Author: David Weaver-Zercher
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421418827
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 434
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.
Martyrs Mirror
Author: David Weaver-Zercher
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421418827
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 434
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.
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421418827
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 434
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.
Bad Acts of the Apostles
Author: John Henson
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
ISBN: 1780990529
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 206
Book Description
A revised, extended and enriched edition of John Henson's most provocative, most controversial, most subversive book. From the very beginning Christians have deviated by word and deed from the teachings of Jesus Christ. Why — and is there something that we can learn about the Early Church by examining those deviations? When Luke wrote Acts, the sequel to his Gospel, was he fully aware of the difficult path he was taking? Did he write simply to extol the exploits of the first Christians and prepare their leaders for canonization - or did he have a different agenda altogether? This is not your usual approach to Acts. What Luke narrated, and how those views differed from those of the other Apostles, sheds light on what we thought we knew. And, better yet, it will encourage Christians to seek anew the mind of Jesus.
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
ISBN: 1780990529
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 206
Book Description
A revised, extended and enriched edition of John Henson's most provocative, most controversial, most subversive book. From the very beginning Christians have deviated by word and deed from the teachings of Jesus Christ. Why — and is there something that we can learn about the Early Church by examining those deviations? When Luke wrote Acts, the sequel to his Gospel, was he fully aware of the difficult path he was taking? Did he write simply to extol the exploits of the first Christians and prepare their leaders for canonization - or did he have a different agenda altogether? This is not your usual approach to Acts. What Luke narrated, and how those views differed from those of the other Apostles, sheds light on what we thought we knew. And, better yet, it will encourage Christians to seek anew the mind of Jesus.
Tongue Screws and Testimonies
Author: Kirsten Eve Beachy
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 0836197461
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
From the publisher of Martyrs Mirror comes this refreshing, reflective, heartbreaking, humorous—and sometimes irreverent—anthology of poems, creative essays and fiction by new and noted authors with connections to the Anabaptist tradition. Featuring writers such as Rudy Wiebe, Di Brandt, Jeff Gundy, Jean Janzen, Julia Kasdorf, John Ruth, Rhoda Janzen and others, Tongue Screws and Testimonies shows how stories from Martyrs Mirror intersect with the lives of writers and their characters—and how these stories continue to have a powerful hold on faith, life and imagination today. Collected and edited by Kirsten Eve Beachy, who teaches writing at Eastern Mennonite University, Tongue Screws and Testimonies challenges readers to consider the implications of Martyrs Mirror in their own lives. “Tongue Screws and Testimonies is for the young woman who remembers hiding behind the couch at her grandparents’ house to look at Jan Luykens’ engravings, and who still gets chills thinking about it. It’s for the man who, drawn into a Mennonite congregation in middle age, is trying to get a grasp of Anabaptist history. It will serve as a conversation starter with theologians of many traditions who are concerned with the difficulties of living faithfully.“—Kirsten Eve Beachy
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 0836197461
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
From the publisher of Martyrs Mirror comes this refreshing, reflective, heartbreaking, humorous—and sometimes irreverent—anthology of poems, creative essays and fiction by new and noted authors with connections to the Anabaptist tradition. Featuring writers such as Rudy Wiebe, Di Brandt, Jeff Gundy, Jean Janzen, Julia Kasdorf, John Ruth, Rhoda Janzen and others, Tongue Screws and Testimonies shows how stories from Martyrs Mirror intersect with the lives of writers and their characters—and how these stories continue to have a powerful hold on faith, life and imagination today. Collected and edited by Kirsten Eve Beachy, who teaches writing at Eastern Mennonite University, Tongue Screws and Testimonies challenges readers to consider the implications of Martyrs Mirror in their own lives. “Tongue Screws and Testimonies is for the young woman who remembers hiding behind the couch at her grandparents’ house to look at Jan Luykens’ engravings, and who still gets chills thinking about it. It’s for the man who, drawn into a Mennonite congregation in middle age, is trying to get a grasp of Anabaptist history. It will serve as a conversation starter with theologians of many traditions who are concerned with the difficulties of living faithfully.“—Kirsten Eve Beachy
The Amish Buggy Horse Five Book Omnibus
Author: Ruth Hartzler
Publisher: Amish Romance Books
ISBN: 1925689743
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 750
Book Description
A box set containing all 5 Amish Romance novellas in The Amish Buggy Horse series from US Today Bestselling Author, Ruth Hartzler. An Amish buggy horse by the name of "Blessing" is passed from one person to another, changing their lives in the process. Book 1. Faith For years, Nettie cared for her aged mother. Now that her mother has died, Nettie is alone, until a lost horse appears in her driveway. When Jebediah Sprinkler tries to force Nettie to hand over her house, Daniel Glick springs to the rescue. What will Daniel do when he discovers the secret Nettie is hiding from him? Book 2. Hope Melissa Glick is happy in her job filing paperwork for a dating agency. All goes smoothly until she meets the agency's most difficult client, the former Amish man Victor Byler. Can Melissa stop herself falling in love with this man who does not know what he wants, and worse still, is no longer Amish? Book 3. Charity Isabel is the sole witness to a crime. The handsome detective heading the case left the Amish years ago due to the community's forgiving attitude to a serious crime. Despite the sparks that fly between them, can the two ever be together, when they have opposing views? Book 4. Patience Circumstances have forced Patience Beiler to return to the community where she suffered a broken heart years earlier. Can she break through the web of lies and deceit that have conspired against her for years, and this time, find true love? Book 5. Kindness Lydia is past the usual Amish age for marrying and is convinced no man will want her as she is overweight. When the handsome Eli Schrock arrives in her community, will Lydia lower her barriers in time to allow Eli to see the true woman she is?
