and so they argue since he never endorsed certain Catholic doctrines in writing, he must be a Baptist) to produce Baptists ex nihilo. He then considers the claim that the Anabaptists were in the Baptist succession. That one could make such claims for a movement known to have sprung from the radical end of the Protestant Reformation is a mystery to all but those with successionist blinders, but McGoldrick patiently examines the claim and easily refutes it. Endings with a careful review of the true history of the Baptist movement, he concludes the obvious - Baptists are Protestants.

One might consider it unfortunate that a book needed to be written to demonstrate such a well established fact. However, given the trusting nature of many Christians and the ignorance of Church history within much of Protestantism, McGoldrick is to be commended for taking the time to answer these claims and perhaps inoculating others from their allure. Although aimed at the Baptist successionist movement, it also answers similar claims from any group purporting to be the "other Church". McGoldrick's unanswerable reply is "What other church?"

An indispensible resource
This book to me was a breath of fresh air.While I am not a Baptist (but at one time was affiliated with a non-landmark Baptist Church), my interest in this book was not so much for the purpose of refuting landmarkism, but to examine the various Christian or quasi-Christian bodies deemed heretical by the Catholic Church, and heralded as heroes of "true christianity" byFoxe's book of Martyrs, Dave Hunt, and the others who, denying that the Catholic Church is a Christian body, have to stay faithful to the words of Christ in Matthew 16:18 (and in doing so, label gross heresies and anti-Christian groups as "true Christians", calling that which is evil good).

The scholarship is excellent, as McGoldrick is careful to use original sources when possible, and when not, he honestly addresses the credibility of his secondary sources and is careful to extensively footnote everything.

For this purpose I am greatly indebted, as the book is useful to this end as well.The fact that McGoldrick misunderstands Catholic soteriology can be forgiven, as that was not the scope of this work.I highly recommend this to every honest Christian, regardless of denominational affiliation.

A Mixed Review
Brother James E. McGoldrick has written an interesting work on a controversial subject.It is admirable that he freely admits the fact that he is a former Landmark Baptist who has abandoned Landmark Baptist ecclesiology in favor of Protestant ecclesiology.He performs a valuable service by pointing out some of the historiographical weaknesses and errors found in a lot of pro-Landmark Baptist literature and provides some excellent primary sources deserving of further investigation.

The major weakness of this book, as I see it, is that he paints the churches in the free church tradition (e.g., the Novatians, Donatists, Albigenses, Waldenses, and Anabaptists) with too broad a brush instead of acknowledging that there were many doctrinal and practical differences within each of these groups and between these groups.They were not nearly as monolithic as he portrays them. Landmark Baptists do not contend that all of the churches in the free church tradition subscribed to all of the things Landmark Baptists believe and practice today, but one might get this impression from reading this book.Their major contention is that there have been, ever since the time of Christ's earthly ministry, Bible-believing New Testament churches on earth that have preached the true way of salvation and practiced the true way of baptism.These New Testament churches have been neither Catholic nor Protestant, but they have been bitterly opposed by both of these groups at times.

The sine qua non of Landmark Baptist ecclesiology is not the denial of any and all forms of a universal church, as this book might suggest, for a large percentage of the 19th century SBC Landmarkers believed in either the present or future existence of a church larger than the local, visible assembly or congregation.The essence of Landmark Baptist ecclesiology is ecclesiastical separation from churches that do not qualify as true New Testament assemblies.A rejection of alien baptisms, open communion, and pulpit affiliation lies at the heart of Old Landmarkism, and this is not brought out clearly enough in this volume.In effect, then, Brother McGoldrick often builds Landmark Baptist straw-men, then proceeds to tear them down.

William Whitsitt's modernistic theory of Baptist church history is too readily accepted by the author of this book.He would do himself and the rest of us a great favor if he would approach the study of Baptist history without these liberal presuppositions, and he has the training and expertise to write some really valuable books on this subject from a more objective viewpoint.As it stands, he has overreacted to some of the excessive subjectivity one finds in some Landmark Baptist writings by being overly subjective himself and biased against Landmark Baptist ecclesiology.

