Christianity Books

Book SynopsisAn engaging look into the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, queer activists devoted to social justice The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence make up an unlikely order of nuns. Self-described as twenty-first century queer nuns, the Sisters began in 1979 when three bored gay men donned retired Roman Catholic nuns' habits and went for a stroll through San Francisco's gay Castro district. The stunned and delighted responses they received prompted these already-seasoned activists to consider whether the habits might have some use in social justice work, and within a year they had constituted the new order. Today, with more than 83 houses on four different continents, the Sisters offer health outreach, support, and, at times, protest on behalf of queer communities. In Queer Nuns, Melissa M. Wilcox offers new insights into the role the Sisters play across queer culture and the religious landscape. The Sisters both spoof nuns and argue quite seriously that they are nunsTrade ReviewWilcox (religious studies, Univ. of California, Riverside) has a sterling record of scholarship on queer theory in religion. Here she offers a history and critical assessment of the work of LGBTQ activists who consider themselves nuns … Readers benefit from not only the author’s extensive field work but also her commitment to critical theory and ability to see power dynamics. -- CHOICEWilcox, chair of Religious Studies at UC-Riverside, has written an ambitious analysis of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a worldwide “order” of drag queens that originated in San Francisco in the late 1970s as the gay rights movement was gaining momentum -- The Gay & Lesbian QuarterlyIn this interdisciplinary tour de force, Melissa M. Wilcox draws from history, sociology, queer studies, and religious studies to understand the origins, cultural politics, and religious landscape of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a network of men who describe themselves as “queer nuns” dedicated to “‘the promulgation of universal joy and the expiation of stigmatic guilt’” (their mission, as quoted on p. 15). Since their formation in 1979, the Sisters have been at the forefront of queer activism. Wilcox’s detailed and analytically rich account of the Sisters’ history, activism, and growth draws from an array of archival records and an impressive number of interviews. In addition, Wilcox’s development of the theoretical concept of “serious parody” charts how religious studies and queer studies can intersect in unexpected ways. -- Resources for Gender and Women's StudiesWilcox beautifully demonstrates how serious political and social engagement can emerge from queer religious camp. In short, this book piles fascinating and novel theoretical engagement upon great historical and sociological narrative--it's a must read! -- Anthony M. Petro,author of After the Wrath of God: AIDS, Sexuality, and American ReligionA serious study of serious parody. Melissa Wilcox shows how the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have combined a certain lightness of being with a definite seriousness of purpose to create performative politics and religious practices that open onto a very different world than the one in which we find ourselves. Wilcox brings a scholarly richness and wonderful intelligence to the Sisters stories, offering a lesson about how to live in times when parody is the best, if not the only, way to communicate with any seriousness. -- Janet Jakobsen,Claire Tow Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Barnard College, Columbia UniversityAn important contribution to queering religious studies [...] this book will prove equally useful (in whole or in part) within introductory courses on religious studies (“in America” or “and politics,” for instance) and queer studies as well as upper-level investigations of theory and method for the study of religion. Students will find this text both outrageously entertaining and thought-provoking, and Wilcox is especially adept at coherently synthesizing and making use of concepts from across the academy—like “disidentification” and “homonormativity”—as well as terms and practices from queer life and activism. * Religious Studies Review *Wilcox’s study demonstrates how much scholars of religion have to learn about religion by attending to its parodic representations. This book is therefore essential reading in American religions and in queer studies. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Wilcox’s study is rigorously researched, beautifully crafted and highly readable. It invites us to rethink what it is to queer spirituality, to be religious and do religion in the 21st century.. * Journal of Religion, Media, and Digital Culture *

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Book SynopsisBy both its supporters and detractors, neoliberalism is usually considered an economic policy agenda. Neoliberalism's Demons argues that it is much more than that: a complete worldview, neoliberalism presents the competitive marketplace as the model for true human flourishing. And it has enjoyed great success: from the struggle for "global competitiveness" on the world stage down to our individual practices of self-branding and social networking, neoliberalism has transformed every aspect of our shared social life. The book explores the sources of neoliberalism's remarkable success and the roots of its current decline. Neoliberalism's appeal is its promise of freedom in the form of unfettered free choice. But that freedom is a trap: we have just enough freedom to be accountable for our failings, but not enough to create genuine change. If we choose rightly, we ratify our own exploitation. And if we choose wrongly, we are consigned to the outer darkness—and then demonized as the cause of social ills. By tracing the political and theological roots of the neoliberal concept of freedom, Adam Kotsko offers a fresh perspective, one that emphasizes the dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality. More than that, he accounts for the rise of right-wing populism, arguing that, far from breaking with the neoliberal model, it actually doubles down on neoliberalism's most destructive features. Trade Review"In all of the hubbub about neoliberalism, one often feels that there is not much more to say. Adam Kotsko's premise—that the devil and the neoliberal subject can only ever choose their own damnation—is as original as it is breathtaking. Everyone should read this book." -- James Martel * San Francisco State University *"It's been a long time since I've read something so acutely in tune with its political moment. Both wide-ranging and impressively concise, this book offers one of the most compelling critical analyses of neoliberalism I've yet encountered, understood holistically as an economic agenda, a moral vision, and a state mission." -- Peter Hallward * Kingston University London *"[An] important book....Useful to scholars and students in subfields ranging from philosophy of religion and theology to contingently grounded studies of the politics and law....Critical analysis here lays the grounds for constructive work, with Kotsko gesturing toward an as-yet-unknown eschatological future." -- Spencer Dew * Religious Studies Review *"Neoliberalism's Demons is a concise and persuasive account of the political, economic, and moral universe we inhabit, and is therefore essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand their own condition." -- Jonathan Megerian * New Books Network *Table of ContentsContents and Abstracts1The Political Theology of Late Capital chapter abstractThis chapter begins by recognizing that pairing neoliberalism and political theology is counterintuitive. On the one hand, most accounts of neoliberalism leave little room for the conventional themes of political theology. On the other hand, Schmitt's initial formulation of political theology denigrates the economic concerns that are ostensibly the sole concern of neoliberalism. Hence this chapter shows that the conventional themes of political theology emerge persistently in the existing accounts of neoliberalism and provides grounds in Schmitt's text for a broader vision of the field that could include a phenomenon like neoliberalism. This more general political theology would ask about attempts to answer the ultimately unanswerable question that is expressed theologically as the problem of evil and politically as the problem of legitimacy. The chapter concludes by sketching a political theology of neoliberalism centered on the core legitimating principle of freedom. 2The Political and the Economic chapter abstractThis chapter makes the case for overcoming political theology's traditional hostility toward the economic realm. Drawing on the work of Wendy Brown, Giorgio Agamben, and Dotan Leshem, it traces this binary opposition back to the work of Hannah Arendt, who famously opposes the two realms and privileges the political over the economic. It then argues that "Arendt's axiom" is false: there is no pregiven distinction between the political and the economic; in fact, each political theological paradigm—very much including neoliberalism—reconfigures that binary for its own ends. Along the way the chapter holds up a variety of examples of alternative approaches to the relation of the political and the economic, including those of Marie-José Mondzain, Mark C. Taylor, Philip Goodchild, Joshua Ramey, and Eric Santner. 3Neoliberalism's Demons chapter abstractThis chapter provides an account of neoliberalism as a political-theological paradigm that governs every sphere of social life—not just the state and the economy but religion, family structure, sexual practice, gender relations, and racialization—by means of a logic of demonization. Drawing a parallel between the shift to neoliberalism and the origins of capitalism, it argues that capitalist ideologues have tended to find common cause with reactionary Christians because both adhere to a worldview centered on divine providence, which is in turn inextricably intertwined with demonization as a logic of moral entrapment. The difference between neoliberalism and neoconservatism is more often one of degree than of kind, with the former leaving more room for redemption and the latter opting more often for total, irreversible demonization for subject populations. 4This Present Darkness chapter abstractThe political theological account of neoliberalism developed in the previous chapter serves as the basis for an investigation of the reactionary populist wave represented by the Brexit vote and the Trump presidency. Rather than attempt to directly answer the question of whether it makes sense to view these phenomena as betokening the "end" of neoliberalism, the chapter begins by asking what the advent of the reactionary wave tells us about the intrinsic vulnerabilities of neoliberalism, focusing on the areas of electoral legitimation, the politicization of expertise, and the vision of society as a perpetual competition. It concludes by arguing that reactionary populism is a "heretical" version of the political theology of neoliberalism, which pushes core neoliberal values to near-parodic extremes. Conclusion: After Neoliberalism chapter abstractThis chapter begins by consolidating the new concept of political theology developed in the preceding chapters. It then asks what the general shape of a true break with neoliberalism might look like, drawing clues from the collapse of the Fordist regime that preceded it. It argues that Fordism's downfall came from its decision to preserve and tame capitalist structures—including structures of race, gender relations, and family—which were intended to legitimate the Fordist regime but were ultimately instrumental in its downfall. Any attempt to rebuild Fordist welfare state structures or even state-run industries would be vulnerable to a similar overthrow as long as the market economy remained the foundation of society. Hence, the only way to create a durable alternative to neoliberalism will require abolishing the "invisible hand" and taking control of the process of production through conscious, collective deliberation and decision making.

