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General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1859Original Publisher: Burns ... Read more

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A Doctrine on Process
This work by Suchochi provides the notso timid reader of theology the opportunity to understand the concepts of evil, God's aim, Christ, Redemption, Resurrection and Eschatology from the view point of ProcessTheology. Suchochi shows God as a truly relational Being. She explains Godas one who takes us from the point we are at, considering our pasts andthen providing us with the best possible combination of circumstances(considering the world's influences upon us) and developes a way to reachGod's aim. Suchochi provides some diagrams that need to be studied well inorder to get the most benefit from them. ... Read more

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The author explores and examines the history, beliefs, practices, and growth of Christ Holy Church International, an African Independent Church in Nigeria, founded by Agnes Okoh, an illiterate woman who, while returning from a market in 1943, heard a voice repeatedly saying , "Matthew Ten."Agnes Okoh, a marginalized woman and a widow, was able to found and lead an itinerant evangelistic team of 12 members in 1947 as the movement grew into a church with nearly 800 congregations by 2002. The history of that church in a pluralistic, multi-cultural and multi-linguistic Nigeria is the focus of this book. ... Read more

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The Church of God in Christ (COGIC), an African American Pentecostal denomination founded in 1896, has become the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States today. In this first major study of the church, Anthea Butler examines the religious and social lives of the women in the COGIC Women's Department from its founding in 1911 through the mid-1960s. She finds that the sanctification, or spiritual purity, that these women sought earned them social power both in the church and in the black community. ... Read more

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Outstanding Book
This book is wonderful and full of interesting facts.I recommmend that every women that is involved in ministry to read this book.

Anxiously awaiting Butler's next book!
As someone who grew up in the COGIC, with an academic background in women's studies and political science,I found this both a personal and intellectual pleasure to read. Her balanced approach to the shortcomings and hidden strengths of the church's history as it relates to women's voice and agency is honest and revelatory. For anyone interested in some of the little known history of this faith, this book reveals the origin of some of the traditions and mores of this faith to even the "un-churched" reader. It also entertains even the non-academic reader. I can't wait until Butler produces her next book!

COGIC Women:Making a Sanctified World
Professor Anthea Butler's Women in the Church of God in Christ:Making a Sanctified World is a must read for all who are interested in the value of staying focused on an established mission.This book clearly demonstrates how a clear mission to sanctify the world deteriorated into an internal mission of sanctifying a denoninational church called the Church of God in Christ.From the founding of the Church of God in Christ with the support of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, Mother Lizzie Woods Robinson and Mother Lillian Brooks Coffey created a standard for both personal sanctification and in extending the influence of the Church in the world through active participation in civic activities to elevate the quality of life for all. They followed the lifting as we climb strategy into social prominence and respectability in the community at-large. The emphasis in the Church went from dressing to look holy to dressing to reflect your status in the Church organization and in civic afairs.This book also addressed the unresolved issue of what to do with and about women of influence in the ministry and in the Church's organizational structure especially as they out-distanced the male leaders under whom they are supposed to serve.Unfortunately for women in the Church of God in Christ, it seems that their role in the second half of the twentieth century declined as the Church went through a period of turmoil after the death of the founder and the nation as a whole experienced the civil rights movement and the resurgence of the feminist movement in the 1970s which forced Church women to retreat to more traditional subservient roles.This is a marvelous study of the rise and decline of women power in the Church of God in Christ which also coincides with the decline in the Church's influence in cvic affairs. ... Read more

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Edward Male's The Ancient Fathers on the Office and Work of the Priesthood in the Church of Christ appeared in 1891. Drawing upon the works of numerous patristic authorities as well as Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter de Blois, Male synthesized their theological reflection and endeavored to present "the unanimous sentiments of the Church Catholic on its important subject" (from the Translator's Preface). Book I, On the Office and Character of the Priesthood, contains sections "On the Excellence and Holiness of the Priestly Office" and "The Virtues Proper to the Clerical Order, Separately Considered." Book II, On the Pastoral Care, contains sections "On the Burden of the Pastoral Charge," "On the Duties of Pastors Towards God and Towards Man," and "On the Duty of the Pastor Towards Himself." The work closes with a Conclusion and Prayer, and contains an Appendix of short biographies of the authorities cited. ... Read more

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An intro to Tillard
This book provides a good introduction to Tillard's
work. It was written in response to some questions about
the sources for Tillard's larger work _Church of Churches_,
but the English translation of that book was rather
sloppy. This translation, however, is very good, and
a good introduction to the work of J.-M.-R. Tillard.