Fox in the hen house claiming he doesn't like chicken
McGoldrick in the introduction of his book,on page 5,sums it all with his statement "The author of this book is thoughly convinced that the New Testament affirms the doctrine of the universal church, and he thereforefeels no oblication to reconstruct the past in such away as to find ancientand medieval sects that might be called Baptists."As McGoldrickshould know the Baptist name comes from Believer's Baptism, which separatedthem from most Anabaptist.This distinction put salvation in Jesus not"the church".Baptist have always put scripture above tradition. Most baptist today would say many of the early fathers held many baptisttenets.We see many ancient heretics we would call brother.Cheif amongthose tenets are the authority of the holy scriptures only.Next to thisthe independance of the local church from alll man made authorities. McGoldrick's in error when he tries to define Cathari, Albigensed,Waldenses, and Anabaptist.These groups had many and veried tenets many ofwhich could be claimed by baptist today.Todays baptist hold many andvaried beliefs.What makes us baptist is believers baptism and localauthority.

It's about time
This is a valuable refutation of a ludicrous but popular error, "Baptist Successionism" in its various forms.McGoldrick should be commended for using as many primary sources as were available.This book,like Ralph Woodrow's _The Babylon Connection?_, is definitely part of apositive trend in Fundamentalist Christian histories. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume in the Classics of Western Spirituality makes available to a broad readership a selection of the core writings of John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719), a French priest and educator who changed the face of education in his time and whose reforms continue to influence the ways we educate our children today.

Born to a wealthy family, de La Salle turned his attention early on to the education of the poor and the marginalized and, at the same time, unwittingly founded a new type of religious community: Brothers who were teachers and active religious. Through his dedication to the vocation of teaching, de La Salle instituted several procedures that are still in practice in public and parochial institutions.
--student cooperative learning
--tuition-free attendance
--involvement of parents
--student service and ownership

De La Salle's spirituality for educators, which melds prayer and action, compassion and practicality, can be read afresh in every age: it transcends time and place. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A resource for the Christian parent or Teacher
What a wonderful little book! It gives excellent advice on classroom discipline. Of course corporal punishment is no longer permissible. Nevertheless, the aim of corporal punishment is clear from de la Salle -- indeed one could say it is far more humane that what is passed off for correction today, remarkable both in its restraint and gentlness.

It is clear from de la Salle that moral discipline and an education on the Faith begin with a parent's or teacher's self-discipline and own example. Very short, easy to read. A life-long challenge to implement. (Of course, the section on comportment must be read keeping in mind that fashions change as de la Salle himself points out. Nevertheless, there is much to learn even here.)

Pray, Study, And Wash Behind Your Ears
In 1878 the future presidential candidate Al Smith attended St. James parish school in New York City's Fourth Ward. In Smith's time the school enrolled 1,450 students, of which the Christian Brothers taught the 650 boys and the Sisters of Charity the girls. Today we might think of 1,450 students as a healthy enrollment for a Catholic secondary school in a large city. In 1878 and for years after the youngest Catholic students in massive numbers enjoyed the privilege of first rate education in a faith-based environment. It was truly a world of "no child left behind."

The fuel for this educational dynamo was neither ecclesiastical fiat nor fiscal sufficiency. It was the vowed life and services of thousands of Catholic women and men religious who brought the religious vision and charism of their various orders and communities to school settings. The changes in Catholic education between 1878 and 2005-particularly the virtual disappearance of the religious classroom educator-are poorly understood and routinely understated. Today's Catholic elementary school faculty is lay and generally married with family. None have the rigorous training of religious formation and novitiate; few have anything amounting to college specialization in theology. While most would probably profess the Catholic faith, few have the comfort to teach as an unabashed apologist for the Catholic Tradition. "A prophet is not without honor...."

One cannot read this recent compilation from the Paulist Press Western Spirituality series without a sense that the life and wisdom of St. John Baptist de la Salle is perhaps the publisher's most practical and useful release to date. La Salle [1651-1719], a wealthy priest and cathedral canon, fretted over issues of education facing France in the late seventeenth century. As with other volumes in this series, the introduction is extremely useful in briefly outlining the nature of the problems and La Salle's biographical attempts to meet them for the Church.

The problem was simple enough and certainly one familiar to contemporary Americans: only the children of the rich were getting top-flight education. Because of the French marriage of church and state, there was no secular or public education system in place. And in this, the era of the Sun King, there was no great hurry to educate the unwashed masses anyway. French Catholicism unfortunately shared something of this view: education of upper echelon youths toward a clerical life, law, and diplomacy was useful to the Church and the state. Mass education smacked of the dreaded "D" word. Neither hierarchy nor monarchy had time for democracy.

La Salle's marriage of faith formation, education, and equality is one of great achievements of the Post-Tridentine era. No one melded these goals into a spirituality of education as La Salle did. The primary task of a Catholic educator, he wrote, was his students' salvation, i.e., getting them into heaven. [Mention that at a diocesan school meeting today.] The establishment of religious identity in a child's mind is already a form of liberation, for all stand equal before God. La Salle understood the mind of the rich [he was practically one of them], and he knew that none of his charges stood a chance in the world of commerce without some measure of grace and manners. Chapters four and five, on school discipline and general decorum, must be read in this light.