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Book SynopsisReligious commitments can be a powerful engine for progressive social change, and in this new book, Raúl E. Zegarra examines the process of articulation of religious beliefs and political concerns that takes place in religious organizing and activism. Focusing on the example of Latin American liberation theology and the work of Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, Zegarra shows how liberation theology advocates have been able to produce a new balance between faith and politics that advances an agenda of progressive social change without reducing politics to faith or faith to politics. Drawing from theologian David Tracy's method of critical correlation, the book focuses on key historical, philosophical, and theological shifts that have allowed liberation theologians to produce a new interpretation of the relationship between faith and politics in the Christian tradition, especially when issues of social justice are at stake. The book further approaches liberation theology's contributions to theorizing social justice through an unconventional path: a critical dialogue with the work of philosopher John Rawls. This dialogue, as Zegarra contends, allows us to see more clearly the contributions of liberation theology to the cause of progressive social change. Ultimately the book stands between "public religion" and "public reason," offering something of a blueprint for theological innovation and for how to remain committed to one's faith while respecting and defending the core values of democracy. Trade Review"This is the best book on public theology I have read in a long time. A compelling read on every page, A Revolutionary Faith offers a highly original reflection on liberation theology and its relevance for our secular age."—José Casanova, Georgetown University"How do religious people articulate their theological commitments to social justice? A Revolutionary Faith offers a lucid and insightful account. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the convergence of faith and politics."—Mayra Rivera, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisReligious commitments can be a powerful engine for progressive social change, and in this new book, Raúl E. Zegarra examines the process of articulation of religious beliefs and political concerns that takes place in religious organizing and activism. Focusing on the example of Latin American liberation theology and the work of Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, Zegarra shows how liberation theology advocates have been able to produce a new balance between faith and politics that advances an agenda of progressive social change without reducing politics to faith or faith to politics. Drawing from theologian David Tracy's method of critical correlation, the book focuses on key historical, philosophical, and theological shifts that have allowed liberation theologians to produce a new interpretation of the relationship between faith and politics in the Christian tradition, especially when issues of social justice are at stake. The book further approaches liberation theology's contributions to theorizing social justice through an unconventional path: a critical dialogue with the work of philosopher John Rawls. This dialogue, as Zegarra contends, allows us to see more clearly the contributions of liberation theology to the cause of progressive social change. Ultimately the book stands between "public religion" and "public reason," offering something of a blueprint for theological innovation and for how to remain committed to one's faith while respecting and defending the core values of democracy. Trade Review"This is the best book on public theology I have read in a long time. A compelling read on every page, A Revolutionary Faith offers a highly original reflection on liberation theology and its relevance for our secular age."—José Casanova, Georgetown University"How do religious people articulate their theological commitments to social justice? A Revolutionary Faith offers a lucid and insightful account. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the convergence of faith and politics."—Mayra Rivera, Harvard University

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe world of contemplative Christianity has yielded to the same voices for too long, most from centuries before our time with lives unlike ours and experiences disconnected from marginalization and oppression. Now Cassidy Hall flings the doors wide open for all seeking an inclusive, authentic, and definitely more queer contemplative experience.

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Book SynopsisChristianity is often assumed to be pro-capitalist and socially conservative – in short, necessarily aligned with the political Right. But can this be straightforwardly true of a religion founded by a figure who drew his early followers from among the poor and downtrodden and spoke against the accumulation of earthly riches? In this book, Anthony A.J. Williams shows that this assumption is far from correct by giving an introductory overview of a tradition of socialist and radical Christianity that can be traced back to the communal ownership described in the Acts of the Apostles. Focusing on modern Christian Left movements, from Christian Socialism and the social gospel to liberation theology and red-letter Christianity, Williams examines the major challenges faced by the Christian Left today, both from within Christianity itself and from the secular Left. Does the Bible and Christian theology really support collectivism and universal equality? Can Christian radicalism remain viable in an age of identity politics? This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the relationship between religion and politics.Trade Review‘This is a wonderfully comprehensive introduction to the very diverse landscape of Christian political radicalism over the last hundred and fifty years. Its global scope is especially valuable, as is its clear analysis of the tensions between much of the contemporary political Left, with its strong involvement in identity politics, and the traditions of Christian socialism, which is more preoccupied with solidarity. A candid, well-researched and timely study.’Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury ‘A fine, readable, well-resourced and wide-ranging introduction to the spectrum of radical and socialist Christian thought.’Revd Canon Dr Jeremy Morris, former Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge“A valuable resource […] readable, passionate, and accessible.” Church TimesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 The Spirit of Brotherhood: Foundations of British Christian Socialism 2 Identity Crisis: Christian Socialism in Post-War Britain 3 A Hostile Environment: Religious Socialism in Europe 4 What Would Jesus Do? Social Gospel and Socialism in the United States 5 Moral Minority: The Christian Left in the Age of the Christian Right 6 Preferential Option for the Poor: Liberation Theology in Latin America 7 Liberty to the Captives: Liberation Theology Across the World 8 Where Next for the Christian Left?Notes

