No student of theology can avoid the problems tackled in this period. They range from the most fundamental issues, concerning how Christ is known and the standard by which responses to him can be evaluated, to the subsequent reflections regarding his relationship to God and to us. Through original and penetrating analyses of selected figures and controversies, Behr presents not only the history of theological reflection, but a sustained analysis of the essential elements of the resulting theology.This first volume treats the initial three centuries of the Christian era. Part I examines the establishment of normative Christianity on the basis of the tradition and canon of the Gospel, and briefly sketches the portrait of the Scriptural Christ inscribed in the New Testament. Part II analyzes selected figures from the second period, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus of Lyons, considering how they understood Christ to be the Word of God. Part III turns to the third century, treating Hippolytus and the debates in Rome, Origen and his legacy in Alexandria and the Council of Antioch, in a continued examination of Christ as the Word of God. it is these debates that form the background for the controversies and Councils of the following centuries, to be examined in subsequent volumes.

    Pope John called the council not to reform heresy or to denounce errors but to update the church's capacity to explain itself to the world and to revitalize ecclesial life in all its unique local manifestations. Congar's masterpiece fills in the blanks of what we have been missing in our reception of the council and its call to "true reform."Yves Congar, OP, a French Dominican who died in 1995, was the most important ecclesiologist in modern times. His writings and his active participation in Vatican II had an immense influence upon the council documents. With a few other contemporaries, Congar pioneered a new style of theological research and writing that linked the great tradition of Scripture and the Fathers to contemporary pastoral questions with lucidity and passion. His key concerns were the unity of the church, lay apostolic life, and a revival of the church's theology of the Holy Spirit. He was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in recognition of his profound contributions to the Second Vatican Council.Paul Philibert, OP, has taught pastoral theology in the United States and abroad. He is a Dominican friar of the Southern Province. His translation of a collection of Congar's essays on the liturgy has recently been published by Liturgical Press under the title At the Heart of Christian Worship. His book The Priesthood of the Faithful: Key to a living Church (Liturgical Press, 2005) reflects the ecclesiology of Yves Congar and his Vision of the apostolic life of the faithful."

    Using the words of the early Christians themselves -- from many documents and inscriptions -- Aquilina traces the history of the Mass from Jesus' lifetime through the fourth century. That the Mass stood at the center of the Church's life is evident in the Scriptures, as well as the earliest Christian sermons, letters, artwork, tombstones, and architecture. Even the pagans bore witness to the Mass in the records of their persecutions.These legacies from the early Church bear witness to the same worship Catholics know today: the altar, the priest, the chalice of wine, the bread, the Sign of the Cross ... the "Lord, have mercy" ... the "Holy, holy, holy" ... and the Communion.

    Written as the author's doctoral dissertation in 1965 for the University of Athens, the issues raised in this work are as relevant today as when Zizioulas first presented them. Zizioulas presents an episcopocentric structure of the Church as normative, constituted in the essential role of the bishop as president of the Divine Liturgy and the eucharistic community. This assertion, still novel when Zizioulas first described it, is widely accepted and forms the core concept of "eucharistic ecclesiology." Nevertheless, Eucharist, Bishop, Church continues to challenge many contemporary notions about the relationship of bishop and presbyter, parish and diocese, and local and universal church.

    Essays and letters by Sasse written between 1927 and 1939 create a $$$ of a pastoral theologian.

    Fresh understandings of Pentecostalism, African traditional religion, and the ironic ways in which Western missionaries affected change--for both good and ill--in ways they never dreamed of insure that readers will never again think the same way about the history of World Christianity.

    Closely involved for nearly forty years with the leaders of the revival, she gave herself unstintingly to the cause of Christ, contributing sacrificially to the construction of sixty-four chapels, the opening of many more, and the founding of Trevecca College in Wales. Drawing on unpublished sources, Faith Cook gives a deeper and truer-to-life portrait than any previously available. She introduces the reader to a gallery of eighteenth-century personalities, among whom the Countess secured an entrance for the gospel through the powerful preaching of such men as George Whitefield, William Romaine and John Fletcher. This major new biography not only rescues the Countess from undeserved obscurity and misrepresentation, but also shows what God can accomplish through the tireless labours of a godly woman whose heart's desire was that the dear Lamb of God, my best, my eternal, my only Friend should have all dedicated to his service and glory.

