A. Carson's father was a pioneering church-planter and pastor in Quebec. But still, an ordinary pastor-except that he ministered during the decades that brought French Canada from the brutal challenges of persecution and imprisonment for Baptist ministers to spectacular growth and revival in the 1970s.It is a story, and an era, that few in the English-speaking world know anything about. But through Tom Carson's journals and written prayers, and the narrative and historical background supplied by his son, readers will be given a firsthand account of not only this trying time in North American church history, but of one pastor's life and times, dreams and disappointments. With words that will ring true for every person who has devoted themselves to the Lord's work, this unique book serves to remind readers that though the sacrifices of serving God are great, the sweetness of living a faithful, obedient life is greater still.

    He is equally noted for his preaching and writing. But in this Long Line Profile, Dr. Steven J. Lawson considers the unique focus and commitment with which Edwards sought to live out the Christian faith.Lawson examines Edwards’ life through the lens of the seventy resolutions he penned in his late teens, shortly after his conversion, which cover everything from glorifying God to repenting of sin to managing time. Drawing on Edwards’ writings, as well as scholarly accounts of Edwards’ life and thought, Lawson shows how Edwards sought to live out these lofty goals he set for the management of his walk with Christ. In Edwards’ example, he finds helpful instruction for all believers.

    But as Dr. Joel R. Beeke argues in this important new book, this image could not be further from the truth. Beeke, a pastor, educator, editor, and prolific author, shows instead that Calvinism is a theology that is firmly rooted in Scripture and works its way out into every area of the believer’s life. He aims to “cover the intellectual and spiritual emphases of Calvinism, the way it influences the church and everyday living, and its ethical and cultural implications.”In this comprehensive survey of Reformed Christianity, Dr. Beeke and eight fellow contributors offer twenty–eight chapters that trace the history of Calvinism; explore its key doctrinal tenets, such as the so–called five points of Calvinism and the solas of the Protestant Reformation; reveal how Calvinists have sought to live in devotion to God; and survey Calvinism’s influence in the church and in the world at large. In the end, the book asserts that the overriding goal of Calvinism is the glory of God. Saturated with Scripture citations and sprinkled with quotations from wise giants of church history, this book presents Calvinism in a winsome and wondrous fashion.

    Benedict tells the true story of Christianity's against-all-odds triumph in the face of fierce Roman hostility and persecution. He does this by exploring the lives and the ideas of the early Christian writers, pastors, and martyrs, men so important to the spread of Christianity that history remembers them as "the Fathers of the Church".This rich and engrossing survey of the early Church includes those churchmen who immediately succeeded the Apostles, the "Apostolic Fathers": Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyon. Benedict also discusses such great Christian figures as Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian of Carthage, the Cappadocian Fathers, as well as the giants John Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine. This book is a wonderful way to get to know the Church Fathers and the tremendous spiritually rich patrimony they have bequeathed to us.

    After all, it is the only one of the standard works that does not tell its own story.Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants addresses this challenge in a creative new way. Rather than giving a verse-by-verse commentary, author Steven C. Harper takes readers on a guided tour through the revelations. Drawing on the earliest manuscripts of those revelations, he provides historically grounded insights into why each revelation was given, what it means, and why it matters.Chapters on every section of the Doctrine and Covenants begin by delving into the historical record to recreate the question or problem each revelation was given to resolve and end by showing readers the outcomes for individuals and the Church.Families and scholars alike will relish the depth and accessibility of Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is an invaluable addition to any gospel library and a fascinating resource for anyone who wishes to become more closely acquainted with this marvelous book of scripture.

    Pearce Carey's compelling pages convey the very atmosphere of that extraordinary period of missionary advance. This life of Carey is structured around a series of remarkable events, always unplanned and unexpected, which opened the way to undreamed of achievements. Carey and his colleagues overcame mountainous obstacles to become the most productive church planters and Bible translators of all time. No other work compares with this moving treatment.

    Because this single short prayer of Jesus Christ has everything that needs to be said about God, his kingdom, this life, about all of us - it is not an exaggeration to suggest that in this commentary Fr. Schmemann provides us with a map for seeing anew the purpose and measure of our whole life as he awakens in us a fresh understanding of these familiar petitions. Includes black and white illustrations.