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Book SynopsisWinner - Edward Stanford Travel Memoir of the Year 2019.Shortlisted - Rathbones Folio Prize, Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize, and Somerset Maugham Award 2019.'An extraordinary travelogue, strange and brilliant' - iIn 2013 Guy Stagg walked from Canterbury to Jerusalem. Though a non-believer, he began the pilgrimage after suffering several years of mental illness, hoping the ritual would heal him. For ten months he hiked alone on ancient paths, crossing ten countries and more than 5,500 kilometres. Travelling without support, he had to rely each night on the charity of strangers.The Crossway is an account of Stagg's extraordinary journey. It describes the dangers he faced on the road, captures the people he met and the landscapes he experienced, offers a unique insight into contemporary faith, and – most movingly – lays bare his struggle to escape the past and walk towards recovery. It was a BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week' on publication.Trade ReviewGolden prose illuminates this moving account of a pilgrimage taken for the good of the author’s mental health . . . compelling . . . moving and thought-provoking -- Peter Stanford * Observer *Having finished this account, I felt dazed. Dazed at the thought of all that I’d learnt from its pages about 2,000 years of Christianity, dazed at how immediate its author had made so many centuries-old stories feel, and dazed at the strangeness and brilliance of this extraordinary travelogue. -- Rebecca Armstrong * i newspaper *The extraordinary story of a pilgrimage to find out the meaning of pilgrimage. Completely absorbing, personal, often funny, and full of fascinating encounters - an enlightening book from an exciting new writer. -- Sarah Bakewell, author of At The Existentialist CaféThe journey is remarkable – a hike of thousands of miles across Europe, undertaken with rare bravery and stamina. But what is really extraordinary about Guy Stagg’s The Crossway is the writing – acutely sensitive, hyper-alert and unflagging in its exploration of the strange depths and by-ways of human belief -- Philip Marsden, author of Rising GroundCompletely absorbing, personal, often funny, and full of fascinating encounters – an enlightening book from an exciting new writer. -- Sarah Bakewell, author of At The Existentialist CaféThe journey as redemptive recovery is a well-worm trope, but there is no glib ending here. I really enjoyed this book -- Sara Wheeler * Spectator *I loved it. Odd that a journey made to find salvation (a kind of 5,500 kilometre Stations of the Cross taking almost a year to walk) should turn out to be such a page turner. The reason is Stagg himself – an engaging, challenging, endlessly interesting companion who just happens to write formidably well. Travel writing has a bright new star. -- Alexander Frater, author of Chasing the MonsoonGuy Stagg makes a pilgrimage across Europe, into history and, most powerfully, the (troubled) interior of his soul. He takes us on a journey full of wonder and woe, poetry and pain; writing in prose that’s as sure-footed as it is unsettling in its honesty. A brave and beautiful account of a man’s search for meaning -- Rhidian Brook, author of The AftermathA formidable achievement . . . This secular pilgrimage is a lively. * Country Life *A sublime, intense, and intimate account of a journey . . . Beautifully written, filled with strange encounters and extraordinary language -- Philip Hoare, author of LeviathanA gorgeous and moving book -- Jamie Quatro, author of Fire SermonA marvellous book. There’s a lovely plainsongish immediacy to the telling that I found hugely beguiling, and (unusually) Stagg is as effective on people as he is on place. It’s also a generous piece of self-reckoning -- William Atkins, author of The Moor‘Such pitch-perfect prose that he has already attracted comparisons with Patrick Leigh Fermor’s celebrated accounts of his youthful travels’ * The Tablet *‘A gripping pilgrimage through faith and doubt . . . A first-rate writer, and a tough-minded one . . . he writes with a sort of rapturous exactitude about the peoples, climates and landscapes he meets’ -- Boyd Tonkin * TheArtsDesk.com *Guy Stagg has bared his soul and soles in this epic account of walking from England through Italy, the Balkans, Istanbul, Cyprus, Lebanon and on to Jerusalem. His fabulously open hearted account easily bears comparison with the great walking and monastery books of Patrick Leigh Fermor, except he goes further in revealing the damage, and how it might be repaired . . . solvitur ambulando indeed! -- Robert Twigger, author of Red Nile and Angry White Pyjamas‘Stagg takes us on a journey full of wonder and woe, poetry and pain; writing in prose that’s as sure-footed as it is unsettling in its honesty. A brave and beautiful account of a man’s search for meaning.’ -- Rhidian Brook, author of The AftermathThe Crossway is moving and unique, with the sense that no one else can write like this about such places as the abbeys of France, the cities of Rome and Istanbul or the daunting landscape of pilgrimage and the often astonishing people whom Guy Stagg meets. At the book’s heart is his own story; troubled, he seeks redemption and hope. Does he find them? He makes his search into a story that is gripping and uplifting -- Max Egremont, author of Forgotten Land: Journeys Among the Ghosts of East PrussiaAfter suffering years of severe mental illness, Stagg embarks on a journey from Canterbury to Jerusalem, hoping that the 5,500km walk along medieval pilgrim paths will heal him. Travelling alone, and relying on shelter provided by churches, monasteries and nunneries en route, he faces down many demons along the way, getting caught up in violent snowstorms, the demonstrations in Istanbul's Taksim Square, and a terrorist attack. A BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" at publication, it's one of the most compelling travel books I've read in a long time, as well as a thought-provoking meditation on what it means to have faith in our turbulent contemporary world * Bookseller *‘I loved it. Stagg is an engaging, challenging, endlessly interesting companion who just happens to write formidably well. Travel writing has a bright new star.’ -- Alexander Frater, author of Chasing the MonsoonBehind the cliché of the most important journey in life being the one taken inside oneself lies a timeless and powerful and vital truth: that the goal of such a quest, with all its anguish and revelation and excruciating realisations, is a place of great and lasting calm. This is the core of Guy Stagg’s necessary and beautiful book. -- Niall Griffiths, author of GritsThe Crossway is a gentle, kind, generous-spirited book, rich in detail, encounter and history. But most importantly, this is the story of a young man, from a secular world, who undertakes a pilgrimage to try and mend himself – a courageous inner journey. -- Neil Griffiths, author of As a God Might BeWhat a privilege it's been to read this compelling and moving book, to travel with a writer who records everything he sees and feels with such care and passion. The writing is beautiful and his voice so engaging, so unflinchingly honest, throughout. I finished The Crossway and just wanted the author to keep walking. -- James Macdonald Lockhart, author of Raptor

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Book SynopsisExam board: AQALevel: A-levelSubject: Religious StudiesFirst teaching: September 2016First exams: Summer 2018Target success in AQA A-level Religious Studies with this proven formula for effective, structured revision; key content coverage is combined with exam-style tasks and practical tips to create a revision guide you can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge.With My Revision Notes you can:- Plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Consolidate subject knowledge by working through clear and focused content coverage- Test understanding and identify areas for improvement with regular 'Now Test Yourself' tasks and answers- Improve exam technique through practice questions, expert tips and examples of typical mistakes to avoid

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Book SynopsisExam board: EdexcelLevel: A-levelSubject: Religious StudiesFirst teaching: September 2016First exams: Summer 2017Build, reinforce and assess students' knowledge throughout their course; tailored to the 2016 Edexcel A level specification and brought to you by the leading Religious Studies publisher, this guide combines clear content coverage with practice questions and sample answers.Written by teachers with extensive examining experience, this guide:- Helps students identify what they need to know with a concise summary of the topics examined at AS and A-level- Consolidates understanding through assessment tips- Offers opportunities for students to improve their exam technique by consulting sample student answers and commentary for each question type- Builds understanding through accessible explanations of key definitions and thinkers

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Book SynopsisTarget success in WJEC and WJEC Eduqas A-level Religious Studies with this proven formula for effective, structured revision; key content coverage is combined with exam-style tasks and practical tips to create a revision guide that you can rely on to review, strengthen and test students' knowledge.With My Revision Notes every student can:- Plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Consolidate subject knowledge by working through clear and focused content coverage- Test understanding and identify areas for improvement with regular 'Now Test Yourself' tasks and answers- Improve exam technique through practice questions, expert advice and examples of typical mistakes to avoid

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Book SynopsisExperience the Richer Spiritual Life You Long For In this world of frantic activity and constant entertainment, it can be hard to identify and embrace the rhythms that lead to true flourishing. Your spirit longs for a stronger connection to the divine, a clearer sense of personal spiritual growth, a closer relationship with your creator and redeemer. But how do you integrate this kind of inner growth into the realities of your outer life? If you long for a deeper experience of God as you journey through this life, Spiritual Practices for Soul Care offers 40 ways to help you put the spiritual disciplines into action each day. From prayer and meditation to serving and socializing to resting and healing, these simple, restorative practices will help you develop the kind of Christian walk you desire. If you have been frustrated by slow or stalled progress, or if you simply yearn to go deeper, now is the time to pause, take a breath, and awaken to your transformative soul care journey--starting today.

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Book SynopsisBuild toward Long-Term Energy, Health, and Success as a Leader Pastors and ministry leaders are some of the hardest-working people in the world--and they have the high rate of burnout to prove it. As a leader, if you aren't operating at peak efficiency and taking care of yourself, it is bound to catch up with you in a big way. So few in ministry feel they have the time to take a sabbatical or tend to their own physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. But healthy rhythms of work and rest are the key to a thriving, long-term ministry. Putting their years of experience as both leaders and consultants to work, Jason Young and Jonathan Malm show you how to fine-tune your leadership and organize your life in such a way that you can become a high-capacity leader without the exhaustion and discouragement so many feel. They teach you how to set healthy boundaries, release control, operate from your values, and much more in order to burn bright and make a lasting impact without sacrificing your health, happiness, and relationships.

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Book SynopsisGod''s face is always shining toward us. Our God is not asleep, nor indifferent. But we don''t always experience this nearness or the depth of how beloved we truly are--especially if we have experienced neglect, betrayal, or indifference in our formative human relationships.Drawing from the deep well of Scripture, attachment theory, and her own personal story, Summer Joy Gross invites you to experience Emmanuel, God-with-us, as the One whose love toward you is secure and unchanging. She teaches you simple, repeatable practices grounded in biblical teaching and our rich and ancient church traditions that will equip you day-by-day to build a secure attachment with the God who holds you in a sure hand.Because when you are rooted in God''s nearness in the ordinary moments, you can rest in God in the midst of life''s storms.