Excellent study on the origins of communion ecclesiology
Jean Marie Tillard wrote this book as a companion volume to the previously published 'Church of Churches'. It provides at the same time a resource which demonstrates the foundation of the so-called communion ecclesiology which is predominant in the post-conciliar Catholic Church in both the Scriptures and the Tradition, as well as being a response to his critics who accused him of being too innovative in his theology of the Church. In referring to the Tradition of the Fathers of the 'undivided' Church, that is the Church of the first Christian Millennium, of the traditions of West and East (both Antiochene and Alexandrian), Fr Tillard demonstrates that the roots of communion ecclesiology are found equally, if with different emphases, in the common Tradition. No only is the breadth of Tillard's reading phenomenal, as evidenced by the extensive footnotes, but also his pastoral and ecumenical awareness are evident in his demonstration of the openness of communion ecclesiology to dialogue with other Christians as well as being a basis for solidarity with the poor. This book is a key work for understanding the depths of communion ecclesiology, and should be read by anyone wanting to deepen their vision of the Church by reference to the Scriptures and to the Fathers. Despite its importance and scholarliness, this work is surprisingly easy to read and concise. ... Read more

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Though not an official Church statement Union in Christ is, nevertheless, a considered statement of faith and worthy of study and reflection by thoughtful Christians. Indeed, as such it stands in a long line of faith statements in the Reformed tradition... while not a statement of the whole Church, Union in Christ is a declaration of faith that has grown out of a significant gathering of Presbyterians. It is an important contribution to the Church's ongoing conversation about its faith and life. The commentary and study questions will be useful to the whole Church as it seeks to grow in faith, hope, and love." --from the introduction by Joseph Small, Director, Office of Theology and Worship, PCU.S.A. "This superb, beautifully written book is an explanation of the believer's union with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of union with Christ and Christ's life in us was central to the teaching of John Calvin about regeneration and justification, election and resurrection, for it is union with him and his union with us that links everything in the Christian life together. In and through him we become children of the heavenly Father, and share his life and love in the communion of the Holy Trinity. This is timely declaration for the Church today, for it puts proper evangelical and triniitarian belief back in the center of the Church's life, and union with Christ clothed with his Gospel to its place of power in the daily witness and of the Church."--The Very Rev. Professor Thomas F. Torrance ... Read more

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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jimmy Breslin has established himself as one of America's most distinctively Catholic voices. We have also come to know Breslin as the cocky guy from Queens, New York, who speaks insolently to powerful people and institutions, his words always tinged with a healthy amount of unsentimental outer-borough humor. Now, with a mix of sadness and anger, Breslin turns his sights on the Roman Catholic Church. After a lifetime of attending mass every Sunday, Breslin has severed his ties to the church he once loved, and, in this important book, filled with a fury generated by a sense of betrayal, he explains why.

When the church sex scandals emerged relentlessly in recent years, and when it became apparent that these scandals had been covered up by the church hierarchy, Breslin found it impossible to reconcile his faith with this new reality. Ever the reporter, he visited many victims of molestation by priests and found lives in emotional chaos. He questioned the bishops and found an ossified clergy that has a sense of privilege and entitlement. Thus disillusioned with his church, though not with his faith, he writes about the loss of moral authority yet uses his trademark mordant humor to good effect.

Breslin's righteous anger is put to use. Imagining a renewed church, along with practical solutions such as married priests and female priests, The Church That Forgot Christ also reminds us that Christ wore sandals, not gold vestments and rings, and that ultimately what the Catholic Church needs most is a healthy dose of Christianity. In that sense, Breslin has written a dark book that is full of hope and possibility. It is a book that only Jimmy Breslin could have written. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Angry Jimmy
I have been a reader of Jimmy Breslin for as long as I can remember.There has always been an angry edge to his writting (he hates dogs).

