If, as the apostle Paul says, salvation is by grace and the law cannot save, what relevance does the law have for Christians today?By revisiting the Marrow Controversy—a famous but largely forgotten eighteenth-century debate related to the proper relationship between God's grace and our works—Sinclair B. Ferguson sheds light on this central issue and why it still matters today. In doing so, he explains how our understanding of the relationship between law and gospel determines our approach to evangelism, our pursuit of sanctification, and even our understanding of God himself.Ferguson shows us that the antidote to the poison of legalism on the one hand and antinomianism on the other is one and the same: the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ, in whom we are simultaneously justified by faith, freed for good works, and assured of salvation.

    Challenging traditional understandings, Kreider contends the church grew because the virtue of patience was of central importance in the life and witness of the early Christians. They wrote about patience, not evangelism, and reflected on prayer, catechesis, and worship, yet the church grew--not by specific strategies but by patient ferment.

    But what if these long held beliefs were all wrong? In this stunning, powerful, and ultimately persuasive book, Rodney Stark, one of the most highly regarded sociologists of religion and bestselling author of The Rise of Christianity (HarperSanFrancisco 1997) argues that some of our most firmly held ideas about history, ideas that paint the Catholic Church in the least positive light are, in fact, fiction. Why have we held these wrongheaded ideas so strongly and for so long? And if our beliefs are wrong, what, in fact, is the truth? In each chapter, Stark takes on a well-established anti-Catholic myth, gives a fascinating history of how each myth became the conventional wisdom, and presents a startling picture of the real truth. For example,Instead of the Spanish Inquisition being an anomaly of torture and murder of innocent people persecuted for “imaginary” crimes such as witchcraft and blasphemy, Stark argues that not only did the Spanish Inquisition spill very little blood, but it was a major force in support of moderation and justice.Instead of Pope Pius XII being apathetic or even helpful to the Nazi movement, such as to merit the title, “Hitler’s Pope,” Stark shows that the campaign to link Pope Pius XII to Hitler was initiated by the Soviet Union, presumably in hopes of neutralizing the Vatican in post-World War II affairs. Pope Pius XII was widely praised for his vigorous and devoted efforts to saving Jewish lives during the war.Instead of the Dark Ages being understood as a millennium of ignorance and backwardness inspired by the Catholic Church’s power, Stark argues that the whole notion of the “Dark Ages” was an act of pride perpetuated by anti-religious intellectuals who were determined to claim that theirs was the era of “Enlightenment.”In the end, readers will not only have a more accurate history of the Catholic Church, they will come to understand why it became unfairly maligned for so long. Bearing False Witness is a compelling and sobering account of how egotism and ideology often work together to give us a false truth.

    Amidst pain and chaos, we "can" turn the tide of evil in our lands. With excitement and profound insight, seasoned prophetic leader Lou Engle shows how: through bold faith and aggressive, passionate prayer and fasting. Here he equips you with the dynamic, practical tools you need to answer the call of countercultural consecration. Using Jesus as the role model, he reveals that 40 days of prayer and fasting always precede breakthrough, revelations of God's glory, breakage of demonic hindrances, and more. As we join together in fasting and intercession, we'll see victory in the critical issues of our day--and we'll awaken the nations for Christ. Global revival and transformation is imminent. Will you answer the call?

    He reveals that the key to manifesting God’s power is understanding this one essential key—how to let God’s anointing rest upon you! In this exciting book, featuring previously unpublished material, Wigglesworth shares Bible secrets that will help unlock the anointing within you and show you how to operate in a greater expression of God’s miraculous power!  You will learn how to: release God’s anointing to bring healing, deliverance, and miracles. live a lifestyle that hosts the Holy Spirit and operates in His gifts. access the infinite resources of God within you and draw strength, power, and faith. make the supernatural natural in your everyday life. Receive revelatory insights from this respected pioneer of the miraculous. Discover how this anointing will impact your life and change your world through releasing the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power!

    Willard Marriott Library. Leonard Arrington is considered by many the foremost twentieth-century historian of Mormonism. He played a key role in establishing the Western History Association and the Mormon History Association, and more than a half-century after its publication, his revised doctoral dissertation, Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints 1830-1900, remains a standard. But Arrington’s career was not without controversy. Gregory Prince takes an in-depth look at this respected historian and, in telling Arrington’s story, gives readers insight into the workings of the LDS Church in the late twentieth century. In 1972, during a major reorganization of the LDS Church, Arrington was asked to serve as the official church historian, thereby becoming the first—and thus far the only—professional historian to hold that title. He immediately set out to professionalize the entire Church History Division and open its extensive archives to scholarly researching. While the output of and from that division moved Mormon studies to a new level, the shift of historiography from faith promotion ecclesiastical, to scholarly and professional research and analysis was unacceptable to a handful of powerful senior apostles. In 1980 the History Division was disassembled and moved to Brigham Young University. That led to a shift in the professionalization of the Church History Division and Archives and in Arrington’s career but not to a loss of his broad influence. This biography is the first to draw upon the remarkable Arrington diaries (over 20,000 pages); it is supplemented by the author’s interviews of more than 100 people who knew or worked with Arrington. The book is of additional significance given continuing battles between the LDS Church and scholars, which frequently gains national attention because of excommunications of prominent intellectuals.

    The story begins with the Catholic Church and its desperate need for reform. The dramatic events that followed are traced from John Wycliffe in England, to the burning of John Hus at the stake in Prague, to the rampant sale of indulgences in the cities and towns of Germany, to Martin Luther nailing the Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in 1517, to John Calvin's reform of Geneva. Erwin Lutzer captures the people, places, and big ideas that fueled the Reformation and explains its lasting influence on the church and Western Civilization.

    The movement that began with his posting of the Ninety-five Theses reshaped Europe, redirected Christian history, and recovered the truth of Gods word. Five hundred years later, what is Luthers legacy? In this volume, R.C. Sproul, Stephen J. Nichols, and thirteen other scholars and pastors examine his life, teaching and enduring influence. Meet Martin Luther, the mercurial Reformer who, out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, set the world ablaze.

    But what if the Reformation still has something to teach us? What if the doctrines so vigorously debated and defended by the Reformers still matter today? In this accessible primer on the Reformation, Michael Reeves and Tim Chester introduce readers to eleven key questions raised by the Reformers. These questions continue to impact the church today—proving that the Reformation is much more than just a bit of history we can leave behind.

    God's Word Alone is a decisive defense of the Bible as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.Revitalizing one of the five great declarations of the Reformation—sola Scriptura—Barrett:Analyzes what the idea of sola Scriptura is and what it entails, clarifying why the doctrine is truth and why it's so essential to Christianity.Surveys the development of this theme in the Reformation and traces the crisis that followed resulting in a shift away from the authority of Scripture.Shows that we need to recover a robust doctrine of Scripture's authority in the face of today's challenges and why a solid doctrinal foundation built on God's Word is the best hope for the future of the church.This book is an exploration of the past in order to better understand our present and the importance of reviving this indispensable doctrine for the Christian faith and church today.—THE FIVE SOLAS—Historians and theologians have long recognized that at the heart of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation were five declarations, often referred to as the "solas." These five statements summarize much of what the Reformation was about, and they distinguish Protestantism from other expressions of the Christian faith: that they place ultimate and final authority in the Scriptures, acknowledge the work of Christ alone as sufficient for redemption, recognize that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and seek to do all things for God’s glory.The Five Solas Series is more than a simple rehashing of these statements, but instead expounds upon the biblical reasoning behind them, leading to a more profound theological vision of our lives and callings as Christians and churches.