    John.Doctrinal Treatises:On Faith, Hope and Love (The Enchiridion)On the Catechising of the Uninstructed On Faith and the Creed Concerning Faith of Things not Seen On the Profit of Believing On the Creed: A Sermon to Catechumens Moral Treatises:On Continence On the Good of Marriage Of Holy Virginity On the Good of Widowhood On Lying Against Lying. To ConsentiusOf the Work of Monks On Patience On Care to be had for the Dead Anti-Pelagian Writings:On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of the InfantsOn the Spirit and the Letter On Nature and Grace On Man’s Perfection in Righteousness On the Proceedings of Pelagius On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin On Marriage and Concupiscence On the Soul and its Origins Against Two Letters of the Pelagians On Grace and Free Will On Rebuke and Grace On the Predestination of the Saints On the Gift of Perseverance Anti-Manichaean Writings: On the Morals of the Catholic Church On the morals of the Manichaeans On Two Souls: Against the ManichaeansActs or Disputation against Fortunatus the ManicheanAgainst the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental Reply to Faustus the ManicheanConcerning the Nature of Good, Against the ManicheansAnti-Donatist Writings: On Baptism Answer to Letters of Petilian, Bishop of CirtaOn the Correction of the Donatists Sermons (Homilies):Ten Sermons on the First Epistle of JohnSermons on Selected Lessons of the New TestamentAbout the Author Augustine, the man with upturned eye, with pen in the left hand, and a burning heart in the right (as he is usually represented), is a philosophical and theological genius of the first order, towering like a pyramid above his age, and looking down commandingly upon succeeding centuries. He had a mind uncommonly fertile and deep, bold and soaring; and with it, what is better, a heart full of Christian love and humility. He stands of right by the side of the greatest philosophers of antiquity and of modern times. We meet him alike on the broad highways and the narrow footpaths, on the giddy Alpine heights and in the awful depths of speculation, wherever philosophical thinkers before him or after him have trod. As a theologian he is facile princeps, at least surpassed by no church father, schoolman, or reformer. With royal munificence he scattered ideas in passing, which have set in mighty motion other lands and later times. He combined the creative power of Tertullian with the churchly spirit of Cyprian, the speculative intellect of the Greek church with the practical tact of the Latin.

    She tells about the life of John Calvin from his birth to his death, placing him within the troubled context of the sixteenth century.Carr also introduces Calvin’s writings in a way that children will desire to know more about his ministry and influence. Readers will come to know Calvin’s personality, his devotion to God and the church, and the personal challenges he faced. They will understand the struggles the early Reformed church faced at that time, not only surviving attacks of the Roman Catholic Church, but also achieving a clear identity and a unified doctrine. They will also have a glimpse of life in sixteenth-century Europe, stricken by pestilence, poverty, and wars. Simply written, and full of interesting facts, this book makes a great gift for children of this rich Reformed heritage.

    Everett Ferguson's work here is a compendium of almost everything that is currently known about the Christian ritual of baptism, with extensive citations to the primary and secondary literature, and as such is destined to be an extremely valuable reference work."

    The author shows how the Divine Service has its roots in the worship of both the Old and New Testaments and explains how the liturgy is thoroughly anchored in Scripture. You will come to a greater appreciation for the rich treasures that Christ gives to His people as they gather around His Word and Sacraments.

    This work contributes to an understanding of Van Til and his apologetic insights by placing him within the context of twentieth century developments in North American Reformed theology, including the formation of Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the rise of neo-evangelicalism, and the American reception of Karl Barth.

    John Romanides' university lectures. These talks, originally given in 1983 to college freshmen, are vintage Romanides yet made simple and accessible for the average layman. This makes Patristic Theology the common man's "handbook" to Orthodox Dogmatic Theology and a companion volume to every believer's struggle for salvation.

    The geologists of the period, many of whom were devout believers, agreed about this vast timescale. But despite this apparent harmony between geology and Genesis, these scientists still debated a great many questions: Had the earth cooled from its origin as a fiery ball in space, or had it always been the same kind of place as it is now? Was prehuman life marked by mass extinctions, or had fauna and flora changed slowly over time?The first detailed account of the reconstruction of prehuman geohistory, Martin J. S. Rudwick’s Worlds Before Adam picks up where his celebrated Bursting the Limits of Time leaves off. Here, Rudwick takes readers from the post-Napoleonic Restoration in Europe to the early years of Britain’s Victorian age, chronicling the staggering discoveries geologists made during the period: the unearthing of the first dinosaur fossils, the glacial theory of the last ice age, and the meaning of igneous rocks, among others. Ultimately, Rudwick reveals geology to be the first of the sciences to investigate the historical dimension of nature, a model that Charles Darwin used in developing his evolutionary theory.Featuring an international cast of colorful characters, with Georges Cuvier and Charles Lyell playing major roles and Darwin appearing as a young geologist, Worlds Before Adam is a worthy successor to Rudwick’s magisterial first volume. Completing the highly readable narrative of one of the most momentous changes in human understanding of our place in the natural world, Worlds Before Adam is a capstone to the career of one of the world’s leading historians of science.