His anger is not hidden in this book; in fact, it gets in the way of the important story.

If you are Catholic and can deal with Jimmy's emotional outburst you should or should I say must read this book.

The clergy will be forced to hand over the church to the laity in the future but by that time it will be financially and morally bankrupt.When this happens you can't say that Jimmy Breslin didn't warn you.

To The Point
Breslin cuts right to the chase with this one. He backs up all his claims with facts. Exposes how the RC church hierarcy is a big political machine from Rome right on down to some parishes in NYC and Long Island. A lot of it has to do with corruption and greed. Yet he begins by telling us about the way he was brought up and all that the church meant to him as a youth and a young man. He gives credit where it is due to a pastor at a church in a poverty stricken parish in Brooklyn. Well done. He is careful to remain a Christian through all this, just not a practicing Catholic anymore.

No going back
The priest-pedophile scandal, whose exposure just celebrated its 5th birthday, is an issue that many in the Catholic hierarchy would rather forget. Let's put it behind us, they seem to say, and get back to yelling about abortion and gay marriage.

But writer Jimmy Breslin will not let the cardinal and bishops off the hook so easily. His book is a rambling -- but not incoherent -- narrative of his travels among the Church's walking wounded. Most striking is his ability to recall the time when the Church was an all-enveloping presence that gave shape and purpose to entire communities. His tour of his neighborhoods, blighted and without Church presence, severs as a yardstick of how much has been lost. His reminiscences of the days when his aunt could rely on the rosary to keep her loved ones safe is poignant. Enduring the absence of one's husband for 5 years during WWII is not a feat for the weak.

But that world is gone. Breslin rages at the pedophiles but also at the bishops and cardinals who allowed them to float from parish to parish, leaving a wake of damaged lives, drug abuse and suicide. Meanwhile, bishops happily evict elderly nuns from the convents, converting them into multi-million dollar mansions for themselves. And they cry "Abortion! Abortion! Abortion!" to distract the faithful from their autocratic and wasteful ways.

Breslin, a self-evident devout Catholic, is not always right, but he is always real. He is upset that the Church got rid of the rule against eating meat on Friday, less because of the rule than at the arrogance of priests who can just change the rules and expect everyone to follow along. His real target is the arrogance and spiritual destitution of the many who rule the Church, whose miserliness to the Church's people is highlighted by a few of the institution's real heros. That a bona fide Roman Catholic like Breslin could contemplate a Church that a) does not need priests to celebrate Mass, b) could ordain (and not just find personal pleasure with) women and c) should change its teachings about homosexuality and contraception, is stunning.

"The Church That Forgot Christ" is not a detailed, organized account of the Church's recent scandals. Neither does it offer a solution for the Church's many ills. What it does, and expertly, is to express the anguish of ordinary Catholics who are sick and tired of being pushed around by men who are interested only in themselves, and whose egoism has expressed itself in insularity, sexual predation, intellectual dishonesty and an absence of love.

An Important Read for All Faithful Catholics
"The Church That Forgot Christ" is a sad book. Jimmy Breslin, prodded by friends and colleagues to investigate the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, takes up the cross and investigates abuse situations that are brought to his attention. With each new finding, Breslin's tone becomes angrier and angrier. His anger drips from each page.

Breslin goes into depth on how the priests gained the confidence of their victims and their families. He also provides details on how these priests were "treated" by higher level clergy once their activities became known.Breslin clearly shows there was a conspiracy in avoiding the truth.

Breslin found that the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic Clergy (he also includes the story of a horny nun) was not just a crime of individual predators but also a crime of the Catholic hierarchy. Breslin implicates Cardinals, Bishops, and Monsignors by their avoidance of dealing with these situations in an appropriate and timely manner...hence "THE CHURCH" that forgot Christ.

As a contrast to the wayward Church, Breslin weaves the story of a Brooklyn priest, Fr. John Powis, throughout the book. Powis, who stays the priestly course, takes his vows seriously and faithfully does Christ's work. His life and work shows a shepherd responsibly protecting and caring for the flock entrusted to his care.