    The writings and teachings of figures from the past are crucial to what the church believes today. But just like intriguing guests of honor at a dinner party, these theologians can be intimidating to get to know.Introducing you to the lives and thought of figures such as the Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Karl Barth, and others, this book makes the writings of these significant theologians accessible and approachable--opening up for you the riches of church history and enlarging your vision of God and his plan for the world.

    

    In a few months those questions had stirred the nation; a few years later, the continent. Today we know that those questions changed the course of both the Western church and world history. In this volume for children, Simonetta Carr tells the compelling story of this father of the Protestant Reformation, tracing his quest for peace with God, his lifelong heroic stand for God's truth, and his family life and numerous accomplishments. The Reformer's greatest accomplishment, she writes, "has been his uncompromising emphasis on the free promise of the gospel."

    They threatened them with kidnapping. They promised to take their children. The message to these 'infidels' You have no place in Iraq. Pay a penalty to stay, leave, or be killed."Sweeping from Syria into Iraq, Islamic State fighters (ISIS) have been brutalizing and annihilating Christians. How? Why? Where did the terrorists come from, and what can be done to stop them? For more than a decade, journalist Mindy Belz has reported on the ground from the Middle East, giving her unparalleled access to the story no one wants to believe. In They Say We Are Infidels, she brings the stark reality of this escalating genocide to light, tracking the stories of real-life Christians who refuse to abandon their faith--even in the face of losing everything, including their lives.As Reading Lolita in Tehran did for Iran and We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families did for Rwanda, They Say We Are Infidels shines light into the Middle East through the stories of everyday heroes and heroines who will not be silenced. A must-read for anyone seeking a firmer grasp on the complex dynamics at play in war-torn Iraq and Syria, They Say We Are Infidels is the eye-opening and revelatory testimony of a journalist who heads into a war zone--and is forever changed by the people she encounters there.

    John Paul II, we are "led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love." Mary--refuge of sinners, help of the sick, cause of our joy--is the model for all believers. The Manual for Marian Devotion will deepen your relationship with Mary and, in doing so, draw you closer to her Son. Part One, “Preparing for Marian Devotion,” answers the following questions: • What is Mary's place in God's plan? Why is she so important? • What has the Church taught about Mary? • How has Marian devotion changed history? • How should I cultivate devotion to Mary? Part Two, “Aids for Marian Devotion,” provides these essential resources: • inspiration for Marian devotion from the Scriptures and the saints • excerpts from Church documents addressing Mary's role • accounts of Marian miracles and messages through the ages • Marian prayers and hymns from the Church's rich liturgical and devotional patrimony • Marian poetry The Manual for Marian Devotion is designed to be small enough to travel with you everywhere: use it to nourish your love of Mary with the Scriptures and stories of the saints, and turn to its prayers throughout the day.

    An uplifting gift! This anthology provides some of the finest Christian verse written during the second millennium of Christianity. All of the great ones are here: Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, Dante and Chaucer from the High Middle Ages; Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and John Donne from the Reformation; English and American Romantics such as Browning and Whittier; late nineteenth-century mystics like Dickenson and Hopkins, as well the great converts of that period like Newman and Chesterton. A conscious attempt was made to meet both the standards of academia and the tastes and sensibilities of the faithful. The selections are arranged chronologically to serve also as a history of verse. Brief biographical and anecdotal introductions reveal the varied relationships of the poets with each other and with the trials and tribulations of their day. This magnificent collection is essential for all poetry lovers for those who respond to the beauty of the written word penned in the service of spiritual truth.

    

    He was arrogant and stubborn. He called his opponents derogatory, racist names. He legitimized slavery and silenced women. He was a moralistic, homophobic killjoy who imposed his narrow religious views on others. Or was he? Randolph Richards and Brandon O'Brien explore the complicated persona and teachings of the apostle Paul. Unpacking his personal history and cultural context, they show how Paul both offended Roman perspectives and scandalized Jewish sensibilities. His vision of Christian faith was deeply disturbing to those in his day and remains so in ours. Paul behaved badly, but not just in the ways we might think. Take another look at Paul and see why this "worst of sinners" dares to say, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

    What do you believe about the Bible? How are you different from the church down the street? Why should I become a member of a Presbyterian Church? These are important questions, and questions that sometimes presbyterians don't even know the answer to! Ken Golden considers the distinctives of being a presbyterian, the basis for making a profession of faith and the role of the church as a means of grace.

    There are problems that have been building up like dry tinder. If we never address these problems in a controlled-burn fashion, they will eventually hurt more people than we can imagine. I believe this book will help ignite a flame that has the potential to protect our churches from a great deal of damage. Christians have grown frustrated with the arrogance and sin that has marked many of our churches for decades. As a result, they are either leaving their independent Baptist churches or trying to redefine what a fundamental, independent Baptist is. I have felt that frustration. Too much has been sacrificed by men and women of previous generations to simply abandon our heritage. Yet, so many problems have been ignored for so long that sometimes it appears there isn’t much left to save. I believe this book will encourage you otherwise… — Dave Reyes, New Heights Baptist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico The deeply rooted love that Tom Brennan has for his independent Baptist heritage is clearly seen in his new book. He takes us on an introspective journey so that we may examine who we truly are. He’s done his homework from a scriptural as well as a historical standpoint. He’s also knowingly embarked on a journey that could very easily put him in the crosshairs of criticism for his brutal honesty and opinion; I applaud his courage in that regard. Amidst the simultaneous throwing the baby out with the bathwater on one side and an ostrich with his head in the sand on the other side, it’s refreshing to see that someone has tackled the issues at hand in a loving, caring, and helpful way. This book will help your life and ministry. — Justin Soto, River City Baptist Church, Sacramento, California

    Compiled from previous publications of the Joseph Smith Papers, this e-book is designed for those looking to better understand the original text and historical background of these revelations. This book will be particularly useful for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaching or studying the Doctrine and Covenants in Gospel Doctrine, seminary, or Institute courses. Because of the book’s rigorous scholarship, it will also be helpful to historians, religious studies specialists, and other scholars looking for information on this unique volume of Latter-day Saint scripture. This study companion provides information primarily on the historical context of Joseph Smith’s revelations. Included in the volume are transcripts of the revelations and annotation that provide historical context of the revelations. Introductions to each revelation give such details as when and where a revelation was given, the question or other circumstances that led to the revelation, how it was originally recorded and disseminated, and how early church members responded to the revelation. Readers will also learn about the relationship between a revelation and other events and documents from the period, or about other cultural and religious movements of the time. Where applicable, footnotes also provide textual analysis of a revelation, sometimes noting the differences between the featured version and another early version, allowing readers to see how and to what degree these texts changed in the early years of the church. Though the annotation may often help readers better understand the meaning of a revelation, this book is not intended to be a doctrinal commentary. This volume also includes two appendixes that explain how Joseph Smith’s revelations were first recorded, circulated, and published. The first appendix (previously published in volume 1 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers) provides information on Revelation Book 1 and Revelation Book 2, the manuscript books in which the earliest known versions of many of the revelations were recorded. The second appendix (previously published in volume 2 of the Revelations and Translations series) explains the publication history of the revelations, including the role church newspapers played in circulating the revelations, the canonization of the revelations, and the compiling and printing of the first editions of the Doctrine and Covenants.This e-book also includes new features to help readers using the volume as a study aid, including added versification that corresponds to the modern (2013) Latter-day Saint edition of the Doctrine and Covenants and a chart that lists in chronological order all of the revelations and other texts that make up the Doctrine and Covenants. The contents of this book are organized by section number as found in the 2013 edition.With this e-book, much of the information on the revelations previously published by the Joseph Smith Papers is made conveniently accessible in one location. Helpful to both scholar and Latter-day Saint alike, this study companion provides valuable insight into Joseph Smith’s role as a revelator and into many of the texts that form the bedrock of Latter-day Saint history.

