Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts

Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts PDF Author: John Lapp
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680992244
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
When church histories of Africa have been written, they've usually been done by Westerners. These writers have typically been missionaries or relief workers; their analyses and conclusions have reflected those perspectives. This book -- by contrast -- is written by Africans. Each writer is an African church leader or pastor, and they write about the emergence and development of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in the countries from which they come. "The story of God's work in Africa did not begin with the arrival of the missionaries, but rather -- from the African perspective -- their arrival continued, reinterpreted and re-shaped an ancient story," begins this honest collection. Themes of the churches claiming their particular expressions of faith, of achieving self-reliance, of coping with difficult governments, of discovering their gifts despite their material poverty, thread through the book. Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts is the third edition of the first volume in the Global Mennonite History Series.

Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts

Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts PDF Author: John Lapp
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680992244
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Get Book Here

Book Description
When church histories of Africa have been written, they've usually been done by Westerners. These writers have typically been missionaries or relief workers; their analyses and conclusions have reflected those perspectives. This book -- by contrast -- is written by Africans. Each writer is an African church leader or pastor, and they write about the emergence and development of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in the countries from which they come. "The story of God's work in Africa did not begin with the arrival of the missionaries, but rather -- from the African perspective -- their arrival continued, reinterpreted and re-shaped an ancient story," begins this honest collection. Themes of the churches claiming their particular expressions of faith, of achieving self-reliance, of coping with difficult governments, of discovering their gifts despite their material poverty, thread through the book. Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts is the third edition of the first volume in the Global Mennonite History Series.

Toward an Anabaptist-Pentecostal Vision

Toward an Anabaptist-Pentecostal Vision PDF Author: Joseph C. L. Sawatzky
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 166673912X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
What does Pentecostalism, the fastest-growing Christian expression worldwide, have to do with Anabaptism, whose Mennonite adherents have sometimes been called "the quiet in the land?" In this groundbreaking study, Joseph C. L. Sawatzky explores a mission history of North American Mennonites working with African Initiated and Pentecostal-type churches in southern Africa, illuminating points of divergence and convergence between Anabaptist and Pentecostal streams. Placing testimonies of African and North American participants in this history within a broader biblical and theological framework, this study proposes bases for an emerging Anabaptist-Pentecostal vision, with implications for the church, its leadership, and its witness in the world. This lively, interdisciplinary study will interest students of mission, interculturality, and the Christian faith itself.

Radicals and Reformers

Radicals and Reformers PDF Author: Troy Osborne
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 1513813331
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 463

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Book Description
With Bibles and baptism, a movement was born. From renegade gatherings of Christian believers in the 1500s to a global communion of more than 2.1 million members, the Anabaptist-Mennonite movement has been marked by faithfulness and failure, continuity and conflict, radicalism and reformation. In this engaging history, Radicals and Reformers traces the origins and development of the Anabaptist and Mennonite movements from their beginnings in Europe through their spread across the globe. In this new authoritative introduction to Anabaptist history, historian Troy Osborne reflects on the ways that Anabaptists have defined their identity in new settings and in response to new theological, intellectual, geographic, and political contexts. Drawing from current scholarship and a range of written and visual sources, this book provides an overview of how Mennonites from Zurich to Zimbabwe have adapted to or resisted the world around them.

Through Fire and Water

Through Fire and Water PDF Author: Steven M. Nolt
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 0831697016
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 444

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Book Description
Through Fire and Water presents the Mennonite faith story within the sweep of church history. This engaging text uses stories of men and women, peasants and pastors, heroes and rascals, to trace the radical Reformation from sixteenth-century Europe to today's global Anabaptist family. Written in an accessible and nonacademic style, this revised edition updates the story and incorporates new historical research and discoveries. "A superbly written introduction to Anabaptist-Mennonite history in contexts ranging from Kansas to Congo." —Perry Bush, Bluffton University "An accessible and engaging read for those who know little about Mennonites, and also for those who think they are familiar with this complex story of faith, culture, and action." —Marlene Epp, Conrad Grebel University College "Captivating personal stories, set alongside an honest portrayal of the Mennonite journey." —Doug Heidebrecht, Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies

T&T Clark Handbook of Ecclesiology

T&T Clark Handbook of Ecclesiology PDF Author: Kimlyn J. Bender
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567678121
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 505

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Book Description
Divided into 3 parts, this handbook provides a wide-ranging survey and analysis of the Christian Church. The first section addresses the scriptural foundations of ecclesiology; the second section outlines the historical and confessional aspects of the topic; and the final part discusses a variety of contemporary and topical themes in ecclesiology. Compiled and written by leading scholars in the field, the T&T Clark Handbook of Ecclesiology covers a range of key topics in the context of their development and importance in each stream of historic Christianity and the confessional traditions. The contributors cover traditional matters such as creedal notes, but also tackle questions of ordination, orders of ministry, and sacraments. This handbook is extensive enough to provide a true overview of the field, but the essays are also concise enough to be read as reference selections.

