Description: Limbo has traditionally been viewed as a place between heaven, on the one hand, and purgatory and hell, on the other, to which the patriarchs, who lived under the old law, and babies who died before being baptized into the Christian faith have been consigned. Like purgatory, it is a dark place but not deprived of grace. Now that the Roman Catholic Church has declared that limbo is not an official church teaching, the idea of limbo has been freed from ecclesiastical constraints and available for reflection on the human condition on this side of the grave. Living in Limbo by Donald...

Description: Whatever religion may have meant to the boy when he was younger, in the teenage years it takes the form of a personal journey or quest. This journey is related to other aspects of his life and is integral to how he experiences himself and others. The title of this volume--Striking Out--has the connotation of the beginning of a journey that will take the boy in new directions, but it also suggests the baseball metaphor of a batter being called out on strikes. The first sense is positive; the second is negative. Together, they express the anticipatory and hopeful nature of the...

About the Contributor(s): Donald Capps is William Harte Felmeth Professor of Pastoral Theology (Emeritus) and adjunct professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of At Home in the World: A Study in Psychoanalysis, Religion, and Art (Cascade Books, 2013) and Striking Out: The Religious Journey of Teenage Boys (Cascade Books, 2011).

The case study method is popular and effective in the pastoral care of individuals. This book outlines a method for using the case study approach on a congregational level, offering guidelines for analyzing and refining such aspects of ministry as worship, preaching, and Christian education. ""Don Capps and Gene Fowler till theological ground for the local congregation and the academy with their 'pastoral care case.' They argue that neither the verbatim nor other forms of case study created for use in clinical or other noncongregational settings fits the congregational context. The case model...

Drawing on research and case studies, three pastoral care experts argue that one of the primary contexts in which the faith formation of teenage boys takes place is in their relationships with other adolescent males. Written by the authors of Losers, Loners, and Rebels: The Spiritual Struggles of Boys, this book is an important resource for anyone interested in helping adolescent males navigate years often marked by isolation and loneliness to develop a meaningful spiritual identity.

Description:
Heres a different angle on humor--it can be a spiritual practice, an expression of a theology of joy, hope, and grace. Humor is so valuable, for it offers self-care, healing, and renewal, precious gifts in times of pressure and tension. Olson begins by telling of three unforgettable friends who lived their lives with joy and zest--a practice that opened doors and aided their own sense of well-being. Playfully, he continues by exploring the known benefits of humor. Next considered is the amazing variety of humor in the Bible, a basic theology of a laughing God, and the caring...