A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward


Book Description

Nearly forty years ago, Ralph Martin’s bestselling A Crisis of Truth exposed the damaging trends in Catholic teaching and preaching that, combined with attacks from secular society, threatened the mission and life of the Catholic Church. While much has been done to counter false teaching over the last four decades, today the Church faces even more insidious threats—from outside and within. In A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward, Martin offers a detailed look at the growing hostility to the Catholic Church and its teaching. With copious evidence, Martin uncovers the forces working to undermine the Body of Christ and offers hope to those looking for clarity. A Church in Crisis covers: -polarization in the Church caused by ambiguous teachings -initiatives that accommodate the culture without calling for conversion -Vatican-sponsored partnerships with organizations that actively contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church -and the recycling of theological errors long settled by Vatican II, Pope St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI. Powerfully written, A Church in Crisis reminds all readers to heed Jesus’ express command not to lead His children astray. With ample resources to encourage readers, Ralph Martin provides the solid foundation of Catholic teaching—both Scripture and Tradition—to fortify Catholics against the errors that threaten us from all directions.




The Church and the Crisis of Community


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Contemporary society is in crisis, its structures broken and fragmented, and its people overstimulated, overstressed, and thirsty for true communion with the sacred and with one another. Yet although more than eighty-five percent of congregations in the United States conduct small-group ministry, too many of these groups begin with no clear sense of purpose, structure, or spiritual focus and end by veering away from Christian tradition and unknowingly settling for shallow versions of popular Christianity. In The Church and the Crisis of Community Theresa Latini lays out both a theoretical groundwork and a practical guideline for successful small-group ministry. Examining the latest sociological research and the real-life practices of small groups in six congregations, she shows how well-developed groups those with mission statements, leadership training, and solid organizational structure can be a truly effective tool in the church s work of transforming broken and shallow forms of community into life-giving, life-sustaining relationships with God and others.




The American Church in Crisis


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Analytical research from a database of more than 200,000 North American churches reveals the population is growing faster than church attendance. This guide shows the problems as well as the potential for American churches.




Faith in the Shadows


Book Description

People don't abandon faith because they have doubts. People abandon faith because they think they're not allowed to have doubts. Even as a pastor, Austin Fischer has experienced the shadows of doubt and disillusionment. Leaning into perennial questions about Christianity, he shows that doubt is no reason to leave the faith—instead, it's an invitation to a more honest faith.




Churches and the Crisis of Decline


Book Description

"Congregations often seek to combat decline by using innovation to produce new resources. Leading practical theologian Andrew Root shows that the church's crisis is not in the loss of resources but in the loss of life-and that life can only return when we remain open to God's encountering presence"--




The Church in Crisis


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The Missionary Crisis


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The Integrity Crisis


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The Crisis of Church and State, 1050-1300


Book Description

From the Introduction: We need not be surprised, then, that in the Middle Ages also there were rulers who aspired to supreme political and temporal power. The truly exceptional thing is that in medieval times there were always at least two claimants to the role, each commanding a formidable apparatus of government, and that for century after century neither was able to dominate the other completely, so that the duality persisted, was eventually rationalized in works of political theory and ultimately built into the structure of European society. This situation profoundly influenced the development of Western constitutionalism.




Church in Crisis


Book Description

In this book, Josh Dotzler, challenges the way we have been DOING church in the western culture based on lessons he's learned from the COVID-19 crisis. Historically, A crisis highlights and challenges our beliefs and behaviors. It's easy to believe we are doing the right things when things seem to be working right. But 'working right' doesn't always mean 'doing what's right.' Crisis provides a great opportunity for the church, when the church is prepared for the crisis. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis highlights: -The Focus of the Church-The Beliefs of the Church-The Condition of the Church-The Opportunities for the ChurchThe experience of this pandemic in a post-Christian culture can be a catalyst for the church to express its power and potential to the world. Whether you are a church leader who knows we can be better, a church attender who feels like you have more to give or you are curious about the role the church plays in the world, this book is for you.




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