These predators and those who protected them represent the failure of clericalism. As Rev. Thomas Doyle, canon lawyer at the Vatican embassy in Washington, D.C., wrote "The delusion is that the clergy are above the rest, deserving unquestioned privilege and stature, the keepers of our salvation, the guarantors of favor with the Lord. But the deadliest symptom is the unbridled addiction to power."

Catholics will be torn by what Breslin has uncovered. Breslin's book may serve as another wake up call to the laity. Transparency by the hierarchy and involvement of responsible laity is desperately needed. As Gary Wills wrote in "Why I am Catholic" - throughout Church history, it was not the hierarchy that saved the church in tough times, but some unknown lay person or priest who rose up to save the church. Who will it be this time?

Jimmy Breslin renewed my faith
A recovering Catholic, I have long disagreed with the politics of the pope and his bishops. The one who chastsed John Kerry for his stand for women, was the same power that harbored priests who has abusd the kids. This is part of what Breslin writes about so well.

The book was written after he faced a dreadful theat to his life.
His book I Want to Thank My brain for remembering me is grand.
Most of those who have such a thret become more devout-- some craven. But Jimmy has courage. He does not recant his stand on the church.

Today we read of a bishop, Thomas Gumbleton who speaks out of his own experience as a kid-- abused by a priest.


Tom Diederich ... Read more

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The belief that Christ is the God-man is definitive of Christian orthodoxy and imperative to a right understanding of the gospel. By the middle of the fifth century, the church had wrestled with many challenges to the biblical portrayal of Christ and, in response to those challenges, had formulated the doctrine of Christ that remains the standard to this day. This look to the past helps as Christians contend with present-day challenges and seek to answer Christ-s question--Who do people say that I am?--for those living in the twenty-first century.For Us and for Our Salvation tells the very human story of the formation of the doctrine of Christ in those early centuries of the church. A glossary, numerous charts and timelines, and some helpful appendices make the book accessible and user-friendly. Primary source materials from key theologians and councils complement the engaging narrative. ... Read more

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Essential Reading on the Person and Work of Christ
Stephen Nichols is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Nichols (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary), is Research Professor of Christianity and Culture at Lancaster Bible College in Lacaster, PA. He is the author and editor of a number of books. He has the uncanny ability to turn difficult theological and historical issues into things interesting and even exciting for the average Christian reader. His, "Guided Tour" books are helpful introductions to the lives and theology of key Christian leaders in history. Now he is turning to issues of cultural history as well with his recent books on Blues music and his cultural history of Jesus in America. Nichols knows that the study of church history and historical theology is essential to the church and the believer today. His book on the doctrine of Christ in the early church is no exception.

We live in a day of historical anemia. People have absolutely no historical context in which to understand the theological trends of the day. Little do most know that much of what is considered "new" in theological trends and fads is hardly new but generally has been dealt with in the church before simply under different names. That is where looking at the person and work of Christ as discussed by the early church fathers is so important. Much of what we consider orthodox Christology was developed in the early church. The early church fathers had to deal with heresy as they attempted to understand issues like the divine and human natures in Christ, and other theological issues. The title of the book presents the reason why this is important. The true biblical nature of Christ is the basis for our salvation. Without a true picture of Christ, how can one truly be saved? Nichols addresses the importance of studying the fathers on these issues when he writes:

The early church fathers wrestled with the same problems presented by The Da Vinci Code phenomenon and its fanciful speculations about Jesus. They wrestled with the same problems presented by Islam and its adamant denial of the deity of Christ. And they wrestled with the same problems presented by the scholars working in the Jesus Seminar or in Gnostic texts like the Gospel of Judas who quickly dismiss the four canonical Gospels as God's true revelation to humanity. In the days of the early church, the names of the opponents were difference from those faced by us today, but the underlying issues bear a striking resemblance. When the church fathers responded with the orthodox view off Christ, they did the church of all ages a great service (p. 14).

