Inspired by the heritage of African-American churches, Mark Ellingsen has created innovative, visionary sermons on Old Testament texts from the Revised Common Lectionary. His messages reflect his unique vantage point as a Lutheran of Norwegian heritage teaching at a historically black seminary, and they are a model for anyone who wants to learn how to relate the Bible to the cutting-edge social issues of our day. Ellingsen suggests that many American Christians have abdicated their responsibility to advocate justice in our society or to talk about what the gospel can do in our lives and...

Five outstanding preachers from diverse denominations skillfully weave together scripture with dynamic stories and illustrations to create eloquent messages for every Sunday and major celebration in the church year. Combining deep biblical grounding with an astute understanding of the meaning of Jesus' message and ministry for contemporary living, these insightful sermons pull readers into God's Word and engage both the mind and the heart. Offering a vision of God's unconditional love and the grace-filled life, this collection of model messages from an experienced group of master preachers...

"I am very impressed with the way Dr. Ellingsen outlines this Lectionary Preaching Workbook... Here is a splendid workbook. It is rich in detail and theological insight. Ellingsen writes clearly, is sensitive to context, and widens our] horizons... This book should be required reading for all pastors, seminary students, and other lay people who are involved in ministry with adults and youth. It should be regarded as a textbook to enhance one's knowledge about the meaning of the seasons or major festivals of the church] year."
Reverend Jesse Averett Jr.
Presiding Elder, Christian...

Description:
This second volume of Reclaiming Our Roots carries readers on a whirlwind journey from the eve of the Reformation to developments in Christianity in the twentieth century. As in the first volume, Mark Ellingsen gives special attention to the history of Christianity in the southern hemisphere, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history.

Ellingsens careful and critical eye ranges over the entire panorama of modern church history. He provides balanced theological analyses of major movements and figures as well as the interactions...

Description:
Reclaiming Our Roots, the most inclusive church history textbook on the market today, pays special attention to such matters as Christianity in the southern hemisphere, Eastern Orthodoxy, the church among minority cultures in North America, and the role of women in church history. It includes not just names, dates, and events in church history, but also sophisticated theological analyses of the issues that have made history, making it useable as a text for both history of Christian thought as well as introduction to church history courses.

Readers are exposed to a variety of...

"I am very impressed with the way Dr. Ellingsen outlines this" Lectionary Preaching Workbook... "Here is a splendid workbook. It is rich in detail and theological insight. Ellingsen writes clearly, is sensitive to context, and widens our] horizons... This book should be required reading for all pastors, seminary students, and other lay people who are involved in ministry with adults and youth. It should be regarded as a textbook to enhance one's knowledge about the meaning of the seasons or major festivals of the church] year."
Reverend Jesse Averett Jr.
Presiding Elder, Christian...

When it comes to preaching from a lectionary, it can often be a daunting task to create new ways of preaching about a passage that has been around for thousands of years. It would seem that, after a while, there would be no new ways of looking at a scripture passage. A different perspective, however, can be most beneficial in finding a new way to help your congregation see each of the readings.
This is the inspiration behind the "Lectionary Preaching Workbook "series and this special edition for Lent and Easter. By providing new insights into each of the readings in the Revised Common,...

After almost a millennium and a half, scholars are rediscovering the theological roots of Christianity in ancient North Africa But we still have a long way to go in bringing these insights to the Church's consciousness. What has been needed is a careful but accessible analysis of what the great theologians of the region prior to and contemporary with Augustine actually taught about the faith, and why what they said still matters today. African Christian Mothers and Fathers is precisely the book we have needed, an explanation of the theology of these great, though in some cases forgotten,...