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Book SynopsisSaint Thomas Aquinas's masterwork, the Summa theologiae, can be daunting to beginners. This volume by an expert on Aquinas's theology offers an ideal introduction. It presents key selections from the Summa along with accessible commentary designed to provide background, explain key concepts, and walk readers through Aquinas's arguments. Previously published as Holy Teaching, this new edition has been fully revised and includes a substantial amount of new material. The book draws from the entire Summa and incorporates selections that focus on moral theology, providing a fuller picture of Aquinas's thought.Table of ContentsContentsIntroductionPrologue to the Summa theologiaeTHE FIRST PARTQuestion 1: The Nature of Holy TeachingQuestion 2: The Existence of GodQuestion 3: The Simplicity of GodQuestion 12: Knowledge of GodQuestion 13: Words for GodQuestion 27: The Procession of the Divine PersonsQuestion 32: Knowledge of the TrinityQuestion 36: The Person of the Holy SpiritQuestion 39: The Persons in Relation to the EssenceQuestion 43: The Sending of the Divine PersonsQuestion 45: How Things Come Forth from the First PrincipleQuestion 50: The Substance of the Angels1.50.1 Is there any entirely spiritual creature, completely nonbodily?Question 75: The Nature of the Soul ItselfQuestion 93: The Image and Likeness of GodTHE FIRST HALF OF THE SECOND PARTPrologue to the First Half of the Second PartQuestion 1: The Final Goal for Human BeingsQuestion 3: What Happiness IsQuestion 4: Those Things That Are Required for HappinessQuestion 5: The Attainment of HappinessQuestion 6: The Voluntary and InvoluntaryQuestion 9: The Mover of the WillQuestion 18: Good and Bad in Human Acts in GeneralQuestion 55: The Essence of the VirtuesQuestion 61: The Cardinal VirtuesQuestion 62: The Theological VirtuesQuestion 65: The Connection of the VirtuesQuestion 68: The GiftsQuestion 71: Vices and Sins Considered in ThemselvesQuestion 91: The Various Kinds of LawQuestion 109: The Necessity of GraceQuestion 110: The Grace of God as Regards Its EssenceTHE SECOND HALF OF THE SECOND PARTPrologue to the Second Half of the Second PartQuestion 2: The Act of FaithQuestion 11: HeresyQuestion 17: HopeQuestion 19: The Gift of FearQuestion 23: CharityQuestion 24: Charity in Relation to Its SubjectQuestion 40: WarQuestion 47: Prudence in ItselfQuestion 58: JusticeQuestion 64: HomicideQuestion 77: Cheating That Is Committed in Buying and SellingQuestion 123: FortitudeQuestion 124: MartyrdomQuestion 141: ModerationQuestion 153: LustQuestion 182: The Active Life Compared to the Contemplative LifeTHE THIRD PARTPrologue to the Third PartQuestion 1: The Fittingness of the IncarnationQuestion 2: The Mode of Union of the Word IncarnateQuestion 9: Christ's Knowledge in GeneralQuestion 16: What Is Fittingly Said of ChristQuestion 17: Christ's Unity with Regard to His ExistenceQuestion 27: The Sanctification of the Blessed VirginQuestion 40: Christ's Way of LivingQuestion 42: Christ's TeachingQuestion 46: The Suffering of ChristQuestion 47: The Efficient Cause of Christ's SufferingQuestion 48: What Christ's Suffering DidQuestion 53: Christ's ResurrectionQuestion 54: The Qualities of the Risen ChristQuestion 59: Christ's Power as JudgeQuestion 61: The Need for the SacramentsQuestion 62: The Sacraments' Principal Effect, Which Is GraceQuestion 63: The Other Effect of the Sacraments, Which Is a SealQuestion 65: The Number of the SacramentsQuestion 66: The Sacrament of BaptismQuestion 68: Those Who Receive BaptismQuestion 75: The Conversion of the Bread and WineQuestion 80: Receiving the EucharistQuestion 83: The Rite of This SacramentIndex

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Book SynopsisLeading evangelical scholar John Walton surveys the cultural context of the ancient Near East, bringing insight to the interpretation of specific Old Testament passages. This new edition of a top-selling textbook has been thoroughly updated and revised throughout to reflect the refined thinking of a mature scholar. It includes over 30 illustrations. Students and pastors who want to deepen their understanding of the Old Testament will find this a helpful and instructive study.Table of ContentsContentsPart 1: Comparative Studies1. History and Methods2. Comparative Studies, Scholarship, and TheologyPart 2: Literature of the Ancient Near East3. Summary of the Literature of the Ancient Near EastPart 3: Religion4. The Gods5. Temples and Rituals6. State and Family ReligionPart 4: Cosmos7. Cosmic Geography8. Cosmology and CosmogonyPart 5: People9. Understanding the Past: Human Origins and Role10. Understanding the Past: Historiography11. Encountering the Present: Guidance for Life--Divination and Omens12. Encountering the Present: Context of Life--Cities and Kingship13. Encountering the Present: Guidelines for Life--Law and Wisdom14. Pondering the Future on Earth and after DeathConcluding RemarksAppendix: Individual GodsIndexes

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Book SynopsisJesus Creed 2017 Commentary of the Year Outreach 2018 Resource of the Year (Theology) A Top Five Reference Book for Parish Ministry in 2017, Academy of Parish Clergy The Sermon on the Mount, one of the most influential portions of the Bible, is the most studied and commented upon portion of the Christian Scriptures. Every Christian generation turns to it for insight and guidance. In this volume, a recognized expert on the Gospels shows that the Sermon on the Mount offers a clear window into understanding God's work in Christ. Jonathan Pennington provides a historical, theological, and literary commentary on the Sermon and explains how this text offers insight into God's plan for human flourishing. As Pennington explores the literary dimensions and theological themes of this famous passage, he situates the Sermon in dialogue with the Jewish and Greek virtue traditions and the philosophical-theological question of human flourishing. He also relates the Sermon's theological themes to contemporary issues such as ethics, philosophy, and economics.Table of ContentsContentsTranslation of the Sermon on the MountIntroduction: An Overall Reading Strategy for the SermonPart 1: Orientation1. The Encyclopedic Context of the Sermon2. Makarios: Macarisms underneath and in the Beatitudes3. Teleios: Wholeness throughout the Sermon4. Seven More Key Terms and Concepts in the Sermon5. The Structure(s) of the Sermon and Its Setting within MatthewPart 2: Commentary6. Matthew 5:1-167. Matthew 5:17-488. Matthew 6:1-219. Matthew 6:19-3410. Matthew 7:1-1211. Matthew 7:13-8:1Part 3: Theological Reflection12. The Sermon on the Mount and the Theology of Human Flourishing: A SketchIndexes

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Book SynopsisChristianity Today 2024 Award of Merit (Missions/Global Church) Christian theologians and students are aware that evangelicals in the Majority World now outnumber those in North America and Europe, and many want to know more about emerging voices in the global church. At the same time, these voices are largely absent from Western evangelical theology. Stephen Pardue seeks to bridge this divide by arguing, biblically and theologically, that it is imperative for Western evangelical theology to engage with the global church, and he provides examples of how this can be done. Case studies throughout the book illustrate opportunities for fruitful engagement with non-Western theology in various areas of Christian doctrine. Readers will be given an introduction to the riches available within the worldwide body of Christ and learn how to engage productively with the global church.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. On God and Gravity: Evangelical Objections to Contextual Theology2. A Word Very Near: Contextual Theology and Christian ScriptureCase Study: Liberation Theology and Integral Mission in Latin America 3. The Wealth of the Nations Shall Come to You: How Culture Matters for TheologyCase Study: Theology, Culture, and Chinese Christians4. A Great Multitude from Every Tribe and Tongue: Grounding Contextual Theology in the Doctrine of the ChurchCase Study: Ecclesiology and Contextual Theology in Asia5. The Children of God Scattered Abroad: Contextual Theology in the Fellowship of the Worldwide ChurchCase Study: Christology in Latin American and Global Perspective6. A Great Cloud of Witnesses: Contextual Theology in the Fellowship of the SaintsCase Study: African Theology and Second-Century ChristiansConclusionIndex

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Book SynopsisTwo renowned theologians open up the reality of God's glory in this book, offering readers a dynamic foundation for glorifying God in the twenty-first century. Drawing from Christian spirituality, liturgy, poetry, hymns, iconography, seminal "glory" texts in the Bible, the Nicene Creed, and theologians throughout the ages who caught sight of the glory of God in diverse ways, this book explores the immensely rich and generative soteriological theme of glorification. It shows students how to integrate theology into the life of faith and demonstrates how the practices of Christian worship influence theological thinking. Metaphors, descriptions, evocations, concepts, narratives, and more highlight the amazing, abundant reality of glorification. This is the first book in the Soteriology and Doxology series. These introductory textbooks cover key topics in soteriology, providing substantive treatments of doctrine while pointing to the setting of theology in doxology. Series editors are Kent Eilers and Kyle C. Strobel.Table of ContentsSeries PrefaceIntroductionDoxological Prelude: The Nicene Creed1. The Nicene CreedDoxological Interlude: John 172. ScriptureDoxological Interlude: Ephesians 3:14-213. The Church Fully AliveDoxological Interlude: Psalm 1454. The Christian Life and GlorificationDoxological Postlude: Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph, 1962 (Graham Sutherland)Indexes