    Daniel Hyde presents a commentary that is accessible and thorough, a resource for laymen and for ministers. From the back cover: The Belgic Confession contains doctrine that is worth dying for, as its author and many adherents learned all too well. Opponents of the Belgic Confession have put its adherents to death because through this powerful document, the church speaks its prophetic biblical message to the world in which it exists. Yet because this confession of faith has been neglected for far too long in the Reformed churches, author Daniel Hyde offers a necessary, fresh exposition and application of its doctrine in the twenty-first century, with the hope of setting the Reformed churches on fire for their historic Christian, Protestant, and Reformed faith in the midst of a cold and lifeless world. The Belgic Confession is not a systematic theology but the historic and systematic confession of faith by the Reformed churches. With this commentary Danny Hyde has done the Reformed churches a great service by placing our confession in its historical, theological, and ecclesiastical contexts again. By reading it in the light of those contexts, he brings it to life for us in our time. Anyone wishing to understand better the Belgic Confession on its own terms and as it has been received by the Reformed churches must consult this intelligent work. -R. Scott Clark, Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Westminster Seminary California. It has been a long time since a Belgic Confession commentary of this caliber was last published in English. Biblical, historical, and erudite, Reverend Hyde helps the Confession speak freshly to our day. With Heart and Mouth will be warmly welcomed by pastors called to teach and preach the Belgic Confession. -Wes Bredenhof, Pastor, Langley Canadian Reformed Church, Langley, British Columbia.

    While both groups had much in common, there remained fundamental points of disagreement, which erupted into controversies over such doctrines as immediate regeneration and presumptive regeneration. In Saved by Grace, Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) discusses God's gracious work in bringing fallen sinners to new life and salvation. He provides a careful historical analysis that shows how Reformed theologians have wrestled to understand the Holy Spirit's work in calling and regeneration since the seventeenth century. Bavinck brings exegetical precision and theological clarity to the discussion, carefully avoiding the errors of undervaluing and overvaluing the use of means in the work of salvation. This book, therefore, takes up questions with which every new generation of Reformed writers must grapple.

    Martyn Lloyd-Jones the most powerful and persuasive evangelical voice in Britain for some 30 years is now silent.' So began an obituary for The Times in March 1981, written by John R.W. Stott. That Britain's leading newspaper declined to accept the obituary was hardly surprising; the preacher at Westminster Chapel was scarcely in step with the celebrities of his age. But it is with more current assessments of LLoyd-Jones that this book engages. For some, he speaks directly to the current church situation. Dr. Mark Dever, of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington D.C., could say in 2007, 'Martyn Lloyd-Jones is one of the men I admire most from the 20th century, and the longer time goes on, my admiration of him increases. He had a more profound spiritual vision than anyone else I know.' Iain Murray is not here repeating biography but concentrating on three themes he regards as of major significance. On the first of these-the nature of true preaching- there is fresh insight on what Lloyd-Jones regarded as of paramount importance. The analysis distinguishes between what was true of Lloyd-Jones as an individual and what is the permanent essence of powerful preaching. The second theme concerns the place that full assurance of salvation must have if Christianity is to be vibrant and persuasive; and the third addresses the claim that Lloyd-Jones's understanding of the New Testament church was needlessly divisive. There is new material here, including some pages where the author differs with his friend. But Murray seeks to follow Lloyd-Jones in seeing the glory of God as the end of all Christian life and thought.

    In 1939, these theologians established the Institute for the Study and Eradication of Jewish Influence on German Religious Life. In The Aryan Jesus, Susannah Heschel shows that during the Third Reich, the Institute became the most important propaganda organ of German Protestantism, exerting a widespread influence and producing a nazified Christianity that placed anti-Semitism at its theological center.Based on years of archival research, The Aryan Jesus examines the membership and activities of this controversial theological organization. With headquarters in Eisenach, the Institute sponsored propaganda conferences throughout the Nazi Reich and published books defaming Judaism, including a dejudaized version of the New Testament and a catechism proclaiming Jesus as the savior of the Aryans. Institute members--professors of theology, bishops, and pastors--viewed their efforts as a vital support for Hitler's war against the Jews. Heschel looks in particular at Walter Grundmann, the Institute's director and a professor of the New Testament at the University of Jena. Grundmann and his colleagues formed a community of like-minded Nazi Christians who remained active and continued to support each other in Germany's postwar years. The Aryan Jesus raises vital questions about Christianity's recent past and the ambivalent place of Judaism in Christian thought.

    

    This selection of more than one hundred artifacts -- many of them relatively unknown -- illuminates the history, culture, and practices of the biblical world as a whole. Each entry also outlines that particular object's relevance for understanding the Bible. To assemble this amazing collection, Clyde Fant and Mitchell Reddish themselves traveled to each of these museums throughout the world. Their photographs, descriptions, and histories of the various artifacts enable readers to appreciate these significant objects to an extent not usually enjoyed by even the most experienced museum visitors. For travelers visiting such famous museums as the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum, or the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, this volume will be an indispensable companion. Each artifact is located not only as to its museum site but also by its specific identification number, which is particularly valuable for smaller and lesser-known objects -- true “lost treasures.” Fant and Reddish's Lost Treasures of the Bible will serve as an informative, accessible guide to globe-trotters and armchair travelers alike.