Publisher: Amish Romance Books
ISBN: 1925689743
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 750
Book Description
A box set containing all 5 Amish Romance novellas in The Amish Buggy Horse series from US Today Bestselling Author, Ruth Hartzler. An Amish buggy horse by the name of "Blessing" is passed from one person to another, changing their lives in the process. Book 1. Faith For years, Nettie cared for her aged mother. Now that her mother has died, Nettie is alone, until a lost horse appears in her driveway. When Jebediah Sprinkler tries to force Nettie to hand over her house, Daniel Glick springs to the rescue. What will Daniel do when he discovers the secret Nettie is hiding from him? Book 2. Hope Melissa Glick is happy in her job filing paperwork for a dating agency. All goes smoothly until she meets the agency's most difficult client, the former Amish man Victor Byler. Can Melissa stop herself falling in love with this man who does not know what he wants, and worse still, is no longer Amish? Book 3. Charity Isabel is the sole witness to a crime. The handsome detective heading the case left the Amish years ago due to the community's forgiving attitude to a serious crime. Despite the sparks that fly between them, can the two ever be together, when they have opposing views? Book 4. Patience Circumstances have forced Patience Beiler to return to the community where she suffered a broken heart years earlier. Can she break through the web of lies and deceit that have conspired against her for years, and this time, find true love? Book 5. Kindness Lydia is past the usual Amish age for marrying and is convinced no man will want her as she is overweight. When the handsome Eli Schrock arrives in her community, will Lydia lower her barriers in time to allow Eli to see the true woman she is?
Bridgebuilding
Author: Alastair McKay
Publisher: Canterbury Press
ISBN: 1786221438
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 197
Book Description
There is a prevailing culture of ‘niceness’ within churches which can lead to conflict avoidance, suppression and denial. Consequently, ministers and church leaders often struggle to handle tensions, difference and competing demands within their congregations. Drawing on practical theology, conflict theory, family systems theory and experience, Bridgebuilding will help church ministers and church members find more fruitful ways of engaging with tensions and conflicts in the life of the Church. It offers numerous practical tools for transforming conflict into opportunities for personal and corporate growth. It complements the 'Growing Bridgebuilders' training course developed by Bridge Builders with CPAS.
Publisher: Canterbury Press
ISBN: 1786221438
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 197
Book Description
There is a prevailing culture of ‘niceness’ within churches which can lead to conflict avoidance, suppression and denial. Consequently, ministers and church leaders often struggle to handle tensions, difference and competing demands within their congregations. Drawing on practical theology, conflict theory, family systems theory and experience, Bridgebuilding will help church ministers and church members find more fruitful ways of engaging with tensions and conflicts in the life of the Church. It offers numerous practical tools for transforming conflict into opportunities for personal and corporate growth. It complements the 'Growing Bridgebuilders' training course developed by Bridge Builders with CPAS.