    Through a study of the early church, this book shows how Christianity in effect opted for the religion of empire, shifting the emphasis of Jesus's prophetic message from transforming the world to the aim of saving one's soul.

    Everything has been cataloged in an organized fashion to make it easy to reference with the Kindle format.The following authors are included in this collection:Alexander of AlexandriaAlexander of LycopolisAmbroseAphrahatArchelausAristides the PhilosopherArnobiusAthanasiusAthenagorasAugustine of HippoBardesanesBarnabasBasil the GreatCaiusClement of AlexandriaClement of RomeCommodianusCyprian of CarthageCyril of JerusalemDionysius of RomeDionysius the GreatEphraim the SyrianEusebius of CaesareaGennadius of MarseillesGregory the Great, PopeGregory NazianzenGregory of NyssaGregory ThaumaturgusHermasHilary of PoitiersHippolytusIgnatius of AntiochIrenaeus of LyonsJeromeJohn of DamascusJohn CassianJohn ChrysostomJulius AfricanusJustin MartyrLactantiusLeo the Great, PopeMalchionMar JacobMathetesMethodiusMinucius FelixMoses of ChoreneNovatianOrigenPamphilusPapiasPeter of AlexandriaPolycarpRufinusSocrates ScholasticusSozomenSulpitius SeverusTatianTertullianTheodoretTheodotusTheophilusVenantiusVictorinusVincent of Lérins

    Therefore, St. Robert Bellarmine, the greatest controversial author of the Reformation period, turned his pen to answering the challenge which resulted in a pure shredding of their position. Bellarmine's argumentation begins first with Scripture, then with the Fathers of the Church, then with appeals to reason and the later Theologians. He first shows that the Protestant explication does not match up to the texts of Scripture that treat on the Antichrist, then he shows that the Pope cannot be Antichrist since Antichrist has not yet come, giving proofs from the Old and New Testaments and then the Fathers, along with the contradictions of the Protestants themselves. He continues with a discussion of 666, the mark of Antichrist and many other things that not only defend the Church, but also show the positive teaching of the Church Fathers and the Tradition in regard to Antichrist. "I am delighted that the eschatological mission of the Holy Fathers Enoch and Elias, so well testified to in Sacred Tradition, but virtually forgotten in our day and age, will become more widely known."We owe a real debt of gratitude to Ryan Grant for bringing this work to a wider audience. I pray that it receives a very wide reading." -Fr. Philip Wolfe, FSSP"In the history of the writings about the Antichrist, other than the Fathers, the text of St. Robert Bellarmine is of prime importance. —Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD"Mr. Grant has once again done the Catholic world a great favor by making available yet another mini-treatise of the great Counter-Reformation Doctor, St. Robert Bellarmine, rightly feared by all the Protestant controversialists as one who shreds every anti-Catholic argument with cogent reasoning and an encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture and Tradition. This translation of the saint's probing commentary on the identity and work of Antichrist is more pertinent than ever, not only because the Protestant arguments he is dealing with have never entirely disappeared, but also because we are living in an age of exponentially intensifying evil that might well make many Catholics wonder if we are living in the end times. Since Antichrist is the very herald of the end times, it behooves us to study carefully his features and characteristics, as drawn for us by St. Paul and other inspired authors." -Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Wyoming Catholic College"Here is a timely book for an age when many are looking around for the Antichrist, often seeing foreshadowings of him here and there. Is he alive? Is he walking the earth? In seeking to answer these questions, many in the past (i.e., various Protestants leaders and writers) have actually aided his coming by becoming Antichrist themselves. To avoid this pitfall, read this excellent book penned by a holy doctor of the Church." —Fr. Sean Kopczynski, MSJB

    Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the "subordinate standard" of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

    The fleeting and sparse account in St. Matthew's Gospel raises as many questions as it answers. It has been so embroidered over the centuries that the original historical context has been almost completely buried. Yet the world of the early first century was as dynamic and intriguing as any legend - and much more perilous.In his compelling novelization of the journey of the Magi, Roger Thomas draws on Scripture, history, and modern research. This swift-moving tale brings these shadowed figures to vivid life. You meet them as men of their time and culture: learned and noble, yet experienced with a brutal world and even violent when necessary. Come with them as they search for a King they do not understand, and seek for answers to questions lying in the deepest parts of their souls - providing they survive the dangers of the journey.

    The time has come to translate it into modern English so that Hooker may teach a new generation of churchmen and Christian leaders about law, reason, Scripture, church, and politics. In this initial offering of a multi-year translation project by the Davenant Trust, we present a short and accessible sample of Richard Hooker’s profound insight and rhetorical genius, in the form of his Preface to the work. This wide-ranging discourse on the psychology of religious and political radicalism, and the need to balance the demands of conscience with legal order, is much more than a mere preface, with startlingly relevant insights for the church and the task of Christian citizenship today.