    This study offers definitive insight into the mind of one of the greatest protagonists of Nicene theology, and through his extraordinary personality, opens a window onto the world of Late Antiquity and the place of the Christian Church in it.

    With a brief description of the City and Temple. By George Peter Holford (written in 1805). Sixth American Edition, Philadelphia, 1814.

    To view more books in our catalog, visit us at fig-books.com.

    Fast-paced sketches of critical periods in church history give readers perspective on the challenges faced by the church today. Short selections in each chapter highlight some of the great heroes who influenced the course of history. Mike Aquilina does not shrink from the realities of the past, including badly behaved leaders and those who betrayed the Lord. Yet he also leaves readers with well-founded hope for the future: God remains faithful in every circumstance and fulfills his promise to remain with his church always.

    For eighteen hundred years it has given rise to conflicting interpretations, and in the late twentieth century it is as controversial as ever. The Apocalypse has appealed to people from diverse backgrounds. It has attracted the oppressed and the powerful, the poor and the rich. Visionaries, prophetic movements, and social activists have made frequent use of it. Its powerful visions of the millennium, the beasts, Armageddon, the four horsemen, and the New Jerusalem continue to capture people's imagination. In Mysterious Apocalypse, Arthur W. Wainwright surveys the interpretation of the book of Revelation from the second century until the present day. He does not attempt to provide an exhaustive treatment of the subject but gives an account of representative interpretations in both popular religion and academic scholarship. He examines the use of the Apocalypse in political and religious controversy, in art and literature, and in Christian worship. The information he provides demonstrates the nature and extent of the Apocalypse's impact on church and society.

    From geography, to theology, to doctrines both orthodox and heretical, to key figures and movements across the centuries, the broad, comprehensive scope of early church history comes across simply, clearly, and with impact. Divided into two sections—Ancient and Medieval—this book covers the first 1,500 years of church history with nearly 160 charts, diagrams, and maps grouped under numerous subdivisions. A sampler of subdivisions and specific charts includes: • Introductions: Church History in a Nutshell • Prominent Cities • The Setting of the Church • The Life of Jesus Christ • The Age of the Earliest Church Fathers • The Age of the Apologists • Essential Components of Gnosticism • The Creed of Chalcedon • Pelagius and Augustine Compared • The Rise of Episcopacy and Papacy in the Church • The Emergence of the Roman Catholic Church • The Rise of the Islamic Faith • The Division of the Church: West and East • The Crusades • Scholasticism. Charts of Ancient and Medieval Church History will help Christians not only develop a firm grasp on the rich legacy of their faith but understand how it influences the church today and their own lives as believers.

    673-735), a Benedictine monk best known for his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, also compiled one of the church's oldest and most inspiring devotional books, the Abbreviated Psalter. Now this classic work of Christian literature is available in this first accurate English translation.Crafted for personal prayer and meditation, the Abbreviated Psalter consists of carefully condensed renderings of each of the Psalms. Focused as it is on the praise of God and on the essential spirituality of human existence, Bede's ancient book remains moving and relevant today. All persons of faith will find this little book a constant source of devotional strength.This new edition of Bede's masterpiece is based on Gerald M. Browne's own critical edition of the Latin text, Collectio Psalterii Bedae Venerabili adscripta. Browne also includes an informative preface introducing Bede and his work. The convenient size of this attractive volume will allow Bede's Abbreviated Psalter to be readily at hand whenever there is need for its message of consolation and hope.