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Book SynopsisWhat is youth ministry actually for? And does it have a future? Andrew Root, a leading scholar in youth ministry and practical theology, went on a one-year journey to answer these questions. In this book, Root weaves together an innovative first-person fictional narrative to diagnose the challenges facing the church today and to offer a new vision for youth ministry in the 21st century. Informed by interviews that Root conducted with parents, this book explores how parents' perspectives of what constitutes a good life are affecting youth ministry. In today's culture, youth ministry can't compete with sports, test prep, and the myriad other activities in which young people participate. Through a unique parable-style story, Root offers a new way to think about the purpose of youth ministry: not happiness, but joy. Joy is a sense of experiencing the good. For youth ministry to be about joy, it must move beyond the youth group model and rework the assumptions of how identity and happiness are imagined by parents in American society.Table of ContentsContents Warning for the Reader! (Read before Using) 1. Toward a Journey to Joy Late March 2. Don't Waste Your Life: Youth Ministry and the Good Life September 3. Are the Kids OK? Goods and Youth Ministry September 4. Three Sets of Parents: Things and Happiness Emerge Late October 5. Identity, Part 1: A Dance Party, Demi Lovato, and the Internal Quest Late October 6. Transformation in Youth Ministry Late March 7. Identity, Part 2: Romance, Recognition, and Resentment Late October 8. Happiness, Part 1: Powerball, Endgames, and Sheryl Crow versus Taylor Swift From Winter to Spring Break 9. When Goods Become the Good Late March 10. Happiness, Part 2: Holiness, Virtue, and Luther's Freak-Out The End of Spring Break 11. Joy and the Custodian: What Youth Ministry Is For Late March 12. Borne Burdens: Youth Ministry and Stories of Joy Late March 13. Open Takes and Closed Spins: Youth Ministry and Transcendence Late March 14. An Identity Event: How Youth Ministry Affects Identity Mid-April 15. Holding Vigil: Youth Ministry and Cruciform Practices May Conclusion: Friendship and DQ May

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Book Synopsis2020 For the Church Book Award This brief, accessible invitation to the historic creeds and confessions makes a biblical and historical case for their necessity and shows why they are essential for Christian faith and practice today. J. V. Fesko, a leading Reformed theologian with a broad readership in the academy and the church, demonstrates that creeds are not just any human documents but biblically commended resources for the well-being of the church, as long as they remain subordinate to biblical authority. He also explains how the current skepticism and even hostility toward creeds and confessions came about.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction1. Biblical Arguments for Confessions2. Reformed Confessions (1500-1700)3. Causes of Deconfessionalization4. Benefits of Confessions5. Confessions and PietyConclusionFor Further ReadingIndexes

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Book SynopsisThis accessible yet comprehensive primer helps readers understand the breadth of viewpoints on major issues in evangelical theology, with chapters using the popular multiple-views format. This third edition of a well-received textbook (over 60,000 copies sold) has been updated and revised throughout. It examines positions taken by evangelical scholars on seventeen seminal issues. In addition, it offers end-of-chapter "For Further Reading" sections, an extensive glossary, and an appendix that addresses contrasting views on fifteen additional issues in contemporary evangelicalism.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction1. The Inerrancy DebateWithout Error of Any Kind (The Inerrantist View)Infallible in Matters of Faith and Practice (The Infallibilist View)2. The Providence DebateAll Things Happen according to God's Sovereign Will (The Calvinist View)God Limits His Control by Granting Freedom (The Arminian View)3. The Foreknowledge DebateGod Foreknows Future Free Actions (The Classical Arminian View)God Foreknows by Sovereignly Ordaining the Future (The Calvinist View)God Foreknows All That Shall Be and All That May Be (The Open View)4. The Genesis DebateCreated in the Recent Past (The Young Earth View)A Very Old Work of Art (The Day-Age View)Restoring a Destroyed Creation (The Restoration View)Literary Theme over Literal Chronology (The Literary Framework View)5. The Divine Image DebateThe Image of God Is the Soul (The Substantival View)The Image of God Is Our God-Given Authority (The Functional View)The Image of God Is Our Relationality (The Relational View)6. The Christology DebateThe Unavoidable Paradox of the God-Man (The Classical View)Christ Relinquished His Divine Prerogatives (The Kenotic View)7. The Atonement DebateChrist Was Punished in Our Place (The Penal Substitution View)Christ Conquered Satan and His Kingdom (The Christus Victor View)Christ Displayed God's Hatred of Sin (The Moral Government View)8. The Salvation DebateTULIP (The Calvinist View)God Wants All to Be Saved (The Arminian View)9. The Sanctification DebateSanctification as a Declaration by God (The Lutheran View)Sanctification as Holiness in Christ and in Personal Conduct (The Reformed/Calvinist View)Entire Sanctification as Perfect Love (The Wesleyan View)10. The Eternal Security DebateSecure in the Power of God (The Eternal Security View)The Need to Persist in Faith (The Conditional Security View)11. The Destiny of the Unevangelized DebateNo Other Name (The Restrictivist View)God Does All He Can Do (The Universal Opportunity View)Hope beyond the Grave (The Postmortem Opportunity View)He Has Not Left Himself without a Witness (The Inclusivist View)12. The Baptism DebateBaptism and Christian Discipleship (The Believer's Baptism View)Covenanting with the Community of God (The Infant Baptism View)13. The Lord's Supper Debate"This Is My Body" (The Spiritual Presence View)"In Remembrance of Me" (The Memorial View)14. The Charismatic Gifts DebateThe Gifts Are for Today (The Continuationist View)"Tongues Shall Cease" (The Cessationist View)15. The Women in Ministry DebateCreated Equal, with Complementary Roles (The Complementarian View)The Irrelevance of Gender for Spiritual Authority (The Egalitarian View)16. The Millennium DebateThe Return before the Reign (The Premillennial View)Working toward and Waiting for a Coming Reign of Peace (The Postmillennial View)The Symbolic Thousand-Year Conquest of Satan (The Amillennial View)17. The Hell DebateThe Eternal Conscious Punishment of the Lost (The Classical View)The Door Is Locked on the Inside (The Eternal Separation View)The Lost Shall Be No More (The Annihilationist View)Eventually All Will Be Saved (The Universalist View)Appendix: Additional Issues in Evangelical TheologyIssue 1: How Should Evangelicals "Do" Theology?Issue 2: What Is the Best Analogy for the Trinity?Issue 3: Was Noah's Flood Global or Local?Issue 4: Were Adam and Eve Historical Persons?Issue 5: Are Humans Made Up of One, Two, or Three Parts?Issue 6: What Is the Meaning of "Justification"?Issue 7: Must Wives Submit to Their Husbands?Issue 8: How Should Christians Approach Earthly Politics?Issue 9: What Happens to Babies Who Die?Issue 10: What Is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?Issue 11: Is Speaking in Tongues the Initial Evidence of Receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?Issue 12: Can a Christian Be Demonized?Issue 13: How Should We Interpret the Book of Revelation?Issue 14: Has Jesus Already Returned? The Preterist DebateIssue 15: When Will Jesus Return? The Rapture DebateGlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisDrawn from more than sixty years of classroom experience, this introductory guide provides students with a coherent framework for considering psychology from a Christian perspective. Paul Moes and Donald Tellinghuisen explore biblical themes of human nature in relation to all major areas of psychology, showing how a Christian understanding of humans can inform the study of psychology. The first edition has proven to be a successful textbook, with over 11,000 copies sold. The second edition has been updated and revised throughout based on student and instructor feedback. Brief, accessible chapters correspond to standard introductory psychology textbooks, making this an excellent supplemental text. The book includes end-of-chapter questions. An updated test bank for professors is available through Textbook eSources.Table of ContentsFive Themes of a Biblical View of Human NatureIntroduction: Why Did I Do That?1. Who Am I? Themes of Human Nature2. People Predicting People: Research Methodology3. Bodies Revealed: Brain and Behavior4. Who Is in Control? Consciousness5. Making Sense of Your Surroundings: Sensation, Perception, and Attention6. Change from the Heart: Learning7. Remember Me? Memory8. Think about It: Decision Making and Reasoning9. Moving toward a Goal: Developmental Psychology10. Trust Your Feelings: Emotion11. We're in This Together: Social Psychology, Part 112. Faithful Attitude and Action: Social Psychology Part 213. The Real You: Personality14. In Search of Normality: Psychological Disorders15. "Meaningful" Healing: TherapyAppendix: Christian Approaches to Psychology: The Case of Evolutionary PsychologyReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisOutreach 2023 Resource of the Year (Church) Named One of Fifteen Important Theology Books of 2022, Englewood Review of Books Churches and their leaders have innovation fever. Innovation seems exciting--a way to enliven tired institutions, embrace creativity, and be proactive--and is a superstar of the business world. But this focus on innovation may be caused by an obsession with contemporary relevance, creativity, and entrepreneurship that inflates the self, lacks theological depth, and promises burnout. In this follow-up to Churches and the Crisis of Decline, leading practical theologian Andrew Root delves into the problems of innovation. He explores where innovation and entrepreneurship came from, shows how they break into church circles, and counters the "new imaginations" like neoliberalism and technology that hold the church captive to modernity. Root reveals the moral visions of the self that innovation and entrepreneurship deliver--they are dependent on workers (and consumers) being obsessed with their selves, which leads to significant faith-formation issues. This focus on innovation also causes us to think we need to be singularly unique instead of made alive in Christ. Root offers a return to mysticism and the poetry of Meister Eckhart as a healthier spiritual alternative. This is the fifth book in Root's Ministry in a Secular Age series.Table of ContentsContents1. Only the Creative Survive: How Mission Became Married toInnovation2. We're All Sandwich Artists Now: Work and Backwash, Reversing a Historical Flow3. Hungry, Hungry Markets: Workers in Contradiction, Children inConsumption4. Let's Get Extra: Exploring the Secular Contradiction of Capitalism5. Leave It to Management: Managing for Permanent Innovation6. The Viennese Worm That Exposes the True Self: When Work Becomes about Flexible Projects7. Justification by Creative Works Alone: When Creativity Becomes King, the Self Becomes a Star8. Why You're Not That Special but Feel the Need to Be: Singularity and the Self9. Standing Naked against Money10. The Three Amigos of the Mystical Path: How the Self Is Freed from Singularity11. Aesthetic Epiphanies, Mad Poets, and a Humble Example of What This All Looks LikeIndex

