Bryan P. Stone

Christianity and Horror Cinema explores ways that Christian beliefs, spiritualities, practices, and symbols provide the religious and existential "depths" out of which the monsters of Western horror cinema have emerged, arguing that they are, in several respects, the monsters for which Christians are responsible. Horror cinema preys on Christianity’s narrative, moral, cultural, and aesthetic traditions; reverses them; upends them; inverts them; and offends them. But it also reflects and relies on them. The book focuses on seven subgenres in the cinema of horror: ghosts, witches, the demonic or Satanic, vampires, nature horror, zombies, and psychological horror. Each chapter traces the history of that subgenre, taking up a theological analysis of ways that horror cinema capitalizes on ambiguities, contradictions, anxieties, and tensions in Christianity—for example, its treatment of the body, nature, sexuality, women, or those it deems pagan or religiously "other." The author examines a variety of films that are important for thinking about the relationship of Christianity to horror cinema. The book will be of interest to scholars of religion, theology, and film studies.

How do persons come to faith in our time? Are they active seekers or brought in by others? Is it a journey? Or is it a more sudden conversion? Are spouses, relatives, and friends most important to the process? Do clergy matter? What sorts of values, practices, and lifestyles tend to change for those who newly come to faith? What are the differences among the various religious traditions in how one comes to faith? This book presents the findings of a multi-year study on how people come to faith in the US context. It involves about 1,800 persons who recently made a new profession of faith or some other public commitment across various religious traditions in the US. An initial study was conducted twenty-five years ago on Christian populations in England by Bishop John Finney, but surprisingly little research has been done since then. Finding Faith Today is an expansion and follow-up of that study. The book sheds new light on how people come to faith and what sort of spiritual, practical, and social changes accompany that. The book will be a help to those seeking to open up their communities of faith to others with hospitality and integrity. ""This book offers a paradigm shift In a culture awash with statistical trends about religious adherence and programming meant to attract people to faith, Stone's wide-ranging, thoughtful, and careful research provides a human face to the statistics. He shows us that most people find God in authentic relationships and communities. As people of faith we are freed from the business and celebrity often connected with faith-recruitment to welcome, befriend, and share our lives with others."" --Mark R. Teasdale, Associate Professor of Evangelism, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary ""A fascinating study of how people actually come to embrace a faith, religion, or spiritual community. Christians will find this conversation is especially important as many discussions are based on speculation and opinion. Stone's study will prove vital to a variety of religious communities as they seek to discover the most important influences on initial spiritual formation."" --Rev. Dr. Jack Jackson, E. Stanley Jones Associate Professor of Evangelism, Mission, and Global Methodism, Claremont School of Theology ""This demographic study of people coming to faith (multiple varieties) is a fascinating window into the religious soul of North America, and there is not a better guide than Bryan Stone to lead us across this variegated faith landscape...This is an important book for people of all religious faiths, but it is especially instructive for Christians of an evangelical persuasion, for it is we who are most often deeply intrigued by questions about how people come to faith, and how we can do a better job of leading people to a fresh faith commitment."" --W. Stephen Gunter, Research Professor Emeritus, Duke Divinity School Bryan Stone is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Boston University School of Theology. Among his published titles are: Evangelism After Pluralism (2018), A Reader in Ecclesiology (2012), Evangelism After Christendom (2006), and Faith and Film (2000).

This Reader presents a diverse and ecumenical cross-section of ecclesiological statements from across the twenty centuries of the church's existence. It builds on the foundations of early Christian writings, illustrates significant medieval, reformation, and modern developments, and provides a representative look at the robust attention to ecclesiology that characterizes the contemporary period. This collection of readings offers an impressive overview of the multiple ways Christians have understood the church to be both the 'body of Christ' and, at the same time, an imperfect, social and historical institution, constantly subject to change, and reflective of the cultures in which it is found. This comprehensive survey of historical ecclesiologies is helpful in pointing readers to the remarkable number of images and metaphors that Christians have relied upon in describing the church and to the various tensions that have characterized reflection on the church as both united and diverse, community and institution, visible and invisible, triumphant and militant, global and local, one and many. Students, clergy and all interested in Christianity and the church will find this collection an invaluable resource.

This Reader presents a diverse and ecumenical cross-section of ecclesiological statements from across the twenty centuries of the church's existence. It builds on the foundations of early Christian writings, illustrates significant medieval, reformation, and modern developments, and provides a representative look at the robust attention to ecclesiology that characterizes the contemporary period. This collection of readings offers an impressive overview of the multiple ways Christians have understood the church to be both the 'body of Christ' and, at the same time, an imperfect, social and historical institution, constantly subject to change, and reflective of the cultures in which it is found. This comprehensive survey of historical ecclesiologies is helpful in pointing readers to the remarkable number of images and metaphors that Christians have relied upon in describing the church and to the various tensions that have characterized reflection on the church as both united and diverse, community and institution, visible and invisible, triumphant and militant, global and local, one and many. Students, clergy and all interested in Christianity and the church will find this collection an invaluable resource.

Drawing on their research involving urban pastors from across the United States, Bryan Stone and Claire Wolfteich identify and examine spiritual practices that foster excellence in urban ministry. After discussing the specific challenges facing urban pastors and presenting the kinds of excellence required of them, Stone and Wolfteich explore several practices that help sustain ministers working in urban contexts, such as cultivating holy friendships, practicing Sabbath, maintaining lives of prayer and study, and setting appropriate boundaries. Throughout, the authors weave together stories from urban pastors from a variety of denominations with insights from the history of Christian spirituality and theology to chart a theological course for the formation and renewal of pastors in diverse contemporary contexts.

It offers a solid introduction to the theology of ministry through an approach rooted in the compassion of God, which Stone shows is evident throughout the scriptures and made real in the incaration and ministry of Jesus.