May 1991

Rex D. Edwards

An enquirer once asked a priest to define the position of a layperson in the Roman Catholic Church. The priest replied succinctly, "The layman has two positions. He kneels before the altar; that is one. And he sits below the pulpit; that is the other." Adding substantiality to this story, in his book Lay People in the Church Father Yves Congar wrote, "Lay people will always be a subordinate order in the church." 1 Congar says that the theology of the laity… Continue reading...

W. Floyd Bresee

Len McMillan

Pastors often come in contact with suffering persons—the grieving, confused, immature, or neurotic. This book's 47 chapters set forth basic ground rules for effective counseling of such persons by nonprofessionals and indicate under what circumstances they should refer troubled persons to professional counselors. A revision of a book published in 1977, this volume discusses such subjects as anxiety, AIDS, depression, drugs, personality disorders, and marriage… Continue reading...

Steve Willsey

Those who read Dawn's personal testimony will become convinced that Sabbathkeeping needs more emphasis in spiritual formation literature. For her it is one of the disciplines of the spiritual life. A 24-hour period, Dawn's Sabbath is for her a retreat in time much as the desert was a retreat in space for the spiritual fathers and mothers of the third and fourth centuries. If all the world would experience Dawn's Sabbath, stress-related ailments would be far less… Continue reading...

Kolleen D. Neff

The authors of this volume, both ordained ministers, speak to the growing awareness that child sexual abuse does happen in the Christian community. They highlight statistics stating that one out of every three girls and one out of every 11 boys will be victims of sexual violence before age 18. Unfortunately, the church's traditional silence on the topic reinforces the illusion that this sort of thing doesn't happen in Christian families. But the authors point out… Continue reading...

Francis A. Soper

From observations based on research and his medical practice, the author makes recommendations for improving health and preventing diseases related to lifestyle and nutrition. He makes brief references to the "Adventist advantage," the major benefits in health and longevity to be gained by following the basic health and nutrition principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Bailie notes his principles are not new. He says, "An ancient manuscript,… Continue reading...