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Book SynopsisNow in its fourth edition, this bestselling textbook (over 125,000 copies sold) isolates key events that provide a framework for understanding the history of Christianity. The book presents Christianity as a worldwide phenomenon rather than just a Western experience. This popular textbook is organized around 14 key moments in church history, providing contemporary Christians with a fuller understanding of God as he has revealed his purpose through the centuries. The new edition includes a new preface, updates throughout the book, revised "further readings" for each chapter, new sidebar content, and study questions. It also more thoroughly highlights the importance of women in Christian history and the impact of world Christianity. Turning Points is well suited to introductory courses on the history of Christianity as well as study groups in churches. Additional resources for instructors are available through Textbook eSources.Table of ContentsContentsPreface to the Fourth EditionIntroduction: The Idea of Turning Points and Reasons for Studyingthe History of Christianity1. The Church Pushed Out on Its Own: The Fall of Jerusalem (70)2. Realities of Empire: The Council of Nicaea (325)3. Doctrine, Politics, and Life in the Word: The Council of Chalcedon (451)4. The Monastic Rescue of the Church: Benedict's Rule (530)5. The Culmination of Christendom: The Coronation of Charlemagne(800)6. Division between East and West: The Great Schism (1054)7. The Beginnings of Protestantism: The Diet of Worms (1521)8. Church and Nation: The English Act of Supremacy (1534)9. Catholic Reform and Worldwide Outreach: The Founding of theJesuits (1540)10. The New Piety: The Conversion of the Wesleys (1738)11. Discontents of the Modern West: The French Revolution (1789)12. A Faith for All the World: The Edinburgh Missionary Conference(1910)13. Mobilizing for the Future: The Second Vatican Council (1962-65)and the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization (1974)Afterword: The Character of Christianity and the Search forTurning PointsStudy QuestionsIndex

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Book SynopsisThis textbook updates the conversation about models of psychology and faith integration, helping students understand the range of options for Christian engagement. Drawing from themes developed in Paul Moes's well-received Exploring Psychology and Christian Faith (coauthored with Donald J. Tellinghuisen), Integrating Psychology and Faith develops a set of worldview dimensions that serve to organize a variety of psychology-faith integration models. Paul Moes and Blake Riek set forth principles and themes and establish historical context to help students explore where different views fit on a continuum of approaches to integration and understand the perspectives of other Christians in the field of psychology. In this way, students come to better understand the organizing principles for various views about psychology that they encounter. The book also shows how theological traditions and positions shape views on natural science, social science, and psychology.Table of ContentsPart 1: Philosophical Foundations1. Worldviews and Natural Science Beliefs2. Worldviews about Human Nature3. Views in Contemporary Psychology4. Views in Contemporary ReligionPart 2: Models of Integration5. Scientific Reductionism6. Biblical Reductionism7. Complementary Models8. Humanizers of ScienceConclusion and ReflectionAppendix: What Is a Person?Index

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Book SynopsisIn an age when the Bible has been stripped of its sacredness and functional biblical illiteracy reigns, this book makes the case that we must work to re-enchant the text in order to return the Bible to its rightful place in the lives of Christians. Cheryl Bridges Johns explains how the Enlightenment's turn to the rational human subject made it possible to objectify the Bible and has distorted our interpretations of Scripture. This move generated a belief that studying the Bible was primarily a means of supporting facts and providing evidence of competing visions of reality. This "modern" version of the Bible does not trouble our nights with apocalyptic images. It has been stripped of its power. She also shows that both "liberal" and "fundamentalist" interpretation are failed forms of disenchanted readings. Johns argues that we must rediscover the Bible as a sacred, dangerous, mysterious, and presence-filled wonderland to counteract biblical illiteracy in an increasingly post-Christian landscape.Table of Contents1. The Strange Silence of the Bible2. The Search for a Way Ahead3. Longing for Enchantment4. The Contours of Enchantment5. Hopeful Signs6. The Enchanting Festival of Pentecost7. Foundations of the Enchanted Text of Holy Scripture8. Dimensions of the Enchanted Text of Holy Scripture9. Re-enchanting the People of GodIndex

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Book SynopsisSouthwestern Journal of Theology 2023 Book Award (Honorable Mention, Biblical Reference/Biblical Backgrounds) Often students want to maintain their Biblical Greek when they're between courses, but they don't know where to start. This book provides ninety days of guided reading and brief exercises to help students retain or revive their knowledge and skill in reading and interpreting Biblical Greek. Noted language expert Benjamin Merkle guides readers through level-appropriate texts selected from across the New Testament canon, encouraging them to read and analyze one or two verses a day. The book begins with easy texts and gradually increases in difficulty through the 90 days. Each reading ends with a section called "For the Journey," which provides a practical application or reflection on the text, and an answer key so that students can check their work. This follow-up to Merkle's Exegetical Gems from Biblical Greek is ideal for Greek language students after their first year of study and for those who want to revive their knowledge and love of Biblical Greek. A companion volume on Hebrew is forthcoming.Table of ContentsIntroductionJourney 1: EasyRoute 1: John 1:1-9Route 2: John 1:10-18Route 3: Revelation 1:4-9Route 4: Revelation 7:9-17Route 5: Matthew 5:43-48Route 6: John 8:39-44Journey 2: IntermediateRoute 7: Luke 2:1-8Route 8: Luke 2:9-15Route 9: Romans 1:11-17Route 10: Ephesians 2:1-10Route 11: Ephesians 2:11-18Route 12: 1 Timothy 2:1-7Journey 3: DifficultRoute 13: Mark 8:31-37Route 14: James 2:18-26Route 15: 1 Peter 4:12-19Route 16: Jude 17-25Route 17: Hebrews 3:1-6Route 18: Hebrews 13:20-25Appendix: Supplemental VocabularyIndexes

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Book SynopsisChristianity Today 2024 Book Award (Academic Theology) In Titus, Paul says Christ redeemed a people "zealous for good works." Despite this declaration and others like it, the doctrine of good works has fallen on hard times in contemporary Protestant theology and practice. At best, it's neglected--as in most systematic theologies and in too much church teaching. At worst, it's viewed with suspicion--as a threat to salvation by grace alone through faith alone. In this important work addressing a significant gap in current theological literature, the authors argue that by jettisoning a doctrine of good works, the contemporary church contradicts historical Protestantism and, more importantly, biblical teaching. They combine their areas of expertise--exegesis, systematic and historical theology, and practical theology--to help readers recover and embrace a positive doctrine of good works. They survey historical Protestant teaching to show the importance of the doctrine to our forebears, engage the scriptural testimony on the role of good works, formulate a theology of salvation and good works, and explore pastoral applications.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Recovering an Essential Doctrine1. Truly Good and Actually Necessary: Good Works in Protestant Theology2. The Greatest Commandments Announced: Good Works in the Old Testament3. The Greatest Commandments Fulfilled: Good Works in the New Testament4. Holiness as Love of God and Love of Neighbor: Toward a Theology of Good Works5. The Working Church: Case Studies in Living Faith6. Strategic Pastoral Leadership: Toward Valuing Works in the Local ChurchConclusion: United with Christ, Filled with the Spirit, Zealous for Good WorksIndexes