    But to live as a true Protestant -- well, that's another matter. This book is a jeremiad against “new” versions of evangelicalism -- marketers and emergents -- and a summons to return to the historic faith, defined by the Reformation solas (grace, faith, and Scripture alone) and by a high regard for doctrine. Wells argues that historic, classical evangelicalism is marked by doctrinal seriousness, as opposed to the new movements of the marketing church and the emergent church. He energetically confronts the marketing communities and their tendency to try to win parishioners as consumers rather than worshipers, advertising the most palatable environment rather than trusting the truth to be attractive. He takes particular issue with the most popular evangelical movement in recent years -- the emergent church. Emergents, he says, are postmodern and postconservative and postfoundational, embracing a less absolute understanding of the authority of Scripture than traditionally held.The Courage to Be Protestant is a forceful argument for the courage to be faithful to what Christianity in its biblical forms has always stood for, thereby securing hope for the church's future.

    After thousands of speeches, resolutions, and votes, the Council issued sixteen official documents on topicsranging from divine revelation to relations with non-Christians. In many ways, though, the real challenges began after the council was over and Catholics began to argue over the interpretation of the documents. Many analysts perceived the Council's far-reaching changes as breaks with Churchtradition, and soon this became the dominant bias in the American and other media, which lacked the theological background to approach the documents on their own terms. In Vatican II: Renewal Within Tradition, an international team of theologians offers a different reading of the documents fromVatican II. The Council was indeed putting forth a vision for the future of the Church, but that vision was grounded in two millennia of tradition. Taken together, these essays demonstrate that Vatican II's documents are a development from an established antecedent in the Roman Catholic Church.Each chapter contextualizes Vatican II teachings within that rich tradition. The resulting book is an indispensable and accessible companion to the Council's developments, one that focuses on theology and transcends the mass-media storyline of liberal versus conservative.

    The ideal complement (or even antidote) to such books as Upon this Rock; Jesus, Peter and the Keys; Two Paths; The Primacy of Peter; etc. Discusses Peter's Primacy and Succession, Ecclesiology, Infallibility, the Filioque, Celibacy, etc.

    Following an overview of Gregory's life and major works, Beeley traces the centralsoteriological meaning of Gregory's doctrine in the spiritual dialectic of purification and illumination; the dynamic process of divinization (theosis); the singular identity of Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God; the divinity and essential presence of the Holy Spirit; and the interpretation ofScripture according to the Spirit. The book culminates in Gregory's understanding of the Trinity as a whole -- which is theology in the fullest sense -- rooted in the monarchy of God the Father and uniquely known in the divine economy of salvation. Finally, Beeley identifies the Trinitarianshape of pastoral ministry, on which Gregory is also the foundational teacher for later Christian tradition.Beeley offers new insights in several key areas, reinterpreting the famous Theological Orations and Christological epistles within the full corpus of Gregory's orations, poems, and letters. Gregory stands out as the leading ecclesiastical figure in the Eastern Roman Empire and the most powerfultheologian of his age, who produced the definitive expression of Trinitarian orthodoxy from a characteristically Eastern tradition of Origenist theology, independent of the work of Athanasius and in several respects more insightful than his Cappadocian contemporaries.Long eclipsed in modern scholarship, Gregory Nazianzen is now brought into full view as the major witness to the Trinity among the Greek fathers of the Church.

    

     Why the Antinomian disputations? Why now? Whether it is the disappearance of the last generation of native-German speaking Americans, a residual post-World War II anti-German bias, or simply neglect, the theology of Luther that made its way out of the 16th century seems to have devolved, at least in the United States, into simple caricature. If known at all, Lutheran theology seems simply to be that which bolsters or buttresses contemporary theological concepts, ideas and trends...By bringing an unknown work of Luther to light, once again the reader is forced to consider the greater question of his theology in toto. This 224 page work presents Luther's Antinomian Theses & Disputations in English for the very first time, and is a must-have for anyone interested in Lutheran theology.

    The collapse of Catholicism in Boston became apparent with the explosion of the sex-abuse crisis. Lawler shows that the sex-abuse scandal was neither the cause nor the beginning of Catholicism's decline in Boston.

    The Saving Work of Christ is the second volume in the series, Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas, and covers all the major events in God's dispensation in the flesh, from the Birth of Christ to the Day of Pentecost.