    He was a prolific writer, especially well-known for his works on Christ, the Atonement and the Holy Spirit. Our edition follow's William Goold's famous 17 volume work and combines all his known English works into one collection for your ease of use and reference. (Volume and page number of Goold's work noted in brackets). This fantastic volume includes an Active "Quick Table of Contents" for ease of navigation. -- THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOHN OWEN (55-in-1) INCLUDES: 1. THE LIFE OF DR. OWEN (Goold, Vol 1. xxi) 2. CHRISTOLOGIA (Vol 1. 1) 3. THE GLORY OF CHRIST (Vol 1. 274) 4. THE GLORY OF CHRIST, APPLIED TO SINNERS AND SAINTS (Vol 1. 418) 5. TWO SHORT CATECHISMS (Vol 1. 464) 6. OF COMMUNION WITH GOD (Goold, Vol 2. 1) 7. A VINDICATION OF SOME PASSAGES IN A DISCOURSE CONCERNING COMMUNION WITH GOD (Vol 2. 276) 8. VINDICATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY (Vol 2. 366) 9. PNEUMATOLOGIA (Goold, Vol 3. 1) 10. THE REASON OF FAITH (Goold, vol 4. 1) 11. CAUSES WAYS AND MEANS OF UNDERSTANDING THE MIND OF GOD (vol 4. 118) 12. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER (Vol 4. 236) 13. A DISCOURSE ON THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A COMFORTER (Vol 4. 352) 14. A DISCOURSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS (Vol 4. 420) 15. DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH (Vol 5. 1) 16. THE FAITH OF GOD'S ELECT (Vol 5. 402) 17. OF THE MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS, ETC. (Vol 6. 1) 18. OF TEMPTATION (Vol 6. 88) 19. INDWELLING SIN IN BELIEVERS (Vol 6. 154) 20. A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON PSALM 130 (Vol 6. 324) 21. THE NATURE OF APOSTASY (Vol 7.1) 22. THE GRACE AND DUTY OF BEING SPIRITUALLY MINDED (Vol 7. 262) 23. THE DOMINION OF SIN AND GRACE (Vol 7. 500) 24. SERMONS (Vol 8. 1) 25. POSTHUMOUS SERMONS (Vol 9. 1) 26. SEVERAL PRACTICAL CASES OF CONSCIENCE RESOLVED (Vol 9. 358) 27. SERMONS PUBLISHED 1756 (Vol 9. 408) 28. SERMONS PUBLISHED IN 1760 - SACRAMENTAL DISCOURSES (Vol 9. 518) 29. A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISM (Vol 10. 1) 30. THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST (Vol 10. 140) 31. OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST (Vol 10. 430) 32. A DISSERTATION ON DIVINE JUSTICE (Vol 10. 482) 33. THE DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE EXPLAINED AND CONFIRMED (Vol 11. 1) 34. THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL VINDICATED AND SOCINIANISM EXAMINED (Vol 12. 1) 35. A REVIEW OF THE ANNOTATIONS OF HUGO GROTIUS (Vol 12. 618) 36. THE DUTY OF PASTORS AND PEOPLE DISTINGUISHED (Vol 13. 1) 37. ESHCOL; A CLUSTER OF THE FRUIT OF CANAAN (Vol 13. 52) 38. OF SCHISM: THE TRUE NATURE OF IT DISCOVERED AND CONSIDERED (Vol 13. 90) 39. A REVIEW OF THE TRUE NATURE OF SCHISM (Vol 13. 208) 40. AN ANSWER TO A LATE TREATISE OF MR. CAWDREY ABOUT THE NATURE OF SCHISM (Vol 13. 278) 41. A BRIEF VINDICATION OF THE NONCONFORMISTS FROM THE CHARGE OF SCHISM (Vol 13. 304) 42. TRUTH AND INNOCENCE VINDICATED (Vol 13. 343) 43. TRACTS ON THE POWER OF THE MAGISTRATE, DISSENTERS, NONCONFORMISTS, ETC. (Vol 13. 507) 44. ANIMADVERSIONS ON TREATISE ENTITLED “FIAT LUX" (Vol 14. 1) 45. A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON “FIAT LUX" (Vol 14. 173) 46. CHURCH OF ROME NO SAFE GUIDE (Vol 14. 481) 47. A DISCOURSE CONCERNING LITURGIES, AND THEIR IMPOSITION (Vol 15. 1) 48. A DISCOURSE CONCERNING EVANGELICAL LOVE, CHURCH PEACE, AND UNITY (Vol 15. 58) 49. AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGINAL, NATURE, INSTITUTION, POWER, ORDER, AND COMMUNION OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES (Vol 15. 187) 50.

    In this book, Worthing looks at early influences on the genre, including European fairy tales and folklore, Northern and classical mythology, and Christian allegory. He also explores the contours of a variety of fantasy worlds from MacDonald's Faerie, Lewis' Narnia and Tolkien's Middle-Earth, to LeGuin's Earthsea, Pratchett's Discworld and Rowling's world of Hogwarts. In these worlds, and many more, we discover themes such as the battle between good and evil, the question of the existence of God, and the problem of suffering. Fantasy fans of all religious persuasions will find in this book a delightful and informative exploration of the rich history and profound themes of the fantasy genre.

    He sets the apostolic proclamation in its historical, theological, philosophical, and mystical context, showing that, as the starting point of “orthodoxy,” it forecloses every theological attempt to divide or reduce the “one Lord Jesus Christ.”

    Coinciding with the five hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, this volume explains how Luther's approach to the Bible drew his colleagues and contemporary followers into a Scripture-centered practice of theology and pastoral leadership. World-class scholar Robert Kolb examines the entire school of interpretation launched by Luther, showing how Luther's students continued the study and spread of God's Word in subsequent generations. Filled with fresh insights and cutting-edge research, this major statement provides historical grounding for contemporary debates about the Bible.

    Christian parents often feel anxiety about sending their children into the public school environment. Kids spend more waking hours in school than in their homes, and while there, they face many challenges to their faith. The statistics on kids and faith reveal that roughly 50-70% of Christian teens walk away from church when they leave home, and only about 10% come out of the teen years with a Biblical worldview.Navigating Public Schools was not written to debate whether kids should be in public schools or not because the fact is, the majority of Christian kids are in public schools. This book was written to parents who are hungry for guidance on this journey. As a public school teacher for ten years, Stephen saw firsthand how a child's faith may be eroded, so he desires to equip parents and concerned adults to protect children's faith in schools. This book is perfect for busy parents who want clear tools to navigate curriculum pitfalls, exercise their rights in schools, build a strong worldview foundation as a family, and influence the culture for Christ. This book is meant to help Christian parents be intentional about charting a course to protect their child's faith and Biblical worldview. But it's not only for parents--Navigating Public Schools also equips teachers to step off the fear-induced cultural tightrope and appropriately incorporate Christianity into their curriculum. Christian educators, volunteers, pastors and anyone who is involved directly or indirectly with public schools will learn to exercise their Constitutionally-protected rights in a respectful way.All Christians who read this book will become more empowered to impact and protect the next generation. See our website, www.PrepareTheWay.us for more information.

    Soon he discovered that his mission field was inside his own country"€"the vast and dangerous outback, or Never Never, where life-and-death struggles were a constant reality.A man bursting with ideas and energy, John strove endlessly to support isolated bushmen through innovations in radio and flight. Serving as superintendent of the Australian Inland Mission and moderator general of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, he established desperately needed medical facilities and helped found the Flying Doctor Service. This national hero's lifelong efforts continue to touch lives across Australia (1880-1951).

    Yet what began with mere parchment and nails turned into one of the most important protests in world history. This book examines Martin Luther's role in sparking the Reformation, his theological impact on the movement, and his continued efforts to return the church to the Word of God. In addition, it will show you his lasting influence on the Christian faith over the past 500+ years. Full-color timelines, maps, and pictures of key Reformation figures enhance your understanding of both the scope of the Reformation and of Luther’s role in bringing it about.

    

    Is it time to consider the Reformation to be a 500-year experiment gone wrong?World-renowned evangelical theologian Kevin Vanhoozer thinks not. While he sees recent critiques as legitimate, he argues that retrieving the Reformation's core principles offers an answer to critics of Protestant biblical interpretation. Vanhoozer explores how a proper reappropriation of the five solas—sola gratia (grace alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (in Christ alone), and sola Deo gloria (for the glory of God alone)—offers the tools to constrain biblical interpretation and establish interpretive authority. He offers a positive assessment of the Reformation, showing how a retrieval of "mere Protestant Christianity" has the potential to reform contemporary Christian belief and practice.This provocative response and statement from a top theologian is accessibly written for pastors and church leaders.

    Designed specifically for students and accessible to readers with little or no previous knowledge of theology or religious history, this essential, one-of-a-kind work frames, explores, and interprets Eastern Orthodoxy through the use of primary sources and documents. Lively introductions and short narratives that touch on anthropology, art, law, literature, music, politics, women’s studies, and a host of other areas are woven together to provide a coherent and fascinating history of the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition.