That La Salle chose only laymen for this work is a great mystery. One is tempted to say that La Salle was anticipating Vatican II, but in fact the more likely answer is his belief that the classroom was a full time apostolate. Further, he would probably have failed in his efforts to wholesale recruit ordained clergy, who on the whole were quite upper crust in his day. La Salle himself suggests this when, in a moment of weakness, he compares his brothers unfavorably to his valet. In truth the first brothers were somewhat ruffians, and La Salle took considerable grief from his family and the Church for housing such men. Much of his writing is thus directed toward the formation of the brothers themselves in the form of rules, letters, meditations and retreats, not to mention the decorum and essentials of pedagogy. A day would come when his religious brothers turned against him, arguing with some credibility that La Salle could return to his cushy canon's life whereas they had nowhere to go. La Salle thus composed "The Heroic Vow," a solemn promise that he and his most intimate followers would essentially go down with the ship.

In his writing La Salle addresses questions that plague Catholic education to this day. For example, he did not as a rule accept the unchurched into his schools. He believed that proselytizing and the reconciliation of fallen-away Catholics was more appropriately the mission of the clergy and the parish itself. On the other hand, he had a certain compassion for the hard lives of parents, and reminded his brothers that they must drill their students repeatedly in the prayers and essentials of the Faith. He examines the problem of truancy from many perspectives, and concludes that in some cases the teacher himself may be the reason. [Mention that at a faculty meeting today.] He grasped the reality of "special needs" students long before the term was invented.

If American Catholic schools are not to return to a Louis XIV-style bastion of the upper class with five figure tuition rates, La Salle's vision of the school as an egalitarian venture to save souls needs revisiting. This compilation of La Salle's writings is a most useful cornerstone for the spirituality and identity of today's Catholic schoolteacher and rekindles a sense of urgency in regenerating the mission of primary Catholic education. The seventeenth century La Salle has amazing relevance to the twenty-first century American Catholic parochial situation. Curiously, in the present political climate, La Salle's vision seems ready for a second blooming.
... Read more

Product Description
Total Praise is an ideal orientation resource for those new to the African American Baptist church. Author Lora-Ellen McKinney provides basic information pertaining to distinctly Baptist beliefs, expressions of faith, and worship traditions in the African American context. The Q-&-A format makes this book easily accessible to individual readers and usable in group settings. Includes appendices with descriptions of the major black denominations and organizations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly Recommended
It was a pleasure reading this comprehensive, yet concise book. Containing everything from "What is Christianity?" to the "importance of both traditional and modern music in the African American church," to membership statistics for various Baptist organizations--this book covers a lot of ground. It is also an excellent springboard for discussion, and an accessible guide to the many components that comprise this unique segment of the American spiritual experience. Each chapter ends with questions for "prayerful consideration" offering the reader an opportunity for personal spiritual reflection. Congregations, church groups and leaders can gain instruction and inspiration from the author's discussion of specific challenges faced by today's black churches.Whether you are a researcher, inquirer, new or long-time church member, I highly recommend this book to you.Excellent appendices and glossary! ... Read more

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The largest Protestant denomination in the United States is in the midst of a serious identity crisis; many Baptists are revisiting or turning away from the tradition, leaving others to become increasingly uncertain that the denomination can remain viable. Here, however, noted Baptist historian Bill Leonard wades through the murky waters of the Baptist past and explores the historic commitments of this unique people -- all in an effort to shed light on its contemporary dilemmas and evaluate the prospects for a Baptist future. While encouraging members of the faith to thoroughly and fairly evaluate their heritage -- and its many blunders along the way -- Leonard ultimately argues that the Baptists' contentious 'audacious witness' shown throughout its history still has a worthy role to play in the twenty-first century. ... Read more

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The preamble of the original constitution of the Southern BaptistConvention describes the purpose of the SBC as "eliciting, combining,and directing the energies of the whole denomination in onesacred effort, for the propagation of the Gospel." These words are not only historically significant; they convey the mission and purposeand distill the distinct facets of the SBC Cooperative Program. One Sacred Effort looks close at this unique and enduring ministry operation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

UG! Why do they make us read this stuff?
One of the driest books ever written. He doesn't even get to the point until CHAPTER FIVE! It was such a frustrating read for me. If professors want us to really retain information they should pick books that don't zone us out and put us to sleep! I did get a lot out of the class but this book was a ZERO!

