Godparent Book


Book Description

In The Godparent Book, Elaine Ramshaw is encouraging, reassuring, energizing, and resourceful as she equips godparents to be life-long, faith-sharing companions to their godchild. She provides scores of ideas for relating at every age and in many circumstances—ideas that are appropriate for all the churches that call for godparents.




The Godparents


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Godparents and Kinship in Early Medieval Europe


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Between A.D. 200 and 1000, sponsorship at baptism evolved from a simple liturgical act into a mechanism for the creation of enduring relationships regarded as especially holy forms of kinship. Combining anthropological, historical, theological, and literary approaches, Joseph Lynch presents a comprehensive analysis of the origins and development in Western society of this "spiritual" kinship. Because of its solemnity and adaptability, such kinship gradually took its place alongside blood and marital ties as a fundamental part of medieval society, continuing to expand in high and late medieval Europe and to flourish even in modern times, particularly in Latin America. Professor Lynch traces the liturgical practices and theological beliefs undergirding sponsorship and examines its social purposes, including sacralization of personal firendships, creation of client/patron reltionships, extension of marital taboos, provision of protectors for the young, fostering of trust among adults, and dissemination of religious instruction. In the process he offers a rich array of insights into the Church's role in the passage of Western society from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Joseph H. Lynch is Professor of History and former Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Ohio State University. He is author of Simoniacal Entry into Religious Life form 1000 to 1260: A Social, Economic and Legal Study (Ohio State). Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.




Godmothers


Book Description

There is a role unique to women that we abandon easily. We live near each other, but not with each other--and not for each other. We don't want to intrude or judge and, maybe, we don't want to see each other truly succeed. And the world is happy with this unhappy state for women--one that pushes us to conform to a pattern of distrust, disengagement, and competition. It's no wonder we've lost ourselves, and our way. In her most personal, powerful book yet, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Bevere offers a catalytic, transformative vision for women of a different way to live--one that embraces the presence of a godmother--the older, wiser women you can go to and learn from, the strong women who partner with us through life. And everyone needs one! Drawing from her own life, biblical women, and the world of fairy tales, Lisa will show you how to transform what you have into what God wants you to have, push you forward during seasons of doubt, and love you enough to speak truth about God's larger, expansive view of your life. Lisa's candid, compassionate words are your best first step to living as a daughter of God, surrounded by strong relationships and confidence in your calling.




The Nones Are Alright


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Your Child's Baptism


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Fr. Paul Turner, known for his friendly style and authoritative content, helps parents understand what they need to know about their child's Baptism. He invites them into the mystery of this first sacrament in the life of a Christian, explaining its theology, symbolism, and the ritual itself. He provides pastoral answers to many technical questions parents might have about such matters as when and where Baptism should take place, arrangements when a parent is not Catholic, and the requirements for godparents. He especially encourages parents to take the long view and understand their unique role in raising a disciple of Christ.




The Character of Virtue


Book Description

Stanley Hauerwas is one of today's greatest theologians, but like many of us, he is also a godparent. In this very special collection he invites us to share in fifteen letters to sent to his godson, Laurence Wells. Each letter, sent on the anniversary of Laurence’s baptism every year, distills years of self-reflection and religious thinking into heartfelt notes packed with wit, warmth and verve. The letters explore what makes a happy, fulfilled life: kindness, courage, humility, joy, friendship, simplicity, humour, generosity and faith. An introduction by Samuel Wells—Laurence’s father—tells the story behind these letters and offers insight into being a godparent.




Parenting the Way God Parents


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Divine Parenting Made Possible Every parent wants to do his or her job well. But if you look to your family of origin, or try to follow a list of dos and don’ts, you will fail. Thankfully, God sets a model as Parent, and all you have to do is follow it! In Parenting the Way God Parents, Katherine Koonce shows how healthy parenting patterns will flow naturally when you parent from your godly heritage. By way of thought-provoking study, discussion questions, and scriptural snapshots, you’ll begin addressing not just your children’s behavior, but the important heart issues that shape their character. When you adopt God the Father’s perfect understanding of His children and prayerfully obey His example, your children can’t help but become healthy, whole, and thriving! The Perfect Parenting Plan Kids will be kids, and parents will become…just like their own parents. Even with the best intentions, parents will default to raising their kids just as they were raised—unless they embrace a revolutionary approach to parenting. Thank God, because He provides the better way. He has everything you need for parenting your children in the grace, discipline, and love with which He parents you. Child development and learning specialist Katherine Koonce comes alongside to offer you a fresh perspective that will redirect your parenting path. Parenting the Way God Parents will help you: Discern valid rights from selfish wants in this age of entitlement Be prepared for anger, and help your children prepare for it too T ake an active, prayerful role in seeking God’s vision for your family Focus on shaping your children’s hearts, not just their behavior Set aside parenting how-to books full of dos and don’ts and embrace the One who parents you perfectly. “Knowing Katherine as a gifted teacher at the school my children attend, it’s evident that she has a great deal of wisdom and insight.” Steven Curtis Chapman Singer/songwriter “Parenting the Way God Parents is refreshingly free of formulas, and packed full of wisdom and valuable insight. I will reread it for myself and recommend it again and again in my practice.” David Thomas Child and Adolescent Therapist Coauthor of Becoming a Dad: A Spiritual, Emotional and Practical Guide Story Behind the Book “Like most parents, I was not prepared for the job. Again and again I found myself defaulting to the parenting tactics and family dynamics recycled from my childhood. God convinced me that there was a better way. Rather than parent the way I was as a child, I can choose to parent the way I am Parented today. God my Father parents me with excellence, and I want to continue that legacy with my children. In choosing this paradigm of childrearing, however, I’ve had to lay down my little bag of parenting tricks and embrace the One who parents me perfectly.” —Katherine Koonce




What Are God Mothers For


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Sometimes kids are lucky enough to have a godmother. But what exactly are godmothers for? Are they for playing? Are they for teaching? Are they for helping? YES...all of that, and more!




Mary, Michael, and Lucifer


Book Description

The physical signs of Roman Catholicism pervade the Mexican countryside. Colonial churches and neighborhood chapels, wayside shrines, and mountaintop crosses dot the landscape. Catholicism also permeates the traditional cultures of rural communities, although this ideational influence is less immediately obvious. It is often couched in enigmatic idiom and imagery, and it is further obscured by the vestiges of pagan customs and the anticlerical attitudes of many villagers. These heterodox tendencies have even led some observers to conclude that Catholicism in rural Mexico is little more than a thin veneer on indigenous practice. In Mary, Michael, and Lucifer John M. Ingham attempts to develop a modern semiotic and structuralist interpretation of traditional Mexican culture, an interpretation that accounts for the culture's apparent heterodoxy. Drawing on field research in Tlayacapan, Morelos, a village in the central highlands, he shows that nearly every domain of folk culture is informed with religious meaning. More precisely, the Catholic categories of spirit, nature, and evil compose the basic framework of the villagers' social relations and subjective experiences.