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Book SynopsisThis brief introduction surveys Christian thinking on an array of topics related to security and peace from a just war perspective. Drawing primarily on Scripture and theology, Eric Patterson explores the moral dimensions of order, justice, and peace in light of key Christian doctrines such as love of neighbor, stewardship, vocation, and sphere sovereignty. He also examines the perennial questions of civil disobedience, terrorism, revolution, and holy war (including a discussion of Israel's removal of the Canaanites and the Crusades) and interacts with theological thinkers throughout Christian history. The volume concludes with a treatment of punishment and restitution, considering how these can help move a society toward conciliation. While ideal as a textbook for courses on Christian ethics, theology and politics, and church and society, this book will also appeal to pastors and lay readers questioning the morality of war and Christians' involvement in force. Christians who serve in government, law enforcement, and the military will also find helpful guidance for thinking theologically about their vocations.Table of Contents1. Just War Statecraft: The Quest for Peace2. Theological Foundations of Just War Statecraft: Governance, Calling, and Stewardship3. Historical Overview of the Christian Just War Tradition: Pursuing Peace and the Problem with Pacifism4. Morality and Contemporary Warfare: Distinguishing Moral Resistance from Violent Rebellion5. The Motivations and Characteristics of Just Warriors: The Role of Love, Anger, and Virtue6. Ending Wars Well: Order, Justice, and ConciliationIndex

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Book SynopsisAn author on the cutting edge of today's theology and science discussions argues that creedal Christianity has much to contribute to the ongoing conversation. This book contains an intellectual history of theology's engagement with science during the modern period, critiques current approaches, and makes a constructive proposal for how a Christian theological vision of natural knowledge can be better pursued. The author explains that it is good both for religion and for science when Christians treat theology as their first truth discourse. Foreword by David Bentley Hart.Table of ContentsContentsForeword by David Bentley HartIntroduction: A Christian Theology of Science1. Starting Definitions of Christian Theology and of Science2. Viewing Christian Theology through the Truth Lens of Science3. Christian Theology as a First Truth Discourse4. Viewing Science through the Truth Lens of Christian Theology5. The Remarkable Reversal--Revisiting History6. Thinking "After" Science but Not "After" Christian Theology7. Rediscovering Christian Theological Epistemology8. Myth and History--the Fall and Science9. Recovering an Integrative ZoneEpilogue: The Future?GlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisPhilosophy is often seen as anything but practically relevant to everyday life. In this brief, accessible introduction, Ross Inman explores four hidden assumptions that lurk behind questions involving philosophy's relevance. He shows that philosophy is one of most practical subjects of study, for it satisfies our deep human need to make sense of it all. This book recovers a more classical vision of Christian philosophy as an entire way of life. Inman shows that wonder is the distinctively human posture that drives and sustains the examined life and makes a compelling case that philosophy is valuable, practical, and significant for every aspect of Christian life and ministry. Living philosophically as a Christian enables us to be properly attuned to what is true and good in Christ and to orient our lives to the highest goals worth pursuing. This is an ideal introductory book for students of philosophy, Christian thought, and worldview studies. It will also work well in classical school, high school, and homeschool contexts.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. An Invitation to Wonder2. Wonder as the Lifeblood of Philosophy3. Philosophy as a Way of Life4. Recovering Christian Philosophy as a Way of Life5. Diagnosing Our Existential Ailments6. Christian Philosophical Remedies for Our Existential Ailments7. Philosophy for the Sake of What, Exactly?8. Philosophy Is Practical? Are You Kidding?9. The Pilgrim Way and the Christian Philosophical Way of Life10. Philosophy, the Contemplative Life, and the ChurchConclusion: Philosophy Can Change Your Life, ReallyIndexes

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Book SynopsisTeaching writing is not for the faint of heart, but it can be a tremendous gift to teachers and students. Students often approach writing courses with trepidation because they think of writing as a mystical and opaque process. Teachers often approach these same courses with dread because of the enormous workload and the often-unpolished skills of new writers. This approachable composition textbook for beginning writers contends that writing can be a better experience for everyone when taught as an empathetic and respectful conversation. In a time in which discourse is not always civil and language is not always tended carefully, a conversation-based writing approach emphasizes intention and care. Written by a teacher with more than fifteen years of experience in the college writing classroom, Composition as Conversation explores what happens when the art of conversation meets the art of writing. Heather Hoover shows how seven virtues--including curiosity, attentiveness, relatability, open-mindedness, and generosity--inform the writing process and can help students become more effective writers. She invites writers of all skill levels to make meaningful contributions with their writing. This short, accessible, and instructive book offers a reflective method for college-level writing and will also work well in classical school, high school, and homeschool contexts. It demystifies the writing process and helps students understand why their writing matters. It will energize teachers of writing as they encourage their students to become careful readers and observers, intentional listeners, and empathetic arguers. The book also provides helpful sample assignments.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Composition as Conversation1. Be Curious2. Be Attentive3. Be Relatable4. Be on Topic5. Be Engaging6. Be Open-Minded7. Be GenerousConclusion: Stay in ConversationAppendix 1: Sample Call for PapersAppendix 2: Research Proposal TemplateAppendix 3: Annotated Bibliography GuideAppendix 4: Peer Review Interview and Peer Review GuideAppendix 5: Research Essay Guided RevisionAppendix 6: Revision Workshop TemplateAppendix 7: Conversation Extension PlanAppendix 8: Sample Conference PanelAppendix 9: Conference Response SheetAppendix 10: Ongoing Research AssignmentIndex

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Book SynopsisTraditional views of the atonement tend to be reductive, focusing solely on Jesus's death on the cross. In his 2011 groundbreaking book Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews, David Moffitt challenged that paradigm, showing how the atonement is a fuller process. It involves not only Jesus's death but also his resurrection, ascension, offering, and exaltation. In the succeeding years, Moffitt has continued to expand and clarify his thinking on this issue. This book offers a more fulsome articulation of his work on the atonement that reflects his recent thinking on the topic. Moffitt continues to challenge reductive views of the atonement, primarily from the book of Hebrews, but he engages other New Testament passages as well. He offers fresh insights on sacrifice and atonement, the importance of resurrection and ascension, Jesus's role as priest, and a new perspective on Hebrews. This important book brings Moffitt's award-winning and influential scholarship to a broader audience. The book includes a foreword by N. T. Wright.Table of ContentsContentsForeword by N. T. Wright1. Rethinking the Atonement: An Introduction2. Modeled on Moses: Jesus's Death, Passover, and the Defeat of the Devil in the Epistle to the Hebrews3. Wilderness Identity and Pentateuchal Narrative: Distinguishing between Jesus's Inauguration and Maintenance of the New Covenant in Hebrews4. Isaiah 53, Hebrews, and Covenant Renewal5. "If Another Priest Arises": Jesus's Resurrection and the High-PriestlyChristology of Hebrews6. Blood, Life, and Atonement: Reassessing Hebrews' Christological Appropriation of Yom Kippur7. Weak and Useless? Purity, the Mosaic Law, and Perfection inHebrews8. Serving in the Tabernacle in Heaven: Sacred Space, Jesus's High-Priestly Sacrifice, and Hebrews' Analogical Theology9. It Is Not Finished: Jesus's Perpetual Atoning Work as the Heavenly High Priest in Hebrews10. Observations on Directional Features of the Incarnation and Jesus's Sacrifice in Hebrews11. Jesus's Heavenly Sacrifice in Early Christian Reception of Hebrews: A Survey12. Righteous Bloodshed, Matthew's Passion Narrative, and the Temple'sDestruction: Lamentations as a Matthean Intertext13. The Sign of Jonah and the Prophet Motif in the Gospel of Matthew: Moving toward the Gentile Mission14. Atonement at the Right Hand: The Sacrificial Significance of Jesus's Exaltation in Acts15. Affirming the "Creed": The Extent of Paul's Citation of an EarlyChristian Formula in 1 Corinthians 15:3b-7Indexes

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Book SynopsisPost-Christian life and society do not eliminate a desire for the transcendent; rather, they create an environment for new and divergent spiritual communities and practices to flourish. We are flooded with spiritualities that appeal to human desires for nonreligious personal transformation. But many fail to deliver because they fall into the trap of the self. In the last book of the Ministry in a Secular Age series, leading practical theologian Andrew Root shows the differences between these spiritualities and authentic Christian transformation. He explores the dangers of following or adapting these reigning mysticisms and explains why the self has become so important yet so burdened with guilt--and how we should think about both. To help us understand our confusing cultural landscape, he maps spiritualities using twenty of the best memoirs from 2015 to 2020 in which "secular mystics" promote their mystical and transformational pathways. Root concludes with a more excellent way--even a mysticism--centered on the theology of the cross that pastors and leaders can use to form their own imaginations and practices.Table of ContentsRead before Using (Don't Skip)1. New Mystics without God: Closed World Structures and Memoirists2. When Dogs Bark during Paris Lockdown: Meet the Magnificent Jean-Jacques3. Performing Selves Are So Guilty: Why Mysticism and Guilt Are Back4. When the Everyday Houses a Mysticism without God5. The [Bleeping] Triangles Are Everywhere: How Triangulated Dilemmas and Conflicts Map the Mysticism of a Secular Age6. Mystical Memoirists: Mapping the Spiritual Pathways of a Secular Age7. Why Not All Mysticisms Are Equal: Welcome to a Smooth, Pornographic World Obsessed with Action8. Why Passivity Is the Path9. The Headless Man of Shadows: Into Negativity10. When a Late-Night Talk Leads to Deconversion: Or, How We Keep from Hating the WorldIndex