    In What Christians Ought to Believe Michael Bird opens our eyes to the possibilities of the Apostle’s Creed as a way to explore and understand the basic teachings of the Christian faith.Bringing together theological commentary, tips for application, and memorable illustrations, What Christians Ought to Believe summarizes the basic tenets of the Christian faith using the Apostle’s Creed as its entryway. After first emphasizing the importance of creeds for the formation of the Christian faith, each chapter, following the Creed’s outline, introduces the Father, the Son, and the Spirit and the Church. An appendix includes the Apostles’ Creed in the original Latin and Greek.What Christians Ought to Believe is ideally suited for both the classroom and the church setting to teach beginning students and laypersons the basics of what Christians ought to affirm if they are to be called Christians.

    In so doing, he risked death at the hands of the Nazis, one Gestapo leader even urging that he be publicly hanged. Joseph Goebbels and others in the Nazi leadership, knowing the bishop’s popularity, advised waiting, subscribing to the adage that “revenge is a dish best served cold.” In this, the definitive English language biography of the great Lion of Münster, readers will encounter the young von Galen as he learns the Catholic faith and love of the fatherland from his family, members of the German aristocracy. A nobleman, a “prince” of his people and of his Church, the boy grew into a man, a six-and-a-half-foot tall giant of a man, who, though he loved his homeland, loved God, His Church and His law even more; for he knew that calling his homeland back to the ways of God is the one way in which a bishop can best demonstrate that love for the people under his spiritual care. And so, in three magnificent sermons and countless other speeches, communiques and gestures, the Lion roared. This story of his life and his stirring words provides readers with an indispensable glimpse into the confrontation between Church and State in Hitler’s Germany and will serve as a reminder to all men and women of good will of the duty to call black ‘black’ and white ‘white.’

    Closely associated with the regicide and revolution, he befriended Oliver Cromwell, was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, and became the premier religious statesman of the Interregnum. The restoration ofthe monarchy pushed Owen into dissent, criminalizing his religious practice and inspiring his writings in defense of high Calvinism and religious toleration. Owen transcended his many experiences of defeat, and his claims to quietism were frequently undermined by rumors of his involvement inanti-government conspiracies.Crawford Gribben's biography documents Owen's importance as a controversial and adaptable theologian deeply involved with his social, political, and religious environments. Fiercely intellectual and extraordinarily learned, Owen wrote millions of words in works of theology and exegesis. Far frompersonifying the Reformed tradition, however, Owen helped to undermine it, offering an individualist account of Christian faith that downplayed the significance of the church and means of grace. In doing so, Owen's work contributed to the formation of the new religious movement known asevangelicalism, where his influence can still be seen today.

    In these pages, author James Day unpacks the voluminous teachings of Pope Benedict and presents his remedies for the many ills afflicting the Church and our culture, including individualism, materialism, secularism, and godlessness. At a time when the many "isms" of our day are pulling people away from the Faith, Father Benedict presents a hope-filled future, but only if we are to follow the guidance of Pope Benedict and the path he presents to us in every aspect of life: the formation of the Christian faith, in loving others, in personal vocation, in education, and in how we see the natural world.

    Messiah to the Messed Up interlaces rich Scripture narratives with twenty-first century stories. These threads, woven together, create an unforgettable tapestry of the life of Jesus, an image so real that you will feel His presence. Watch Jesus arrive, parched and sweaty, and converse with a social outcast. Witness Him dine with people that others shunned. Wonder at His mercy when He spares an adulteress from execution. See how Jesus is every bit as present today as He was 2000 years ago. Watch Him love a teenaged girl who gets drunk on strawberry wine. Witness His grace in a homeless man who offers an extravagant gift. Wonder at His mercy as a veteran takes his last breath. These stories with Jesus will change your perspective on the Carpenter from Galilee. If you feel your life is a mess, spend time with the Mess iah.

    In whatever position they found themselves, whether queens or slaves, they lived for their Saviour and sought to bring others to Him. Her-Story brings together well-known names, such as Fanny Crosby and Joni Eareckson Tada to lesser known Christians from across the centuries, in 366 devotions. The recurring theme - their love for Jesus.

    In René Girard, Unlikely Apologist: Mimetic Theory and Fundamental Theology, Grant Kaplan brings mimetic theory into conversation with theology both to elucidate the relevance of mimetic theory for the discipline of fundamental theology and to understand the work of René Girard within a theological framework. Rather than focus on Christology or atonement theory as the locus of interaction between Girard and theology, Kaplan centers his discussion on the apologetic quality of mimetic theory and the impact of mimetic theory on fundamental theology, the subdiscipline that grew to replace apologetics. His book explores the relation between Girard and fundamental theology in several keys. In one, it understands mimetic theory as a heuristic device that allows theological narratives and positions to become more intelligible and, by so doing, makes theology more persuasive. In another key, Kaplan shows how mimetic theory, when placed in dialogue with particular theologians, can advance theological discussion in areas where mimetic theory has seldom been invoked. On this level the book performs a dialogue with theology that both revisits earlier theological efforts and also demonstrates how mimetic theory brings valuable dimensions to questions of fundamental theology. "Grant Kaplan's René Girard, Unlikely Apologist: Mimetic Theory and Fundamental Theology is an accessible and original work advancing the discussion of Girard and theology. Kaplan claims mimetic theory for Catholic theology and shows how it can strengthen Catholic theology by providing a powerful apologetic. Immensely helpful, too, is his situating of Girard's work alongside formative theologians and other thinkers." —Scott Cowdell, author of René Girard and Secular Modernity: Christ, Culture, and Crisis

    Contrary to commonly held assumptions about Christian initiation, Peppard contends that rituals here did not primarily embody notions of death and resurrection. Rather, he portrays the motifs of the church’s wall paintings as those of empowerment, healing, marriage, and incarnation, while boldly reidentifying the figure of a woman formerly believed to be a repentant sinner as the Virgin Mary. This richly illustrated volume is a breakthrough work that enhances our understanding of early Christianity at the nexus of Bible, art, and ritual.

    Marshall critiques the radical views of Bart Ehrman, Richard Carrier, and Reza Aslan about Jesus. He also examines their proposed parallels to Jesus: Apollonius of Tyana, Greek novels, and the 18th Century Hasidic Rabbi, Baal Shem Tov. Furthermore, he provides 30 criteria of historicity for evaluating the historicity of the New Testament Gospels and these proposed parallels in order to provide a standard by which to judge the historicity of each and by which to compare how these proposed parallels actually stack up.

    Leading Reformed theologians, such as Kevin Vanhoozer, John Webster, Michael Horton, and Oliver Crisp, offer the "state of the question" on standard theological topics and engage in both exegetical and historical retrieval for the sake of theological analysis. The book represents the exciting new theological trajectory of Reformed catholicity.

    In this new book he turns his attention to St Augustine.St Augustine not only shaped the development of Western theology, he also made a major contribution to political theory (City of God) and through his Confessions to the understanding of human psychology. Rowan Williams has an entirely fresh perspective on these matters and the chapter titles in this new book demonstrate this at a glance - 'Language Reality and Desire', 'Politics and the Soul', 'Paradoxes of Self Knowledge', 'Insubstantial Evil'. As with his previous titles, Dostoevsky, The Edge of Words and Faith in the Public Square this new study is sure to be a major contribution on a compelling subject.