The Art of Forgiveness
Author: Philip Halstead
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1978701365
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 318
Book Description
Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. It goes hand in hand with love, mercy, and grace, the fundamental theological virtues. However, forgiveness is easier to define than it is to embody. This unique collection of essays brings together theologians, ethicists, and ministry practitioners into a constructive dialog which explores the complex and crucial concept of forgiveness: what it is, where it is to be found, and how it might be practiced. These essays reflect the perspectives of those from various traditions who nonetheless take the Christian Scriptures seriously, believe that forgiveness is central to living out the Gospel, and are creative in the ways in which forgiveness can be practiced. Forgiveness is an art and not simply a science; as such it requires trust, skill, and hope alongside love, mercy, and grace if it is to be embodied. This volume offers a unique window into the art of forgiveness and the faithful and innovative ways in which it is to be understood, embodied, and cultivated.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1978701365
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 318
Book Description
Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. It goes hand in hand with love, mercy, and grace, the fundamental theological virtues. However, forgiveness is easier to define than it is to embody. This unique collection of essays brings together theologians, ethicists, and ministry practitioners into a constructive dialog which explores the complex and crucial concept of forgiveness: what it is, where it is to be found, and how it might be practiced. These essays reflect the perspectives of those from various traditions who nonetheless take the Christian Scriptures seriously, believe that forgiveness is central to living out the Gospel, and are creative in the ways in which forgiveness can be practiced. Forgiveness is an art and not simply a science; as such it requires trust, skill, and hope alongside love, mercy, and grace if it is to be embodied. This volume offers a unique window into the art of forgiveness and the faithful and innovative ways in which it is to be understood, embodied, and cultivated.
Disarmed
Author: Marshall V. King
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 1513808354
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
A powerful story of one man’s radical commitment to peacemaking. Michael “MJ” Sharp was a modern Mennonite armed with wit and intellect, but not a gun. The son of a Mennonite pastor, he demonstrated a gift for listening and persuading early in life. His efforts to approach others with acknowledgement rather than judgement gave him the ability to connect on a level very few managed. He also honed a deep commitment to peace, and after college he joined the Mennonite Mission Network and moved to Germany, where he persuaded soldiers to choose peace and free them of their violent systems. At 34 years old, MJ was working for the United Nations Group of Experts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—urging rebels to lay down their weapons—when he was murdered, likely assassinated alongside his colleague Zaida Catalán by those with government ties. This compelling account of MJ’s life, death, and legacy from longtime journalist Marshall V. King explores what compelled Sharp to travel the world working for peace and the ongoing impact of his life and death in the ongoing story of Christian peacemaking in a war-torn world.
Publisher: MennoMedia, Inc.
ISBN: 1513808354
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
A powerful story of one man’s radical commitment to peacemaking. Michael “MJ” Sharp was a modern Mennonite armed with wit and intellect, but not a gun. The son of a Mennonite pastor, he demonstrated a gift for listening and persuading early in life. His efforts to approach others with acknowledgement rather than judgement gave him the ability to connect on a level very few managed. He also honed a deep commitment to peace, and after college he joined the Mennonite Mission Network and moved to Germany, where he persuaded soldiers to choose peace and free them of their violent systems. At 34 years old, MJ was working for the United Nations Group of Experts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—urging rebels to lay down their weapons—when he was murdered, likely assassinated alongside his colleague Zaida Catalán by those with government ties. This compelling account of MJ’s life, death, and legacy from longtime journalist Marshall V. King explores what compelled Sharp to travel the world working for peace and the ongoing impact of his life and death in the ongoing story of Christian peacemaking in a war-torn world.
Haven's Wake
Author: Ladette Randolph
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 1496210778
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
Early July, and the corn in eastern Nebraska stands ten feet tall; after a near-decade of drought, it seems too good to be true, and everyone is watching the sky for trouble. For the Grebels, whose plots of organic crops trace a modest patchwork among the vast fields of soybeans and corn, trouble arrives from a different quarter in the form of Elsa’s voice on her estranged son’s answering machine: “Your father’s dead. You’ll probably want to come home.” When a tractor accident fells the patriarch of this Mennonite family, the threads holding them together are suddenly drawn taut, singing with the tensions of a lifetime’s worth of love and faith, betrayal and shame. Through the competing voices of those gathered for Haven Grebel’s funeral, acts of loyalty and failures, long-suppressed resentments and a tragic secret are brought to light, expressing a larger, complex truth.
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 1496210778
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
Early July, and the corn in eastern Nebraska stands ten feet tall; after a near-decade of drought, it seems too good to be true, and everyone is watching the sky for trouble. For the Grebels, whose plots of organic crops trace a modest patchwork among the vast fields of soybeans and corn, trouble arrives from a different quarter in the form of Elsa’s voice on her estranged son’s answering machine: “Your father’s dead. You’ll probably want to come home.” When a tractor accident fells the patriarch of this Mennonite family, the threads holding them together are suddenly drawn taut, singing with the tensions of a lifetime’s worth of love and faith, betrayal and shame. Through the competing voices of those gathered for Haven Grebel’s funeral, acts of loyalty and failures, long-suppressed resentments and a tragic secret are brought to light, expressing a larger, complex truth.