    Reconciling Science and Religion provides a comprehensive survey of the interplay between British science and religion from the late nineteenth century to World War II.Peter J. Bowler argues that unlike the United States, where a strong fundamentalist opposition to evolutionism developed in the 1920s (most famously expressed in the Scopes "monkey trial" of 1925), in Britain there was a concerted effort to reconcile science and religion. Intellectually conservative scientists championed the reconciliation and were supported by liberal theologians in the Free Churches and the Church of England, especially the Anglican "Modernists." Popular writers such as Julian Huxley and George Bernard Shaw sought to create a non-Christian religion similar in some respects to the Modernist position. Younger scientists and secularists—including Rationalists such as H. G. Wells and the Marxists—tended to oppose these efforts, as did conservative Christians, who saw the liberal position as a betrayal of the true spirit of their religion. With the increased social tensions of the 1930s, as the churches moved toward a neo-orthodoxy unfriendly to natural theology and biologists adopted the "Modern Synthesis" of genetics and evolutionary theory, the proposed reconciliation fell apart.Because the tensions between science and religion—and efforts at reconciling the two—are still very much with us today, Bowler's book will be important for everyone interested in these issues.

    Arguing that the indigenous roots of American liberal theology existed before the rise of Darwinism, Dorrien maintains that this tradition took shape in the nineteenth century and was motivated by a desire to map a progressive third way between authority-based orthodoxies and atheistic rationalism. Dorrien characterizes American liberal theology by its openness to historical criticism and evolutionary theory, its commitment to the authority of individual reason and experience, its conception of Christianity as an ethical way of life, and its commitment to make Christianity credible and socially relevant to modern people.

    Far from believing that modern exegetical insights and abilities make earlier interpretations of Scripture naive curiosity, de Lubac communicates to the modern reader his own appreciation and knowledge of the irreplaceably creative role that exegesis of the church fathers and of medieval theologians played in the survival and formulating of Christianity. Even more fundamentally, he links the process of exegesis to the permanent foundation of Christian thought, demonstrating that all forms of scriptural exegesis are part of the ongoing reflective life of God and the process by which the human race learns to share in this mystery.

    Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Story of Christian Spirituality is a readable and vivid guide to the spiritual riches of one of the world's most influential religions.

    Now the New Historical Atlas of Religion in America takes the story into the new millennium. Expanded, reorganized, and now in full color, the new edition of this classic reference work is an arresting visual and narrative portrait of the growth, development, and diversity of America's communities of faith across nearly 400 years. Here is a vastly more complex American religious life--from the decline of mainstream Protestantism to the emergence of evangelical churches and the growing influence of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other faiths. Parts One and Two are a history--in maps and text--of American religions. Part Three focuses in-depth on Lutherans, Mormons, and Roman Catholics. Part Four examines the political, cultural, and social aspects of religion in American public life. Lavishly illustrated with full-color maps, charts, and diagrams, the new Atlas is an essential resource for all readers--students, teachers, scholars, and everyone seeking to understand the remarkable religious history of the United States.

    The Civil War not only pitted brother against brother but also Christian against Christian, with soldiers from North and South alike devoutly believing that God was on their side.Steven Woodworth, one of our most prominent and provocative Civil War historians, presents the first detailed study of soldiers' religious beliefs and how they influenced the course of that tragic conflict. He shows how Christian teaching and practice shaped the worldview of soldiers on both sides: how it motivated them for the struggle, how it influenced the way they fought, and how it shaped national life after the war ended.Through the diaries, letters, and reminiscences of common soldiers, Woodworth illuminates religious belief from the home front to the battlefield, where thoughts of death and the afterlife were always close at hand. Woodworth reveals what these men thought about God and what they believed God thought about the war.Wrote one Unionist, "I believe our cause to be the cause of liberty and light . . . the cause of God, and holy and justifiable in His sight, and for this reason, I fear not to die in it if need be." With a familiar echo, his Confederate counterpart declared that "our Cause is Just and God is Just and we shall finally be successful whether I live to see the time or not."Woodworth focuses on mainstream Protestant beliefs and practices shared by the majority of combatants in order to help us better understand soldiers' motivations and to realize what a strong role religion played in American life throughout the conflict. In addition, he provides sharp insights into the relationship between Christianity and both the abolition movement in the North and the institution of slavery in the South.Ultimately, Woodworth shows us how opposing armies could put their trust in the same God while engaging in four years of organized slaughter and destruction. His compelling work provides a rich new perspective on religion in American life and will forever change the way we look at the Civil War.