    The ecumenical team of contributors includes John Behr, Gary Anderson, Brian Daley, and Bishop Kallistos Ware, among others. This is the fourth volume in Holy Cross Studies in Patristic Theology and History, a partnership between Baker Academic and the Pappas Patristic Institute of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. The series is a deliberate outreach by the Orthodox community to Protestant and Catholic seminarians, pastors, and theologians.

    These are the words of an Irish Presbyterian minister who participated in some of the most important events in the recent history of Northern Ireland. Ken Newell was born in North Belfast in 1942, just after the Blitz. He graduated in Classics and Philosophy at Queen s University before studying Theology at Presbyterian College. After further training at Cambridge and in Holland, he was ordained in 1968. He served in Bangor, Co Down, before being called to teach at a seminary on the island of Timor in Indonesia. He returned to Belfast in 1976, at the height of the Troubles, to work in Fitzroy Presbyterian Church, where he remained minister for the next 32 years. His work of religious bridge-building and a special friendship with Fr Gerry Reynolds triggered many ground-breaking initiatives within the turbulent life of Belfast through the creative and persistent influence of the Clonard-Fitzroy Fellowship. This pioneering relationship between his congregation and Clonard Monastery in the west of the city provided the context for their work in political reconciliation. With considerable courage, Ken became involved in secret discussions with Republican and Loyalist paramilitary groups, contributing to the IRA and Loyalist ceasefires of 1994. For this work he and Fr Reynolds were awarded the Pax Christi International Peace Prize for a grassroots reconciliation initiative . In 2004 Ken became Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and received an OBE for his contribution towards peace . This is his memoir."

    Was Christ a man, temporarily inhabited by the divine? Was he a spirit, only apparently cloaked in flesh? Or was he the Logos, truly incarnate? Between varieties of adoptionism on the one hand and brands of gnosticism on the other, the church's understanding took shape. In this clear and concise introduction, James Papandrea sets out five of the principal images of Christ that dominated belief and debate in the postapostolic age. While beliefs on the ground were likely more tangled and less defined than we can know, Papandrea helps us see how Logos Christology was forged as the beginning of the church's orthodox confession. This informative and clarifying study of early Christology provides a solid ground for students to begin to explore the early church and its Christologies.

    While many historians have concentrated on the movement's American-only roots, Gorman suggests that its earliest leaders were experienced participants in a transatlantic evangelical missionary enterprise that utilized interdenominational cooperation based upon a primitive gospel to evangelize the world and usher in the millennium.

    Moody was once asked. "No," he replied, "I have not. But if God wanted me to be one, he would give me a martyr's grace."They came from around the world. Administrators, teachers, doctors and nurses, church planters and pilots. Regular people in the prime of life. United by their love for Christ and their studies at the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, these twenty-one men and women set out with the gospel. From the jungles of South America to the parched African plain, and from the dark cloud of communist China to the dangers of the Middle East, they displayed God through service and love. In A Martyr’s Grace, Marvin Newell tells the individual stories of these faithful men and women who made a difference in the places they served. He also describes—in many cases for the very first time—how Jesus called them home. Their legacies live on in the rainforests, villages, churches, and cities where they died. What is it that compels ordinary people to sacrifice their lives in this way? Only Christ. They didn’t go expecting to die. But they went—having already given their lives.

    347-419/20), one of the West's four doctors of the church, was recognized early on as one of the church's foremost translators, commentators and advocates of Christian asceticism. Skilled in Hebrew and Greek in addition to his native Latin, he was thoroughly familiar with Jewish traditions and brought them to bear on his understanding of the Old Testament. Beginning in 379, Jerome used his considerable linguistic skills to translate Origen's commentaries and, eventually, to translate and comment on Scripture himself. In 392, while preparing his Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, Jerome wrote his commentary on Nahum, the first in a series of commentaries on five of the twelve minor prophets. Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai and Habakkuk soon followed. He was interrupted in 393 by the Origenist controversy, after which he became a vocal critic of Origen of Alexandria--a controversy he referred to in his commentaries on Jonah and Obadiah in 396. This Ancient Christian Texts volume, edited and translated by Thomas Scheck in collaboration with classics students from Ave Maria University, includes these seven commentaries. The second volume contains Jerome's commentaries on Zechariah, Malachi, Hosea, Joel and Amos, all of which were written in 406, completing the group of twelve prophets. Throughout these commentaries Jerome displays his familiarity with both Hebrew and Greek texts. His spiritual exegesis relies heavily on the exegetical work of Origen. Jerome looks beyond the nationalistic sentiments of the prophets to see a wider message about God's mercy and justice. His commitment to the truthfulness of the Scriptures as the Word of God is exemplified by his defense of the historicity of Jonah. He finds the fundamental message of the prophets to be the intent to console the saints, so that they may disdain the things of this world and prepare themselves for the day of judgment.

    This significant historical and redemptive event was not the last time Christ poured out His Spirit in redemptive history. Mindful of these subsequent acts, Pentecostal Outpourings presents historical research on revivals in the Reformed tradition during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Investigating the British Isles, it observes the outpourings experienced among Welsh Calvinistic Methodists, Irish Dissenters, Calvinistic English Baptists, and Scottish Presbyterians. It then moves on to evaluate the revival instincts among Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and the Dutch Reformed in America. May the knowledge of these outpourings of the Holy Spirit help us seek God earnestly to revive His Church once again. Table of Contents: Preface (Steve Lawson) Introduction I. Revival in the British Isles 1. “The Power of Heaven in the Word of Life”: Welsh Calvinistic Methodism and Revival — Eifon Evans 2. “Melting the Ice of a Long Winter”: Revival and Irish Dissent — Ian Hugh Clary 3. “The Lord Is Doing Great Things and Answering Prayer Everywhere”: The Revival of the Calvinistic Baptists in the Long Eighteenth Century — Michael A. G. Haykin 4. Revival: A Scottish Presbyterian Perspective — Iain Campbell II. Revival in America 5. Edwards’s Revival Instinctive and Apologetic in American Presbyterianism: Planted, Grown, and Faded — Robert Davis Smart 6. “The Glorious Work of God”: Revival among Congregationalists in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries — Peter Beck 7. Baptist Revivals in America in the Eighteenth Century — Tom Nettles 8. Dutch Reformed Church in America (the 18th century) — Joel Beeke Editors Michael A. G. Haykin is professor of church history and biblical spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Robert Davis Smart is senior minister of Christ Church in Bloomington, Illinois. He teaches part-time at different seminaries, preaches at conferences, and stays active in world missions. He and his wife, Karen, enjoy their five children and three grandchildren. Ian Hugh Clary is a coeditor of The Pure Flame of Devotion: A History of Christian Spirituality. He and his wife, Vicky, have three children, Jack, Molly, and Kate, and live in Toronto where they are members of West Toronto Baptist Church. Endorsement “Some in the contemporary Reformed world, in Britain at least, are wary of any talk of revival, whether because of fear of Pentecostal and charismatic excesses or a weariness of what is sometimes assumed to be a misty-eyed Celtic Romanticism. This volume provides conclusive proof that the notion of revival and a longing for the extraordinary working of God in the church has been at the heart of all that has been best in the Reformed tradition.” — David Ceri Jones, Reader in Welsh and Atlantic History, Aberystwyth University, Wales