Martyrs Mirror

Martyrs Mirror PDF Author: David Weaver-Zercher
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421418827
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
The first scholarly history of the iconic Anabaptist text. Approximately 2,500 Anabaptists were martyred in sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century Europe. Their surviving brethren compiled stories of those who suffered and died for the faith into martyr books. The most historically and culturally significant of these, The Bloody Theater—more commonly known as Martyrs Mirror—was assembled by the Dutch Mennonite minister Thieleman van Braght and published in 1660. Today, next to the Bible, it is the single most important text to Anabaptists—Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites. In some Anabaptist communities, it is passed to new generations as a wedding or graduation gift. David L. Weaver-Zercher combines the fascinating history of Martyrs Mirror with a detailed analysis of Anabaptist life, religion, and martyrdom. He traces the publication, use, and dissemination of this key martyrology across nearly four centuries and explains why it holds sacred status in contemporary Amish and Mennonite households. Even today, the words and deeds of these martyred Christians are referenced in sermons, Sunday school lessons, and history books. Weaver-Zercher argues that Martyrs Mirror was designed to teach believers how to live a proper Christian life. In van Braght’s view, accounts of the martyrs helped to remind readers of the things that mattered, thus inspiring them to greater faithfulness. Martyrs Mirror remains a tool of revival, offering new life to the communities and people who read it by revitalizing Anabaptist ideals and values. Meticulously researched and illustrated with sketches from early publications of Martyrs Mirror, Weaver-Zercher’s ambitious history weaves together the existing scholarship on this iconic text in an accessible and engaging way.

Peace Clan

Peace Clan PDF Author: Peter M. Sensenig
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498231020
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
What happens when North American Mennonite Christians arrive in Islamic Somalia? The answer, according to Peter Sensenig, is that something new emerges: a peace clan. From the first schools and medical work in the 1950s up to the educational partnerships of the present day, Somalis and Mennonites formed a surprising friendship that defied conventional labels. Peace Clan is the story of two deeply traditional communities as they encounter change. How can Somalis apply the profound peacemaking resources of their culture and faith in a society fragmented by violence? And how can modernizing Mennonites make sense of their peace convictions in the context of civil war and military intervention? In struggling with these questions over the course of six decades, Somalis and Mennonites held a mirror up to one another. The author shows how the common quest to transform enmity brings out the best in both communities, and suggests what a fruitful partnership might look like in the present challenges. Students, academics, and lay readers alike will find on these pages a compelling invitation to join the peace clan.

Winds of the Spirit

Winds of the Spirit PDF Author: Conrad Kanagy
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 0836197070
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
In this groundbreaking study, the authors make an unsettling claim: Anabaptist churches of the Global South have more in common with the church of the first three centuries than they do with contemporary churches in Europe and North America that claim the Anabaptist name. With data from 18,000 church members in ten countries, they show how historical patterns of church renewal are repeating themselves today in the Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The study does more than crunch statistics; it probes the sources and nature of the renewal and growth. And it pushes readers to ask what these trends can teach the church of the North in their own quest for faithfulness and vitality. "A compact and informative thesaurus on emerging ecclesiastical and cultural meanings of ‘Mennonite.’ Christian faith today is not merely a world religion, but a substantially non-Western phenomenon." —Jonathan J. Bonk, executive director, Overseas Ministries Study Center

A Cloud of Witnesses

A Cloud of Witnesses PDF Author: John D. Roth
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 1513809407
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 175

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Book Description
Indonesia is home to the oldest Mennonite community outside of Europe and North America. Author John D. Roth traces the 170-year history of Mennonites in Indonesia alongside the larger cultural and religious history of the country. By placing the legacy of European colonization from the sixteenth century to national independence in 1945 beside the history of the Dutch Mennonite mission to Indonesia in the nineteenth century, Roth creates a rich narrative tapestry. A Cloud of Witnesses traces the emergence of the three Mennonite-related groups found today in Indonesia. Like all churches, they have each integrated the good news of the gospel with the local culture, ethnic identity, religious currents, and national history in a distinctive way. In July 2022, these three Mennonite groups in Indonesia will collaboratively host the seventeenth global assembly of Mennonite World Conference in Semarang, Java. A Cloud of Witnesses helps to orient other members of the global Anabaptist-Mennonite church to the history and identity of this unique group of churches while also providing practical travel tips, recipes, reference notes on culture and language and tourist sites—making it the perfect accompaniment for those who plan to travel to Indonesia for Mennonite World Conference in the summer of 2022. ​ Selamat dating!

Christian Reflection in Africa

Christian Reflection in Africa PDF Author: Paul Bowers
Publisher: Langham Publishing
ISBN: 1783684453
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 980

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Book Description
This reference collection presents academic reviews of more than twelve-hundred contemporary Africa-related publications relevant for informed Christian reflection in and about Africa. The collection is based on the review journal BookNotes for Africa, a specialist resource dedicated to bringing to notice such publications, and furnishing them with a one-paragraph description and evaluation. Now assembled here for the first time is the entire collection of reviews through the first thirty issues of the journal’s history. The core intention, both of the journal and of this compilation, is to encourage and to facilitate informed Christian reflection and engagement in Africa, through a thoughtful encounter with the published intellectual life of the continent. Reviews have been provided by a team of more than one hundred contributors drawn from throughout Africa and overseas. The books and other media selected for review represent a broad cross-section of interests and issues, of personalities and interpretations, including the secular as well as the religious. The collection will be of special interest to academic scholars, theological educators, libraries, ministry leaders, and specialist researchers in Africa and throughout the world, but will also engage any reader looking for a convenient resource relating to modern Africa and Christian presence there.