    Clearly communicated, high-quality evangelical scholarship on Revelation completes Baker's award-winning New Testament Commentary series for pastors and serious Bible students.

    This desire has led us to believe there is a need for a brief account of the history of Churches of Christ. This book hopes to serve newcomers and even long-time members of the church by giving them insights into our heritage. It also is an introduction to this significant group of churches for those unfamiliar with its place in American Christianity.

    A detailed introduction includes an exposition of mystagogical catecheses and the development of an historicizing system of liturgical symbolism.

    Long out of print and never before available in paperback, it has been newly revised. This expanded and updated edition marks a major publishing event. Arianism has been called the "archetypal Christian heresy" because it denies the divinity of Christ. In his masterly examination of Arianism, Rowan Williams argues that Arius himself was actually a dedicated theological conservative whose concern was to defend the free and personal character of the Christian God. His "heresy" grew out of an attempt to unite traditional biblical language with radical philosophical ideas and techniques and was, from the start, involved with issues of authority in the church. Thus, the crisis of the early fourth century was not only about the doctrine of God but also about the relations between emperors, bishops, and "charismatic" teachers in the church's decision-making. In the course of his discussion, Williams raises the vital wider questions of how heresy is defined and how certain kinds of traditionalism transform themselves into heresy. Augmented with a new appendix in which Williams interacts with significant scholarship since 1987, this book provides fascinating reading for anyone interested in church history and the development of Christian doctrine.

    This big book brings Christian history to life with highly readable, graphically appealing treatments of the most important people, places, and events of the last two millennia. Sections include "Sinners and Saints, " profiles of influential figures; "Understanding the Times, " overviews of various time periods; and "Imagine That!," fascinating, sometimes even humorous insights into Christian history. Time lines and other supporting information make The Ultimate Guide to Christian History a must-have for any family's bookshelf.

    250 illustrations, 200 in color.

    It is the story of how a society came to see itself as responsible for the care of a particular class of people -- a class that had not previously been cared for -- and of who benefited from that shift in interests. In his characteristically elegant and lucid prose, Brown seeks to recover the pre-Christian status of poor people, the actual nature of the relations between the Christian church and the poor, and the true motivations -- sometimes sincere, sometimes self-serving -- behind Christian rhetoric of love for the poor. He draws not only on the standard Greek and Latin sources for the later Roman Empire, but also on Jewish sources to document the interactions between Middle Eastern provincial societies and classical Roman traditions. Brown gracefully illuminates a crucial transition from classical to Christian culture: the emergence of a new understanding of what society -- and the Church -- owes to the poor that continues to resonate.

    This book will give your daily prayer the festive tone you yearn for during the solemn seasons of the church's year.

    Adrian Boas's combined use of historical and archaeological evidence together with first-hand accounts written by visiting pilgrims results in a multi-faceted perspective on Crusader Jerusalem.Generously illustrated, this book will serve both as a scholarly account of this city's archaeology and history, and a useful guide for the interested reader to a city at the centre of international and religious interest and conflict today.

    Clarke, Philip R. Davies, James D. G. Dunn, Eldon Jay Epp, Craig A. Evans, William R. Farmer, Everett Ferguson, Robert W. Funk, Harry Y. Gamble, Geoffrey M. Hahneman, Daniel J. Harrington, Everett R. Kalin, Robert A. Kraft, Jack P. Lewis, Jack N. Lightstone, Steve Mason, Lee M. McDonald, Pheme Perkins, James A. Sanders, Daryl D. Schmidt, Albert C. Sundberg Jr., Emanuel Tov, Julio Trebolle-Barrera, Eugene Ulrich, James C. VanderKam, Robert W. Wall.

    Contains ethical and theological reflections.