    The concepts themselves are given weighty-sounding names, such as incarnation and justification, and the explanations of the concepts sometimes can be more confusing than the names. Captivating, entertaining, and highly informative, Crazy Talk helps readers navigate their way through that complexity and offers a vocabulary that dares and equips! its readers to embrace their own faith in a new, well-informed way. The purpose of Crazy Talk, says author Rolf Jacobson, is to render the heart of our Christian theology in a form that is accessible and appealing to everyone. The format of the book is similar to that of a dictionary of theological terms but with a twist of humor! Each entry includes the name of the theological term, an ironic definition of the term, and a short humorous essay offering a fuller explanation of the term. In making the term understandable, Jacobson concentrates on the big theological issue that is at stake in the term and why it matters. Includes over fifty black and white illustrations.

    Also Indexed by Speaker, by Volume, & Chronologically.- Over 12,500 Hyperlinks! Links throughout to make browsing easy and comprehensive. - Includes Speaker Biographies for nearly all Contrbutors, including:Ezra Benson, George Bywater, George Q. Cannon, Jedediah Grant, Orson Hyde, Heber C. Kimball, Amasa Lyman, John Morgan, H. W. Naisbitt, Charles W. Penrose, Orson Pratt, Parley P. Pratt, Charles C. Rich, Franklin D. Richards, George Albert Smith, Joesph Smith, Jr., Joseph F. Smith, Erastus Snow, Lorenzo Snow, John Taylor, George Teasdale, Moses Thatcher, Daniel H. Wells, Orson F. Whitney, Wilford Woodruff, Brigham Young, John Young, Jr., Joseph Young, & Lorenzo Young._____________________________________________________________________________________The Journal of Discourses (often abbreviated J.D.) is a 26-volume collection of public sermons by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The first editions of the Journal were published in England by George D. Watt, the stenographer of Brigham Young. Publication began in 1854, with the endorsement of the church's First Presidency, and ended in 1886. The Journal is one of the richest sources of early Mormon theology and thinking. This Complete Set has been meticulously compiled and published by church members. It includes an index and is fully optimized for reading on today's latest mobile devices. _____________________________________________________________________________________As a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is also important to note the following excerpt from LDS.org regarding The Journal of Discourses:The Journal of Discourses is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a compilation of sermons and other materials from the early years of the Church, which were transcribed and then published. It included some doctrinal instruction but also practical teaching, some of which is speculative in nature and some of which is only of historical interest.The content of the Journal of Discourses was transcribed, sometimes inaccurately, and published between 1854 and 1886 in England. The compilation contains some statements of doctrine as well as other materials of interest to Latter-day Saints who lived far from the center of the Church, including speeches given for a variety of occasions, funeral addresses, reports from returning missionaries, prayers, and the proceedings of a trial. The Journal of Discourses was produced under the guidance of those who transcribed the materials, including George D. Watt, David W. Evans, and George W. Gibbs.Skilled in the use of shorthand, George D. Watt had transcribed many conferences and sermons for the Deseret News. He received little pay for his work. Since the Deseret News was not generally available outside of the United States, Watt proposed to Brigham Young the idea of publishing these materials on a subscription basis. Such a plan would make the materials available to more Saints and allow Watt to earn a living with his work. President Brigham Young supported the plan, and a letter from the First Presidency was included in the first volume encouraging Church members to cooperate in the purchase and sale of the journal.Questions have been raised about the accuracy of some transcriptions.

    In subsequent years, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. This was a time during which kings and queens would rise and fall from power, but the kingdom of God, restored by this humble farm boy, would grow and fill the earth. Complete with details of concurrent world events, timelines, hundreds of firsthand quotes, personal journal entries, and more than four-hundred color and black-and-white images, this book offers a unique and unequaled insight into Church history—from detailed biographies of modern prophets to less-familiar stories, such as how George Albert Smith saved the Salt Lake Tabernacle from destruction.