So, Nichols looks at the early church debates over the person and work of Christ. These were not trivial debates but were at the heart of our very relationship with God and our salvation. While looking at a number of church fathers he addresses the importance of the debates over Christ at the Councils of Nicea and Chaledon and the work of the great Athanasius and Leo. He looks at the theology of the opponents of the orthodox picture of Christ presented in the creeds that developed at the councils, the historical context that these debates occurred, and the major orthodox players who helped to shape what we consider the true picture of Christ today as evangelicals.

The biggest strength of the volume is that Nichols, as a historian, realizes that we cannot simply focus on secondary sources or that even Nichols own analysis is sufficient to understanding these issues. One must look to the original sources. To that end, Nichols offers the original writings of those on both sides of the debates. So you will read the works of Irenaeus, Athanasius, and Tertullian, but you will also read from the Gnostic texts and Arius. It is important to look at both sides to see how ultimately, the church came to the expression of Christology that we consider orthodox today as expressed in the Nicean and Chalecedonian creeds. No one can truly understand the issues unless they look at the writings of the times. This helps but those debates in historical context and helps us to see the importance for us today.

These issues are not just old ones. We are facing the same issues today under new names. Therefore it is important to read the works of the early church fathers who dealt with these issues before. These issues are not tangential to the Christian life. They are at the core! Without an orthodox view of the person and work of Christ our salvation rests on no foundation. Only the God-man Jesus Christ, fully divine, and fully human, has the power to forgive sin and restore fellowship with the Father. Therefore, Nichol's book is a clarion call to all believers in this day to know in whom they have believed, and are persuaded that He is able to keep that which they have committed unto Him against that day. Our very salvation rests upon the person and work of Christ. May we shake off our theological and historical confusion and look to the Scriptures and the work of those who have gone before us as we seek to live our life for the one that came to save us, Christ Jesus our Lord. This book is highly recommended to that end for everyone who names the name of Christ.

Sound Apologetic for the Deity of Christ
~For Us and for Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church~ is an erudite work of Christian theological study for laypersons by Stephen Nichols. Therein, Nichols offers a thoughtful exposition on the Doctrine of Christ and His Deity. He illustrates how the early church fathers wrestled with these very issues. The book's title itself emanates from the words of Athanasius and the Nicene Creed, Christ is God in the flesh "for us and for our salvation." The author Nichols shows how church history is just as relevant today, since Christians are constantly revisiting the same controversies again and again. As Christians too, we should see the sovereign hand of providence at work. Though, the Church was confronted with the spirit of error, those who denied the Deity of Christ and/or that Christ had come in the flesh. Such controversies provided the opportunity for the Apostle Paul to clarify matters, building on the truth of the Gospel.In a strange providence, God allowed the spirit of error to be manifest that the truth and light of the Gospel would shine brighter yet still. Within the few centuries of the nascent Christianity's ascendancy, the early church fathers faced similar controversies emanating from various pseudo-Christian sects. They confronted Arians, Gnostics, Judaizers, and Modalists.

Christ's Deity Defended...
Stephen J. Nichols hit a homerun in this book. As the title suggests, Dr. Nichols' goal is to establish what the early church thought of the Deity of Christ. He lays this out by going through a quick examination of who the "players" are, what and who they were fighting, and then laying out their arguments.

After this, he lets the men speak for themselves with their own writings. I really enjoyed this format. You get some explanation and then you get to read for yourself. Most books will either focus on just the explanation and yet others just lay out the entirety of a writing. This book is a great medium. Although it is short, it gets to the point and shows that the Council of Nicaea was definitely not the first time that Jesus' deity was brought forth in the church, but was orthodoxy handed down from the Apostles to those in the early church.

The book is broken down in chapters based on the different centuries and includes many men and their beliefs, from the early centuries all the way to the fifth century. You read from men like Ignatius, Irenaeus, Turtullian, Hippolytus, Athanasius, Leo the Great, and more. You also encounter some of the heretical writings so that you see what these men were fighting against.

All and all, I would use this book as a resource for any that doubt the doctrine of Christ's divinity in relation to the early church. No doubt the Bible speaks of the divinity of Christ, but now we are getting attacked that it was a foreign concept to the church fathers. This book puts that to rest in a quick and easy read on the subject that Jesus Christ was no doubt God, and was For Us and Our Salvation. Highly Recommended.