Review: One Sacred Effort
This book is great for knowledge of the Southern Baptist Cooperative program. I do, however, wish the authors would have been a little less theologically complex. The complexity of some of the chapters can easily confuse, and often bore the reader, and I have to admit I was expecting a little more user-friendly approach to reading this.

Coleman speaks truth
Jan Coleman has done it again!She writes with warmth, truth, and encouragement, inspiring us to see for ourselves that obeying God is the only way we will achieve our purpose in life and have the assurance of complete protection in all our affairs.Personal stories abound, providingpractical illustrations that will elevate our faith and trust in the one who loves us with an everlasting love.

Obedience is not a scary thing...
...it's the right thing--choosing God over that which would draw us away from Him. That's at the heart of Jan Coleman's message in Unshakeable, a fun, easy read, despite its challenging topic. I loved her remark at the end of the book: "There is always a way back to God. His unending love is the inner circle of safety. He doesn't care where we've been or what we've done, only where we are heading now." Jan gently leads us to that point where we can nod our heads and then walk in the same direction--toward Christ. I recommend this highly.

The Teacher Learns
I'm writing today from inside the parenting-an-adult-child meat grinder. I've been so busy teaching my daughters the lessons of life that I've neglected my own heart issues. "Unshakeable" has reminded me I must be on my own quest toward obedience. I love Jan's writing style - fun and sassy - her honesty and the great stories she tells to drive home the point. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A unique resource
The one review that has been here for nearly ten years can't be very accurate.I have tried to look for the alleged omissions from the texts of the confession, but have not found them.The only case is with the New Hampshire Confession of 1833.This book has the original 16 articles. Two other articles were added later on. These may account for the alleged omissions. The text in this book provides the original document.

This is a truly unique source because it brings together not only several historic confessions, but also a collection of covenants from historical churches.These documents make very interesting reading and they open a window into the thoughts and practices of Baptists in the past.The catechisms are also fascinating being that these tools are not often used by contemporary Baptists.

One point to note is that almost all of the confessions represent the Particular Baptists.Although confessions by the General Baptists would be interesting to Baptists today, Southern Baptists are descended from the Particular Baptists and therefore these confessions are of greater historical importance to SBC history and heritage.

I was somewhat displeased
I feel the major parts of the some of the creeds and confessions were ommitted for doctrinal reasons. I do know that there were some parts that were not in the other copies of the creeds that I have read. Otherwise itwas a very educational book. ... Read more

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Download A resource for discovering more about the Free Will Baptist denomination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent introduction to the Free Will Baptist tradition
"This volume is a summary of who Free Will Baptists are and what we believe. It examines our heritage, our beliefs and our ministries. The first chapter gives a brief history of our denomination. Pinson outlines the work of Paul Palmer, Benjamin Laker, Benjamin Randall and other early leaders of our movement. He gives special attention to the connection between North Carolina Free Will Baptists and the English General Baptists. He explains how our beliefs and practices developed during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

"Chapter four addresses our doctrinal history. It examines three doctrinal statements which have greatly influenced what we believe today. They are 'A Declaration of Faith of English People Remaining at Amsterdam,' written by Thomas Helwys in 1611, 'The Standard Confession,' which was adopted by English General Baptists in 1660, and the 'Former Articles,' adopted byFree Will Baptists in 1812.

"Two chapters are devoted to a study of our beliefs today.Chapter two discusses our most important doctrinal beliefs: it emphasizes those doctrines which are distinctive to our movement. Chapter five contains the complete text of our Treatise. This chapter enables the reader to examine carefully our church covenant, our major doctrinal beliefs and some of our most important practices.

"The last section of the book analyzes some of our most important ministries. It summarizes the work of the National Association of Free Will Baptists in Sunday school, Home Missions, Foreign Missions and other areas. Some attention is given to state and local ministries. The final chatper discusses other denominations which have similar beliefs and practices.