    These challenges have a long tradition in America and can be traced to some of the best-known founders of our nation. In pre-Revolutionary America, the formidable Jonathan Edwards directly confronted the challenge, providing an enduring model for Christians today who desire to articulate and defend the historic, orthodox doctrine of Christ. While Edwards sought to prove the historic Jesus, Benjamin Franklin attempted to improve on the original, offering a Jesus of more practical use to his social and civic purposes. Franklin's approach, inspired by Deist thinkers and refined by Thomas Jefferson, has found new life in the advocates of the Jesus Seminar and of other alternative Christianities. Even the ambassadors of strident atheism-Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris-are resurrecting Deist arguments in their best-selling books. These skeptics notably follow the Deist tactic of using the rise of Islam to undermine the uniqueness of Jesus. As a result, there is a widespread erosion of confidence among professing Christians in the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Which ""Real"" Jesus? reveals that these new views of the ""real Jesus"" are, in fact, old news. Endorsements: ""What we have in Bateman's work is a clever, well-written, reader-friendly defense of the real Jesus. It is not the 'Jesus' of pseudo-intellectuals, atheists, or soft evangelicals. This work is a welcomed proclamation of the supremacy of Jesus. The author writes for the street-the average person interested in these issues-and his arguments are concise and accurate, a pleasure to have read for this believing heart."" -John Hannah, Distinguished Professor of Historical Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary ""Steve Bateman is a superb preacher and an engaging writer. In this volume he brings together important issues of American history, public theology, and evangelical identity. 'What Think Ye of Christ?' is still the most urgent question we can ask today. This book helps us to listen well to that question and the answer given to it in the biblical Gospel."" -Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School, and Senior Editor, Christianity Today ""Which 'Real' Jesus is a fascinating journey into a debate that has had a long life since the Enlightenment. Along the way we learn a great deal about ourselves and the origins of a religious faith that still rightfully casts a crucial shadow on our culture. If you love early American history and substantive religious discussion-which rarely intersect as they do here-you will enjoy this book."" -Darrell L. Bock, Research Professsor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Editor at Large, Christianity Today About the Contributor(s): Steve Bateman has studied at Columbia International University, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Reformed Theological Seminary. He is Senior Pastor of First Bible Church in Decatur, Alabama.

    Rives details all the allegations whether Calvin as complainant, witness and prosecutor in 1553 of Servetus for heresy murdered Servetus contrary to Calvin's own stated principles in Calvin's Institutes.

    Including several original photographs and firsthand accounts, this volume explores the culture and lives of German Saints, as they tried to stay true to their faith during this difficult time. With interesting facts and stories in every account, German Saints at War captures the essence of World War II on the German front. This beautiful book includes accounts from Dieter F. Uchtdorf, F. Enzio Busche, and many more.

    Ladd's career as a biblical scholar can be seen as a quest to rehabilitate evangelical thought both in content and image, a task he pursued at greatpersonal cost. Best known for his work on the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, Ladd moved from critiquing his own movement to engaging many of the important theological and exegetical issues of his day.Ladd was a strong critic of dispensationalism, the dominant theological system in conservative evangelicalism and fundamentalism, challenging what he perceived to be its anti-intellectualism and uncritical approach to the Bible. In his impressive career at Fuller Theological Seminary, Laddparticipated in scholarly debates on the relationship between faith and historical understanding, arguing that modern critical methodologies need not preclude orthodox Christian belief. Ladd also engaged the thought of Rudolf Bultmann, the dominant theological figure of his day. Ladd's main focus, however, was to create a work of scholarship from an evangelical perspective that the broader academic world would accept. When he was unsuccessful in this effort, he descended into depression, bitterness, and alcoholism. But Ladd played an important part in opening doors for later generations ofevangelical scholars, both by validating and using critical methods in his own scholarly work, and also by entering into dialogue with theologians and theologies outside the evangelical world.It is a central theme of this book that Ladd's achievement, at least in part, can be measured in the number of evangelical scholars who are today active participants in academic life across a broad range of disciplines.

    

    A one-volume reference work, it provides an introduction to the academic study of early Christianity (c. 100-600 AD) and examines the vast geographical area impacted by the early church, in Western and Eastern late antiquity. It is thematically arranged to encompass history, literature, thought, practices, and material culture. It contains authoritative and up-to-date surveys of current thinking and research in the various subfields of early Christian studies, written by leading figures in the discipline. The essays orient readers to a given topic, as well as to the trajectory of research developments over the past 30-50 years within the scholarship itself. Guidance for future research is also given. Each essay points the reader towards relevant forms of extant evidence (texts, documents, or examples of material culture), as well as to the appropriate research tools available for the area.This volume will be useful to advanced undergraduate and post-graduate students, as well as to specialists in any area who wish to consult a brief review of the "state of the question" in a particular area of early Christian studies, especially one different from their own.

    Ignatius of Antioch. The man who succeeded St. Peter as bishop of Antioch and was the spiritual son of St. John the Apostle is the key to truly knowing the Christians of the first two centuries and what they believed. Ignatius' seven letters give us snapshots of the faith and life of the churches of Asia Minor in a way equaled only by the Acts of the Apostles and the Book of Revelation. Now renowned convert and former Presbyterian minister Dr. Kenneth Howell highlights and emphasizes for you the similarities between this Church Father's writings and the New Testament. He does the same with how later Christians used the writings of Ignatius. This great saint may seem like a man from a distant world, but Howell shows he is as real and pertinent in our own time as he was in his own. As a result, readers will find he helps them love Jesus Christ and His Church with the same all-consuming love that Ignatius had.