A Clear, Brief and Helpful look into church history
Whenever I read something from church history I have the same approach and the same reaction. I approach the book thinking that I am going to have to jump into a time machine to relate to the subjects and issues of the day. However, I am quickly reminded that aside from the cool names there is very little that we do not have in common today with them.

In reading For Us and For Our Salvation I had the same response. Stephen Nichols does an admirable job of contextualizing the issues of yesterday while also helping us to see the commonality of what we are facing today. From the introduction Nichols writes:

The early church fathers wrestled with the same problems presented by The Da Vinci Code phenomenon and its fanciful speculations about Jesus. The wrestled with the same problems presented by Islam and its adamant denial of the deity of Christ. And they wrestled with the same problems presented by the scholars working in the Jesus Seminar or in Gnostic texts like the Gospel of Judas who quickly dismiss the four canonical Gospels as God's true revelation to humanity. In the days of the early church, the names of the opponents were different from those faced by us today, but the underlying issues bear a striking resemblance. When the church fathers responded with the orthodox view of Christ, they did the church of all ages a great service.

Nichols begins his book under the shadow of the completion of the New Testament and traces the development of the attacks and defense of the doctrine of Christ through the first four centuries. We are introduced to valiant defenders of a biblical Christology such as Tertullian, Ignatius, Irenaeus, and Hippolyteus. We learn of their battles against the Ebionites, Marcion, Sabellius and others. Furthermore, Nichols provides helpful detail concerning Athanasius and his battles with Arius.

In effort to help us see, feel and better understand the gravity of the issue at hand in these days Nichols intermixes chapters containing selections of the original documents written by both the "good guys" and the "bad guys". This is helpful in that it helps us remember that these were `regular' guys just living their lives, aiming to exalt Jesus by standing firm to what he Bible teaches. They had their 60-70 years to live and this is what they chose to fight for.

Nichols' book is a helpful look into the past for encouragement in the present. I really appreciated Nichols' ability to be both clear and brief in his chronicling of the doctrine of Christ in the early church. The book weighs in at more than manageable 172 pages which includes a couple of appendixes and a helpful glossary. For Us and For Our Salvation will doubtless prove helpful to all--pastors, teachers, students, and `laymen'.

Church History Today
Stephen Nichols is quite the prolific author. A professor at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School and a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, Nichols has written several notable books in the past few years and it seems that he always has at least one title on the "Coming Soon" lists at Crossway or P&R Publishing. Nichols has a gift for presenting church history in a way that is interesting and in a way that appeals to those who may not otherwise know (or care) about the long, storied history of the church. He shows how church history is relevant precisely because the controversies we face today are strikingly similar to ones the church has dealt with long ages ago.

The early church fathers wrestled with the same problems presented by The Da Vinci Code phenomenon and its fanciful speculations about Jesus. They wrestled with the same problems presented by Islam and its adamant denial of the deity of Christ. And they wrestled with the same problems presented by the scholars working in the Jesus Seminar or in gnostic texts like the Gospel of Judas who quickly dismiss the four canonical Gospels as God's true revelation to humanity. In the days of the early church, the names of the opponents were different from those faced by us today, but the underlying issues bear a striking resemblance. When the church fathers responded with the orthodox view of Christ, they did the church of all ages a great service.

Nichols' latest effort is titled For Us and for Our Salvation and it examines the doctrine of Christ in the early church. "This book explores [the] controversies over Christ faced by the early church. This book also looks to tell the story of the people involved." The timing of this title is no coincidence. In the past few years we have seen several attacks on the doctrine of Christ, most of the accusers claiming that the doctrine of Jesus' divinity was a fabrication of those who followed centuries after His death.

This book tells the story of how the doctrine of Christ was formulated by the early church and how this doctrine was forged in the fires of controversy. It relies, as do many of Nichols' books, on primary source materials from the key councils and theologians. Nichols offers compelling proof that the divinity of Jesus Christ was not fabricated by his followers centuries later, but was central to the church from its earliest days.