Five Risks Presbyterians Must Take for Peace
Author: Christian Iosso
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 1611648238
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 134
Book Description
Believing peacemaking to be an inherent part of discipleship, Presbyterians have taken many valiant stands for peace throughout our history. However, changing global realities, political and military actions, and new weapons of war have made the world less safe than ever. The church must reconsider how to be faithful peacemakers in this changing reality. The Presbyterian Church recently spent six years reflecting on peacemaking. Building on past policy documents, people at all levels of the church studied and discussed what peacemaking policies needed to be modified given the world context today. The 2016 PC(USA) General Assembly affirmed five affirmations the church must make to fulfill its peacemaking calling. Those affirmations become risks when truly taken, because their message collides with the demands for continued sacrifice by the powers that be. In this timely resource, author Christian Iosso explains what the five risks are, how they differ from previous positions, and what taking each risk might look like today. Ideal for individual or group study, this important resource includes questions for reflection and discussion.
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 1611648238
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 134
Book Description
Believing peacemaking to be an inherent part of discipleship, Presbyterians have taken many valiant stands for peace throughout our history. However, changing global realities, political and military actions, and new weapons of war have made the world less safe than ever. The church must reconsider how to be faithful peacemakers in this changing reality. The Presbyterian Church recently spent six years reflecting on peacemaking. Building on past policy documents, people at all levels of the church studied and discussed what peacemaking policies needed to be modified given the world context today. The 2016 PC(USA) General Assembly affirmed five affirmations the church must make to fulfill its peacemaking calling. Those affirmations become risks when truly taken, because their message collides with the demands for continued sacrifice by the powers that be. In this timely resource, author Christian Iosso explains what the five risks are, how they differ from previous positions, and what taking each risk might look like today. Ideal for individual or group study, this important resource includes questions for reflection and discussion.
Queering Mennonite Literature
Author: Daniel Shank Cruz
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 0271084405
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
Though the terms “queer” and “Mennonite” rarely come into theoretical or cultural contact, over the last several decades writers and scholars in the United States and Canada have built a body of queer Mennonite literature that shifts these identities into conversation. In this volume, Daniel Shank Cruz brings this growing genre into a critical focus, bridging the gaps between queer theory, literary criticism, and Mennonite literature. Cruz focuses his analysis on recent Mennonite-authored literary texts that espouse queer theoretical principles, including Christina Penner’s Widows of Hamilton House, Wes Funk’s Wes Side Story, and Sofia Samatar’s Tender. These works argue for the existence of a “queer Mennonite” identity on the basis of shared values: a commitment to social justice, a rejection of binaries, the importance of creative approaches to conflict resolution, and the practice of mutual aid, especially in resisting oppression. Through his analysis, Cruz encourages those engaging with both Mennonite and queer literary criticism to explore the opportunity for conversation and overlap between the two fields. By arguing for engagement between these two identities and highlighting the aspects of Mennonitism that are inherently “queer,” Cruz gives much-needed attention to an emerging subfield of Mennonite literature. This volume makes a new and important intervention into the fields of queer theory, literary studies, Mennonite studies, and religious studies.
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 0271084405
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
Though the terms “queer” and “Mennonite” rarely come into theoretical or cultural contact, over the last several decades writers and scholars in the United States and Canada have built a body of queer Mennonite literature that shifts these identities into conversation. In this volume, Daniel Shank Cruz brings this growing genre into a critical focus, bridging the gaps between queer theory, literary criticism, and Mennonite literature. Cruz focuses his analysis on recent Mennonite-authored literary texts that espouse queer theoretical principles, including Christina Penner’s Widows of Hamilton House, Wes Funk’s Wes Side Story, and Sofia Samatar’s Tender. These works argue for the existence of a “queer Mennonite” identity on the basis of shared values: a commitment to social justice, a rejection of binaries, the importance of creative approaches to conflict resolution, and the practice of mutual aid, especially in resisting oppression. Through his analysis, Cruz encourages those engaging with both Mennonite and queer literary criticism to explore the opportunity for conversation and overlap between the two fields. By arguing for engagement between these two identities and highlighting the aspects of Mennonitism that are inherently “queer,” Cruz gives much-needed attention to an emerging subfield of Mennonite literature. This volume makes a new and important intervention into the fields of queer theory, literary studies, Mennonite studies, and religious studies.