    Beginning in the 1380s in market towns along the Ijssel River of the east-central Netherlands and in the county of Holland, they formed households organized as communes and forged lives centered on private devotion. They lived on city streets alongside their neighbors, managed properties and rents in common, and worked in the textile and book trades, all the while refusing to profess vows as members of any religious order or to acquire spouses and personal property as lay citizens. They defended their self-designed style of life as exemplary and sustained it in the face of opposition, their women labeled beguines and their men lollards, both meant as derogatory terms. Yet the movement grew, drawing in women and schoolboys, priests and laymen, and spreading outward toward M�nster, Flanders, and Cologne.The Devout were arguably more culturally significant than the Lollards and Beguines, yet they have commanded far less scholarly attention in English. John Van Engen's magisterial book keeps the Modern Devout at its center and thinks through their story anew. Few interpreters have read the Devout so insistently within their own time and space by looking to the social and religious conditions that marked towns and parishes in northern Europe during the fifteenth century and examining the widespread upheavals in cultural and religious life between the 1370s and the 1440s. In Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life, Van Engen grasps the Devout in their humanity, communities, and beliefs, and places them firmly within the urban societies of the Low Countries and the cultures we call late medieval.

    Highlighting over three hundred works from the collections of the holy monasteries of Sinai and Mount Athos, the Treasury of Saint Mark’s in Venice, and museums and institutions across the globe, this landmark publication—which accompanies a spectacular exhibition—explores the artistic identity of this turbulent empire and its influence on European and Islamic traditions.

    The authors give careful attention to the background of the Reformation in Germany, the production of the Catechism, and the lives of those involved in making the Catechism. Interesting details are given about the practice of using catechisms before 1563, and the reception of the Heidelberg Catechism among the Reformed churches. Emphasis is also placed on the practice of Catechism preaching and the efforts to increase theological education among congregations. Readers will see the rich theological dimensions of the Catechism and its call for experiential religion. The Heidelberg Catechism has long been known for its warm display of orthodox doctrines, and this helpful book further displays the importance of this classic confessional statement. Table of Contents: 1. The Reformation in Germany – Christa Boerke 2. The Completion of the Heidelberg Catechism – Wim Verboom 3. The People Behind the Heidelberg Catechism – Christa Boerke 4. The Theology of the Heidelberg Catechism – Willem van’t Spijker 5. The Heidelberg Catechism in the Netherlands A. Catechism Teaching from the Late Middle Ages – Wim Verboom B. Ecclesiastical Recognition of the Catechism – Teunis M. Hofman 6. The Heidelberg Catechism in Preaching and Teaching A. The Catechism in Preaching – Willem Jan op’t Hof B. The Catechism in Church Education – Marinus Golverdingen 7. The Continued Relevance of the Heidelberg Catechism – Willem van’t Spijker

    A crusade... A stadium poised for a spiritual change… A person in need…Now for the first time, through pictures and stories of ordinary people who heard the invitation and responded, we glimpse the breathtaking panorama of a seventy-year work of God on a scale no one could have imagined.Here is the inspiring spiritual journey of hearts and souls encountering God through the ministry of Billy Graham. From despair to hope, from broken life to renewed spirit, Invitation tells each individual story within the visual context of the Crusade experience. This new book of images and stories brings together never-before published stories of real people who responded to God’s invitation and as a result found their lives transformed and utterly turned around. Created by Billy Graham’s grandsons, Basyle (“Boz”) and Aram Tchividjian, Invitation draws from www.thankyoubilly.com, a website designed to capture for all time the human impact of Graham’s crusades. Here, the stories poured in, from young and old, near and far–those who once were lonely, addicted, abandoned, sick, suicidal–all sharing how one invitation changed everything.Designed around photographs, many never before seen, from the private Graham family collections and the archives of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Invitation has a place in every home, and is itself an invitation to all of us to experience the spiritual legacy of Billy Graham and the work of God in changing lives.

    Both highly regarded scholars, Adela Yarbro Collins and John J. Collins argue that Jesus was called “the Son of God” precisely because he was believed to be the messianic king. This belief and tradition, they contend, led to the identification of Jesus as preexistent, personified Wisdom, or a heavenly being in the New Testament canon. However, the titles Jesus is given are historical titles tracing back to Egyptian New Kingdom ideology. Therefore the title “Son of God” is likely solely messianic and not literal. King and Messiah as Son of God is distinctive in its range, spanning both Testaments and informed by ancient Near Eastern literature and Jewish noncanonical literature.