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, the issue of gender has become a topic of great importance and has generated discussion from the kitchen table to the academy. It is an issue that churches and Christian educational institutions are grappling with as well, since gender is a crucial aspect of identity, affecting how we engage socially and understand our embodiment. Upstream from all these conversations lies a more basic question: What is gender? In Gender as Love, Fellipe do Vale takes a theological approach to understanding gender, employing both biblical exegesis and historical theology and emphasizing the role human love plays in shaping our identities. He engages with and explains current theories and debates, but his approach is unique in that it avoids the present impasse between social constructionist and biological essentialist paradigms. His emphasis is on love as identity forming. This fresh, holistic approach makes an important contribution to the literature and will benefit scholars and students alike. Foreword by Beth Felker Jones.Table of ContentsForeword by Beth Felker JonesPart 1: The Landscape and Its Faults1. What Does It Mean to Give a Theological Account of Gender?1.1 Introduction: Contemporary Theological Discussion about Gender1.2 Theological Theology Unpacked1.3 Theologically Theological Anthropology and Theologies of Gender2. Understanding the Social Construction of Gender2.1 Contextualizing the View2.2 The Metaphysics of the Social Construction of Gender2.3 Objections to the Social Construction of Gender2.4 The Social Construction of Sex: Judith Butler2.5 ConclusionPart 2: The Constructive Proposal3. "What God Has Joined Together, Let No One Separate": Bodies and Culture in the Metaphysics of Gender3.1 Expanding What We Mean by Culture and Nature3.2 Witt and Mikkola on the Ontology of Gender3.3 Four Theses on the Metaphysics of Gender and Their Theological Grounding3.4 Conclusion4. An Augustinian Theology of Human Love4.1 Love, Identity, and an Apologia for Augustine4.2 Augustine on Human Love4.3 Conclusion5. Gender as Love: A Theological Proposal5.1 Integrating Claims5.2 Sarah Coakley on Desire and Gender, with a Frankfurt-Style Critique5.3 Gender as Love: The Model5.4 ConclusionPart 3: Gender in the Story of God6. Gender in Creation6.1 Introduction: The Narrative Indexing of Humanity6.2 What Makes Creation Good?6.3 Conclusion7. Gender in Fall, Redemption, and Consummation7.1 Introduction7.2 Fall7.3 Redemption7.4 Consummation7.5 ConclusionConclusionIndex

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Book SynopsisWorld-renowned psychologist and leadership expert Henry Cloud has impacted millions of lives through his ground-breaking books and through his work coaching leaders of the most influential organizations in the world. But few people know the details of his own story and how he became one of the most beloved and respected psychologists and faith influencers in America.In this indelibly personal and vulnerable book, Dr. Cloud leads us through his early struggles with illness and depression and the miracles that healed him and led him to his calling as a healer of others. Through masterful storytelling combined with a deeply nuanced understanding of the human mind, Dr. Cloud invites readers to inhabit the spaces of suffering and elation that make us most human and to walk alongside of him as he ponders the great questions we are so often afraid to ask but which also give life meaning.Written in the vein of such ground-breaking books as An Unquiet Mind, When Bre

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Book SynopsisLet the wisdom of Colossians transform relationships in every area of your life -- home, church, and even the world -- with this study guide from renowned Bible teacher Joyce Meyer.Paul's letter to the Colossians reminds us that as we have died with Christ, we also need to die to our sins. It encourages us that because we have also been raised in Him, we must submit to Jesus and adopt qualities motivated by Christian love. In this comprehensive study tool, Joyce Meyer's commentary on Colossians affirms the Lordship of Christ and offers practical advice on family, relationships, and faith.

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Book SynopsisIn Common Grace Abraham Kuyper presents to the church a vision for cultural engagement rooted in the humanity Christians share with the rest of the world. Kuyper fills a gap in the development of Reformed teaching on divine grace, and he articulates a Reformed understanding of God's gifts that are common to all people after the fall into sin. This first volume contains Kuyper's demonstration of the biblical basis for common grace and how it works. This new translation of Common Grace, created in partnership with the Kuyper Translation Society and the Acton Institute, is part of a major series of new translations of Kuyper's most important writings. The Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology marks a historic moment in Kuyper studies, aimed at deepening and enriching the church's development of public theology.

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Book SynopsisCommon Grace is often considered Abraham Kuyper's crowning work, an exploration of how God expresses grace even to the unsaved. Kuyper firmly believed that though many people in the world will remain unconverted, God's grace is still shown to the world as a whole. The second volume of Common Grace contains Kuyper's doctrinal exploration of the impact and implications of this aspect of Reformed theology. Never before published in English, this translation Common Grace is now available as part of a 12-volume series of Kuyper's most important writings on public theology. Created in partnership with the Kuyper Translation Society and the Acton Institute, the Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology will deepen and enrich the church's understanding of public theology in today's world.

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Book SynopsisWhat is the relationship between the church and the state? Dutch politician and Christian activist Abraham Kuyper was deeply invested in debates over the influence Christianity should have on his nation. As a pastor and theologian, he was just as concerned about the ailing Dutch church. In On the Church, the Acton Institute and the Abraham Kuyper Translation Society have partnered with Lexham Press to publish seven brand-new translations of Kuyper's most influential essays and speeches on the relationship between Christianity and the world. Kuyper believed that Christians must neither hide from the world behind the walls of physical church buildings nor engage the world solely through earthly institutions. The introductory essay by Ad de Bruijne discusses how Kuyper's incisive view of the church still can--and must--apply today, just as it did at the turn of the 20th century.

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Book SynopsisIn Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World--and Why it Matters, Michael S. Heiser uses his expertise and fifteen years of research to tackle questions about what the Bible really says about the unseen world.Ronn Johnson's Supernatural: A Study Guide will help you further explore the ancient worldview of the Bible. Johnson walks through main themes and big picture ideas from Supernatural, while connecting each with practical applications. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter are designed for individual study or discussion with a small group.

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Book SynopsisChristian educators and parents will learn how to use methods pioneered by Charlotte Mason to create a learning environment that encourages children's natural love of learning.

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Book SynopsisHow does one measure success in ministry? Longtime pastor Kent Hughes and his wife Barbara urge readers to turn to God's Word rather than numbers.

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Book SynopsisThis classic book on the four 'Oxford Christians' is now available again with a new Preface by R. J. Reilly himself. Reilly provides insights into the literary, religious and philosophical background of these extraordinary writers and thinkers, and the remarkable effect of their work which endures in the public imagination. Devoting a chapter to each of Owen Barfield, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams and J. R. R. Tolkien, he explores their creative imagination and discusses their differences and similarities.Trade Review'An especially valuable guide to these writers' intellectual principles and goals. This is a splendid book, highly recommended.'-- Philip Zaleski, editor of Best American Spiritual Writing'The world is awash with writing on the Inklings these days, but precious little of it has the scope, the clarity, and the ability to surprise and convince that are in evidence on just about every page of this pioneering and brilliant study.'-- Ptolemy Tompkins, author of Paradise Fever and senior editor of Guideposts Magazine'I came away from a recent rereading with a renewed sense of the vital relevance of these four thinkers to the philosophical, theological and religious tasks of our post-secular world.'-- Jacob Holsinger Sherman, California Institute of Integral Studies'I love this book. The writing is beautiful; the point of view, wise and illuminating; and Reilly is one of the few who can elucidate Barfield’s famously condensed prose without watering it down.'-- Kate Farrell, author of Time’s River: The Voyage of Life in Art & Poetry

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Book SynopsisThis book is a classic of esoteric Christianity in which Tomberg reflects on the mysteries of humanity's covenant with God through history.The book includes meditations on creation, the fall, the Old Testament covenant and the ten commandments, before moving on to Christ's miracles, culminating in the raising of Lazarus as a symbol for humanity being raised from sleep and death to wakefulness and resurrection.

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