"This is the kind of book we have long needed. It is a relatively brief and easy-to-read summary of who Free Will Baptists are, what we believe and what we do. This volume should be required reading for all pastors, missionaries, teachers and others who are involved in Free Will Baptist work on a full-time basis. It should also be required reading for new ministers being licensed or ordained. It should be read by Sunday school teachers, deacons and others involved in local Free Will Baptist churches. Many churches now have orientation programs for new members, and this book could be very useful in such programs. Knowing who we are and what we believe can only help us serve the Lord more effectively."-Thomas Marberry, CONTACT magazine ... Read more

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Hold on to your Bibles, folks!You are about to be raptured into the gut-busting, demon-stomping insanity of God's Favorite Church, Landover Baptist - the web's ultimate religious spoof. In the sacred and honorable tradition of The Onion comes a hilarious collection of outrageous news, graphics and games that gleefully skewers America's very own Taliban, the evangelical right. Pastor Deacon Fred, Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian(tm), Pastor Harry Hardwick and the rest of the pew-jumping, finger-pointing crazies at Landover Baptist Church (Guaranteeing Salvation Since 1620!) provide a sharply written book full of uproarious words and images. With its shocking exposes, X-rated bible quizzes, scandalous sidebars and mug shots of America's damned, "Welcome to Jesusland!" is sure to become a classic of religious and political humor, taking its rightful place next to the Holy Bible as essential reading in all of America's hotel nightstands. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Satire for Hire that badly misses the mark
Undoubtedly the best satire is that which cuts so close to the bone that it makes the intended target squirm. When it goes over the top as this piece has done, then it hits (even its intended reader) like a live hand grenade that did not fire, i.e., like a dud: and ends up doing more harm than good: it does a disservice to its own cause, and plays into the hands of the very religious insanity it intended to expose. The best proof of this is that some of the religious nuts who reviewed the book here don't even get the fact that it is satire? They think this parody is a rousing endorsement of their cause? (Glory be!)

Although I am a confirmed "non-theist," this crude attempt at parody, of the mindless excesses of American religion, as practiced by the mythical Landover Baptist Church of Iowa, missed its mark so wildly that it left me feeling sorry for the Baptists. And believe me, that is going some. I am not sure that this was quite the feeling the author wanted a reader to come away with. Nor could the authors be content with the rousing endorsement of the non reading religious fanatics who misunderstood that the book was intended as a parody of their mindless practice of religion.

The fact that the likes of Pat Robinson, Jimmy and Tammy Faye Baker, Jimmy Swaggert, Oral Roberts (may their souls be tormented in hell as they tormented ours on earth), the "Promise Keepers, "The Brotherhood," and the "Zionist Neocons," have taken over the country and got their own President (Dick Cheney/GW Bush) elected, and then turned it into a neo-Fascist playground, is very, very serious business. Thus, the very grave situation this country finds itself in today in regards to religious fanaticism, demands satire of equal seriousness -- not the sloppily put together parody issued forth here.

This is teenage stuff, not for serious thinkers. What is needed is more adult stuff on the order of the book by Julia Sheeres memoir, called "Jesus land," or those by Christopher Hitchens, or Sam Harris; or better yet, something in the grand tradition of an H.L. Mencken, Mark Twain, or Will Rogers.

Having Just finished reading (and reviewing) Ms. Sheeres" very serious and true account of the hypocrisy and emptiness of fundamentalist's American religion, I could not have been more disappointed in this attempt at satire. Two stars

Thank You Jesus
Just when I thought there was no place for me in God's kingdom, I discovered Landover Baptist Church. Finally, a denomination that never pulls its punches and puts its money where its mouth is ... this is a Bible-believing church that knows whom it hates (almost everybody) and whom it likes (only those who are saved by the blood of the Lamb, and think just like the members at Landover do). No more soft-sell, wishy-washy views of Jesus ... this is the fundamentalist version we true Christians can get behind ... and not in some limp-wrist pansy way that'll send us to Hell ... in a God-fearing, heathen-hating, Jew-baiting manner that will surely have us sitting at the right hand of the father.

If you believe every last word in the Word, even the stuff that sounds so moronic that some of the "lukewarm" Christians can't even believe it, then this is the place for you. Buy this book and give it to one of your unsaved friends for Christmas.

Nothing holy. Godless blasphemy.
This type of book is the furthest thing away from God or Christ that can possibly be imagined.

The Bible Shortcut.
Welcome to JesusLand!(Formerly the United States of America): Shocking Tales of Depravity, Sex, and Sin Uncovered by God's Favorite Church, Landover Baptist
If you are like me, and would love to be able to read the Bible without all the filler, then buy this book. You will find all the information you need to properly set people straight about the inconsistencies of the Bible. Hilarious!

Funny stuff!
It's a breath of fresh air in these serious, Bush-ridden times.A great conversation piece or coffee table book.Nothing like taking the bible as 100% truth, to expose what a lot of crap the bible really is.

My second favorite fake church after the Subgeniouses.

Hallllaaallllluuuyyyaaaa!!! ... Read more