    Averse to the puritanical spirit of the age, he helped to create a distinctive Anglican theology, moderate in outlook and catholic in tone. He believed that theology should be built on sound learning, he held a high doctrine of the Eucharist and he emphasised dignity and order in worship. His influence defines Anglicanism to this day.A devout scholar and gifted linguist, he served as Dean of Westminster and under James I became Bishop of Chichester, then Ely and finally Winchester. In 1604 he was appointed as one of the translators of the Authorized Version and became responsible for most of the Old Testament. It was as a preacher that he achieved the greatest fame and he was a favourite of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I. His spiritual classic, "The Private Devotions of Lancelot Andrewes" was for personal prayer what the "Book of Common Prayer" was for the worship of the Church. Here is a wide selection from his writings and a general introduction.

    It is a guide to the hermit way of life, based on the teaching of Blessed Paul Giustiniani and featuring a memorable preface by Thomas Merton. Jean Leclerq, O.S.B. (1911-1993) is widely regarded as the foremost twentieth century scholar of Western monasticism, and this is one of his most impressive achievements. If you are only going to read one work of monastic spirituality in your lifetime, this could be your best choice.

    His many commendable qualities are well covered in any Protestant biography (and some can be rightly classified as virtual “hagiographies”).The full, multi-faceted, complex truth concerning important historical figures is invariably more fascinating than the usual myths that circulate about. I aim to present Luther as he was: no more, no less: as fairly as I can, but “warts and all,” too.I do not regard Luther (like many Catholic biographers and critics throughout history) as an essentially “evil” or “bad” man. I don’t deny his good intentions and sincerity at all.Part Two: the “praise” section of this book, runs 83 pages, or about 34% of all the material from Chapter One to the Bibliography.

    On these pages, Christianity comes alive through its mystics, saints, artists, philosophers, and writers—as well as the human story of Christ and his followers. Organized in four parts, this engrossing volume traces Christianity’s growth from small local sect to global power; gives an overview of beliefs, rituals, and festivals within the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions; offers a fascinating survey of sacred scrolls, testaments, apocrypha, and prayers; and examines the issues faced by the religion’s diverse faith communities as they seek to meet the challenges of a new millennium. Gorgeously illustrated throughout, it includes ten special feature spreads that serve as mini-essays on various aspects of art and architecture. The scholarly yet readable text also includes more than 100 fascinating boxes and sidebars that emphasize Christianity’s legacy—from philosophical ideas and educational institutions to selfless traditions of charity and caring.

    After outlining the quest for the historical church (parallel to the quest for the historical Jesus) and reviewing the sources, James Dunn follows the course of the movement stemming from Jesus “beginning from Jerusalem.” Dunn opens with a close analysis of what can be said of the earliest Jerusalem community, the Hellenists, the mission of Peter, and the emergence of Paul. Then he focuses solely on Paul―the chronology of his life and mission, his understanding of his call as apostle, and the character of the churches that he founded. The third part traces the final days and literary legacies of the three principal figures of first-generation Christianity: Paul, Peter, and James, the brother of Jesus. Each section includes detailed interaction with the vast wealth of secondary literature on the many subjects covered.

    As a class of churches that profess allegiance to Reformed theology, practice, and piety, we have drifted from our moorings. This book is written to facilitate change, specifically reformation according to God's Word as summarized in the Reformed confessions.

    Where are religious persons in this situation? Here aphilosopher and a theologian address the issues with authority, clarity, and genuine passion in a way that does not spare religionor even religious people, who have been among the most egregiousviolators of human rights in the world.Faith and Human Rights argues that the idea of human rightsis not exclusively religious, but that its realization in practicerequires urgent action on the part of people of all faiths - andof no faith. The authors contend that while faith has much ofvalue to contribute here, the world's religions will require vigilantreappraisal if they are to function as genuine partners in the globalstruggle for human dignity. Acknowledging the ambiguous morallegacy of their own tradition, Christianity, the authors draw onChristological themes to draft blueprints for a culturally sensitivetheology of human rights.

    This present volume deals with the subject on which the beginning and development of Christianity rests, the authority of Jesus and of his apostles. However obvious the relation between these two may seem to the reader, the author points out that in contemporary theology little appreciation is shown of the fact of the Lord's supreme authority in the New Testament and in the Early Church, and that much confusion exists in many modern theories concerning the history of primitive Christianity and of the formation of the New Testament. Second only to this, Mr. Geldenhuys shows, is the importance of understanding the authority of the apostles. To bring out most sharply the authority of Jesus and his apostles, the author allows the two primary sources of his subject, the New Testament and other Early Church documents, to speak for themselves as far as possible, thus presenting a positive exposition of his subject. The theories of Harnack, Enslin, Bousset, Manson, and many others who try to escape full acceptance of the New Testament or Early Christian presentation of the authority of the Lord and of His apostles, come in for discussion and comment. J. Norval Geldenhuys, perhaps best known for his Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (1951), was a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa. Ned B. Stonehouse was Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary and a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church until his death in 1962.