He ultimately has to conclude that

The early church was right in spending so much time and effort on the doctrine of Christ. They were right to contend that Christ is the God-man, very God of very God and at the same time truly human with flesh and blood. They were right to content that Christ is two natures conjoined in one person without division, separation, confusion, or mixture, to use the language of the Chalcedonian Creed. They were also right to contend that the gospel collapses without this belief. In the words of Athanasius and the Nicene Creed, Christ is the God-man "for us and for our salvation."

I've long believed that church historians do not receive their due in today's church. But a man like Stephen Nichols shows what an integral role they can (and should!) play. Historians have a unique perspective on contemporary struggles in the church and are able to show, to borrow a great little phrase from French, "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose." Or, to translate, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." There is a sense in which history seems cyclical--controversies arise and are put to rest for a time, but seem to rise again. Those with a view to the church's past are specially equipped to see these controversies for what they are and to teach how the church dealt with them in the past. Nichols does just this in For Us and for Our Salvation. He leaves no doubt that the answers to these contemporary issues lie in the past. ... Read more

Product Description
Whitney says that committed love must mark the local expression of the body of Christ. By putting spiritual disciplines into practice in the church, congregations can return to the depth of community present in the New Testament church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Corporate Spirituality
This is a solid book on corporate spirituality, exploring the dynamics of spiritual formation in the church through disciplines such as serving, giving, praying, attending ordinances, hearing the preached word, learning, fellowshipping, etc. Some chapters are better than others (the best chapters are the ones on worship and prayer and the final chapter which gives guidance on how to research a church before joining it), but all are worth reading. The book is sprinkled with some helpful illustrations and great quotations from the Puritan/Reformed tradition. This is a good follow-up to Whitney's more popular book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

Excellent resource for Sunday School or Bible Study!
This is an ideal book for pastors and leaders who are looking for a resource for a new believer's or new member's study at a church. Dr. Whitney continues to challenge and equip biblically. If you have readSpiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life you will enjoy this work aswell. ... Read more

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This rich and challenging book explores the roots or ancestry of the Churches of Christ and others who stand as heirs to the Stone-Campbell movement of the early nineteenth century. It asks, 'Where did we come from? How did we get this way? Why do we read the Bible the way we do? What has been the heart of our movement?' And it asks further, 'What can we learn from those who have viewed restoration of apostolic Christianity in ways quite different from our own?' The authors begin their story in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries - the age of Renaissance and Reformation. They isolate the stream of restorationist thought that arose in that age and then follow that stream through the Puritans, the early Baptists in America, the frenzy of pure beginnings in the early decades of American nationhood, and down to the Stone-Campbell movement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fascinating!
This book holds the mirror up to Churches of Christ and allows us to see how we have been (and continue to be) influenced by the history and traditions that we tend to deny.As the authors claim, you cannot understand and, if desired, counteract the influence of tradition and history if you do not first admit those influences are present.This book illuminates a lot of blind spots for Churches of Christ and reminds us we are not the only ones with a restorationist vision.We can learn much from the successes and mistakes of those who preceeded us.

A very entertaining and balanced read.

Concise, to the point and easy to read!
This book gives a quick look at the major forces shaping the religious movement called the restoration movement and how the churches of Christ fit into the overall picture.Members of the churches of Christ (or anyonereally) can gain much from seeing the similarities and differences betweenthemselves and the men and women of the past who spent their lives askingmany of the same questions and came up with many of the same answers.Beinspired by people who gave their lives for truth, purity and theirconvictions. ... Read more

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While many manuals advise clergy and congregants on tactics for church survival or thriving, few address the deepest identity, shape, and imperatives of the church in its identity in Christ and the tradition of discipling that stems from his life, work, death, and resurrection.



As compelling as it is clear, Craig Nessan's important new work retrieves biblical metaphors of the body of Christ and, following Dietrich Bonhoeffer, sees church today as "Christ existing as community."The theological-probing Nessan then adds contextual analysis and describes the four chief imperatives that mark Christ's presence in the world today: peacemaking, justice-making, care for creation, and engagement with the other. He then unfolds the real-life implications of this paradigm of Christian community for local church structure, strategies for partnering, public witness, and interreligious engagement. ... Read more