    In Before the Gregorian Reform John Howe challenges this familiar narrative by examining earlier, "pre-Gregorian" reform efforts within the Church. He finds that they were more extensive and widespread than previously thought and that they actually established a foundation for the subsequent Gregorian Reform movement.The low point in the history of Christendom came in the late ninth and early tenth centuries--a period when much of Europe was overwhelmed by barbarian raids and widespread civil disorder, which left the Church in a state of disarray. As Howe shows, however, the destruction gave rise to creativity. Aristocrats and churchmen rebuilt churches and constructed new ones, competing against each other so that church building, like castle building, acquired its own momentum. Patrons strove to improve ecclesiastical furnishings, liturgy, and spirituality. Schools were constructed to staff the new churches. Moreover, Howe shows that these reform efforts paralleled broader economic, social, and cultural trends in Western Europe including the revival of long-distance trade, the rise of technology, and the emergence of feudal lordship. The result was that by the mid-eleventh century a wealthy, unified, better-organized, better-educated, more spiritually sensitive Latin Church was assuming a leading place in the broader Christian world.Before the Gregorian Reform challenges us to rethink the history of the Church and its place in the broader narrative of European history. Compellingly written and generously illustrated, it is a book for all medievalists as well as general readers interested in the Middle Ages and Church history.

    Now comes the first-ever book to teach children about this most widely accepted statement of the Christian faith. It will help parents, grandparents, and teachers engage 5 to 12 year olds in the marvelous light of God's love for them. The lucid commentary will help children understand what we affirm by reciting the Creed, and why each of its affirmations is important to the Christian faith. The artwork will introduce children and adults to an ancient Christian style by evoking, but not imitating, the beautiful visual art of iconography. Added features include -Why Teach the Creed to Children, - and -Keywords For Kids- to help them grasp that even though some of the language may sound grown-up they can understand it and claim it for their own. The author wrote and illustrated this book for his own children and children everywhere.

    Although she was young and seemed to have no authority, she taught “a Little Way very straight and short” which would lead people to perfection. Others had declared that sanctity was hard to attain, but she said that it was easy. Thérèse maintained that in order to become holy, it was not necessary to engage in manifold practices, to perform rigorous penances, or to receive extraordinary graces. What was needed was simply that we acknowledge our “nothingness” and approach God with love and confidence. “Sanctity,” she proclaimed, “is an interior disposition which makes us humble and little in God’s arms, conscious of our weakness and trusting even to audacity in the goodness of our Father.” Thérèse did not reveal new truths, nor did she teach new means for attaining perfection. Her doctrine was not a revelation of a new kind of sanctity, but a new way of revealing sanctity to us. What she teaches flows from the knowledge of God as He is revealed in the Gospel; she invites us to return to evangelical simplicity. The Church has endorsed her doctrine at the highest level: in 1999, Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church. Some fifty years ago, Father François Jamart, OCD, became concerned about a number of incomplete and distorted accounts of St. Thérèse’s teachings. He had spent many years studying ascetical and mystical theology, and he was well-qualified to present her doctrine in an orderly and systematic way. But this was not enough for him. He wanted this book to be read not only by the initiated few, but by all Christians seriously interested in finding a sure and easy way to Christ. In the Complete Spiritual Doctrine of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, he presents her teachings in their original beauty, simplicity, and practicality. According to the judgment of the Carmelite nuns of Lisieux, this work “represents the pure doctrine of Thérèse — without deviation.” Since this book first appeared in French in 1958 and in English in 1961, it has established itself as a classic. Although many fine studies on St. Thérèse have appeared in more recent years, the Complete Spiritual Doctrine of St. Thérèse of Lisieux is still an indispensable guide to the Little Way.

    A collaboration among scholars of history, religious studies, theology, political science, and ethnic studies, the volume offers unique insight into a vibrant and sometimes controversial movement, the future of which is closely tied to the future of America.

    Martyn Lloyd-Jones set a new standard for faithful and passionate preaching, a standard that continues to be relevant today. Lloyd-Jones was a physician by training and had begun a promising career in medicine before sensing an irresistible call to preach. Surrounded by theological liberalism, he began a pulpit ministry that would exert profound influence on both sides of the Atlantic.

    This volume presents the Lives of Euthymios the Younger, Athanasios of Athos, Maximos the Hutburner, Niphon of Athos, and Philotheos. These five holy men lived on Mount Athos at different times from its early years as a monastic locale in the ninth century to the last decades of the Byzantine period in the early fifteenth century. All five were celebrated for asceticism, clairvoyance, and, in most cases, the ability to perform miracles; Euthymios and Athanasios were also famed as founders of monasteries.Holy Men of Mount Athos illuminates both the history and the varieties of monastic practice on Athos, individually by hermits as well as communally in large monasteries. The Lives also demonstrate the diversity of hagiographic composition and provide important glimpses of Byzantine social and political history.All the Lives in this volume are presented for the first time in English translation, together with authoritative editions of their Greek texts.

    This account, however, is based on Greek ecclesiastical histories and Syriac martyrdom narratives that date to centuries after the fact. In this groundbreaking study, Kyle Smith analyzes diverse Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources to show that there was not a single history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. By examining the conflicting hagiographical and historical evidence, Constantine and the Captive Christians of Persia presents an evocative and evolving portrait of the first Christian emperor, uncovering how Syriac Christians manipulated the image of their western Christian counterparts to fashion their own political and religious identities during this century of radical change.

    They are supplemented by a spectacular collection of artistic and graphic masterpieces, sculptures, objets d’art and important printed works. The catalogue not only illustrates impressively the story of Martin Luther and the Reformation, but it also gives a unique impression of the cultural treasures in the birth country of the Reformation.

    Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) was a prolific author of the Counter Reformation and great defender of the Catholic Church. This book tells the story of the great saint who went from obscure title to become one of the most famous saints of his time.

    Matz explores Gregory's homilies, especially those that reveal Gregory's affirmation of the full deity of the Holy Spirit, and shows the importance of Gregory's work for contemporary theology and spirituality. This work demonstrates a patristic approach to reading the Bible and promotes a vision for the Christian life that is theological, pastoral, and philosophical. Gregory of Nazianzus is the fourth book in a series on the church fathers edited by Hans Boersma and Matthew Levering.

    In the greater part of Western Christianity, however, discomfort with images in worship, both statues and panel icons, has been a relatively common current, particularly since the Reformation. In the Roman Catholic Church, after years of using religious statues, the Second Vatican Council’s call for “noble simplicity” in many cases led to a stripping of images that in some ways helped refocus attention on the eucharistic celebration itself but also led to a starkness that has left many Roman Catholics unsure of how to interact with the saints or with religious images at all. Today, Western interest in panel icons has been rising, yet we lack standards of quality or catechesis on what to do with them. This book makes the case that icons should have a role to play in the Western Church that goes beyond mere decoration. Citing theological and ecumenical reasons, Visel argues that, with regard to use of icons, the post–Vatican II Roman Catholic Church needs to give greater respect to the Eastern tradition. While Roman Catholics may never interact with icons in quite the same way that Eastern Christians do, we do need to come to terms with what icons are and how we should encounter them.

    Despised as infidels (unbelievers) and kafir (unclean), Mesopotamia's indigenous Christian peoples are targeted by fundamentalist Muslims and jihadists for subjugation, exploitation, and elimination. Pushed deep into the fog of war, buried under a mountain of propaganda, and rendered invisible by a shroud of silence, they are betrayed and abandoned by the West's "progressive" political, academic, and media elites who cling to utopian fantasies about Islam while nurturing deep-seated hostility towards Christianity. If they are to survive as a people in their historic homeland, the Christians of Mesopotamia will need all the help they can get. If Western civilization is to survive as a force in its historic heartland (Europe), then we had better start seeing, hearing, and believing the Christians of the Middle East, for their plight prefigures our own.

    Few theologians have led such an eventful life: Cranmer helped Henry VIII break with the pope, pressed his vision of the Reformation through the reign of Edward VI, was forced to recant under Queen Mary, and then dramatically withdrew his recantations before being burned alive. This lively biography by Leslie Williams narrates Cranmer's life from the beginning, through his education and history with the monarchy, to his ecclesiastical trials and eventual martyrdom. Williams portrays Cranmer's ongoing struggle to reconcile his two central loyalties—allegiance to the crown and fidelity to the Reformation faith—as she tells his fascinating life story.

    Augustine on the shores of Florida’s Atlantic Coast to the swampy mire of Jamestown to the floodwaters that nearly destroyed New Orleans. Determination, resistance, survival, even transcendence, shape the story of race and southern Christianities. In Christianity and Race in the American South, Paul Harvey gives us a narrative history of the South as it integrates into the story of religious history, fundamentally transforming our understanding of the importance of American Christianity and religious identity. Harvey chronicles the diversity and complexity in the intertwined histories of race and religion in the South, dating back to the first days of European settlement. He presents a history rife with strange alliances, unlikely parallels, and far too many tragedies, along the way illustrating that ideas about the role of churches in the South were critically shaped by conflicts over slavery and race that defined southern life more broadly. Race, violence, religion, and southern identity remain a volatile brew, and this book is the persuasive historical examination that is essential to making sense of it.

    Countries, social movements, churches, universities, seminaries, and other institutions shaped by Protestantism face a daunting question: how should the Reformation be commemorated 500years after the fact? In this volume, leading historians and theologians, Protestant and Catholic, come together to grapple with this question and examine the historical significance of the Reformation.Protestantism has been credited for restoring essential Christian truth, blamed for disastrous church divisions, and invoked as the cause of modern liberalism, capitalism, democracy, individualism, modern science, secularism, and so much else. This book examines the historical significance of theReformation and considers how we might expand and enrich the ongoing conversation about Protestantism's impact. The contributors conclude that we must remember the Reformation not only because of the enduring, sometimes painful religious divisions that emerged from this era, but also because ahistorical understanding of the Reformation is necessary for promoting ecumenical understanding and thinking wisely about the future of Christianity.

    Now, Fortress Press is pleased to offer the Atlas of Christian History from acclaimed author and editor Tim Dowley.The Atlas of Christian History is built new from the ground up. Featuring more than fifty new maps, graphics, and timelines, the atlas is a necessary companion to any study of Christian history. Concise, helpful text, written by acknowledged authorities, guide the experience and interpret the visuals. Consciously written for students at any level, the volume is perfect for independent students, as well as those in structured courses.The atlas is broken into five primary parts that correspond well to most major introductions to the topic. The final section on the modern era pays significant attention to the growth of Christianity as a global religion. Extensive maps are provided that illuminate Christianity in Asian, African, and Latin American contexts.

    Such disagreement is nothing new, and insights available from past efforts at resolution can be valuable for modern Christians. This study elucidates the hermeneutic of Richard Hooker, a formative figure of Anglicanism, to recommend it as a resource for promoting dialogue. Hookers approach to scripture recognizes the importance of both rational reflection and inspiration while balancing claims of interpretive authorities and individual conscience, providing a hermeneutic that opens Christians to growth and reform while maintaining unity within the church.

    He spent much of his life searching for ancient biblical manuscripts, with his primary goal being to provide the world with the earliest scriptures in existence. Starting in 1844 Tischedorf's greatest discovery was made. While visiting St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai, he found what would later be confirmed as the oldest complete New Testament bible ever found. Most of the Old Testament was included as well. This book is his entire first-hand account of this amazing discovery, followed by his assessment of its historical importance. It took him three trips, altogether, to convince those in the monastery to trust him and allow this bible to be shared with the world. Most of it was brought to Russia, but it was later sold to the British Museum in 1933 after they bought it from the Russian government for 100,000 British pounds. The Mount Sinai Manuscript of the Bible, also included here in this Book Tree published edition, was written shortly after the arrival of the manuscript in England. It outlines the known history of this bible and its importance to the world. Today, after years of study by scholars, this codex has revealed what the original scriptures may have looked like and what portions could have been later added.

    Frankly, many of us are weary of the relentless squabbling associated with all the rhetoric. What are we fighting for? This question not only points us to the futility of our disunity but also compels us to consider what we are fighting for--what deserves our greatest intensity and effort as we seek to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ.Thomas J. Bickerton offers a way to move beyond all the discord to a hope-filled future by exploring how we can come together around what matters most so that the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a vibrant part of our lives and witness. He says that fights, feuds, and uncertainties can distract us, leaving us ineffective and mired in mediocrity and decline; but focusing on what matters most causes our ministries to flourish and the church to become a relevant and vital presence in the community and world. With a warm and practical approach, he leads us on a journey of discernment, inviting us to explore:the spiritual problem at the heart of the issues we're facing, three foundational reminders, guidelines for determining the essentials necessary to make disciples, a motto for working together in the midst of disagreement, and thoughts about the ultimate essential, love. Each chapter includes practical stories of real people and churches who are attempting to stay centered on what matters most as they live out the calling to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Whether you read the book alone or as part of a group study, you will find the courage to say yes to the things that are worth fighting for and no to the fighting that so easily distracts us.

    The story is usually told as a battle of clashing worldviews, but in this book, Robert Elder challenges this interpretation by illuminating just how deeply evangelicalism in Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches was interwoven with traditional southern culture, arguing that evangelicals owed much of their success to their ability to appeal to people steeped in southern honor culture. Previous accounts of the rise of evangelicalism in the South have told this tale as a tragedy in which evangelicals eventually adopted many of the central tenets of southern society in order to win souls and garner influence. But through an examination of evangelical language and practices, Elder shows that evangelicals always shared honor's most basic assumptions.Making use of original sources such as diaries, correspondence, periodicals, and church records, Elder recasts the relationship between evangelicalism and secular honor in the South, proving the two concepts are connected in much deeper ways than have ever been previously understood.

    By 'placing' nature within Byzantine culture and within the discourse of Orthodox Christian thought and practice, Landscape, Nature and the Sacred in Byzantium explores attitudes towards creation that are utterly and fascinatingly different from the modern. Drawing on Patristic writing and on Byzantine literature and art, the book develops a fresh conceptual framework for approaching Byzantine perceptions of space and the environment. It takes readers on an imaginary flight over the Earth and its varied topographies of gardens and wilderness, mountains and caves, rivers and seas, and invites them to shift from the linear time of history to the cyclical time and spaces of the sacred - the time and spaces of eternal returns and revelations.