The Physics and Philosophy of the Bible: How Relativity, Quantum Physics, Plato, and History Meld with Biblical Theology to Show That God Exists and That We Can Live Forever


James Frederick Ivey - 2014
    An analysis of the claims of science shows that this discipline is just as much about faith and belief (vs. fact) as is Christian doctrine. Quantum mechanics has rendered atheism obsolete and has provided us with insights concerning the possible nature and origin of the Biblical God. Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity has virtually proved that we all live forever in some kind of timeless state. Quantum observation, a consequence of quantum physics, has provided us with strong evidence that the true God is He of the Bible. Augustine of Hippo said that he probably would never have been converted were it not for Plato. Other theses entertained in this volume are that mind is primary in our world, which is the thought of God; that God emanates from The Truth, synonymous with goodness and all that is good for cognitive individuals; that faith is much more than blind belief in Him; and that the history of the Jews provides us with powerful evidence that they are the chosen people of the true God. Christianity is unique among religions in terms of reason, logic, and common sense. Here is an example of the writing to be found in my book: "Quantum observation is heavily involved with the concept of form and substance, something that greatly interested Plato. In our world, we can discern two aspects of a material object: substance, the "stuff" of which it is composed, and form, which is its shape. These two characteristics are always connected on the human level of size; according to our physical senses, any separation of them is ridiculous. On the bizarre quantum level, however, elemental entities can exist as form alone or as substance alone. When these are in the state of form, they are waves, and, when they assume the mode of substance, they exist as discrete packets--ultimately, of energy. These are distinct bodies of substance that we call quanta. I am privileged to have received an endorsement of my work from Charles Taliaferro, Chair, Department of Philosophy, St. Olaf College; Editor-in-Chief, Open Theology. It reads as follows: "Because medical doctors or physicians have made vital contributions to philosophy, from Maimonides, Avicenna, and John Locke in the history of philosophy to Raymond Tallis today, it should not surprise us to see Dr. James Frederick Ivey's superb contribution to our philosophical reflection on the bearing of current physics on Biblical faith. Perhaps it takes a person well trained in the application of science in medicine to see the ways in which the application of science, especially modern physics, quantum mechanics, and relativity have important applications in our thinking about God, the Bible, and Judeo-Christianity. The terrain is not unexplored by philosophers, theologians, and popular writers, but it is rare to see the kind of engaging clarity, breadth, and conscientious, mature reflection to be found in Ivey's book." I have a second professorial endorsement that reads thus: "In his book, The Physics and Philosophy of the Bible, Dr. James Ivey, although a physician, has done his homework in both the physical sciences and philosophy. He argues that modern physics, relativity and quantum mechanics, strongly infer the existence of God. He concludes that the historical man, Jesus of Nazareth, was not a lunatic or a liar, but truly God. He submits that Biblical Christianity has all the truth in it and is radically different from all other faiths. His book is a must read for those who have problems with science versus theology." David A. Kaufmann, Ph.D., Past Secretary, Creation Research Society and Professor of Applied Physiology (Retired), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon


Lisa Harper - 2010
    Pretending Jesus is less than He is resulted in someone I wasn't compelled to worship. So I began a journey to discover the whole Jesus--including the seemingly rough and wild parts--revealed in the Bible. And I found Him to be bigger and better than I ever dreamed.--Lisa HarperThrough a powerful blend of storytelling and biblical insights, Lisa Harper invites you to engage with the Jesus of the gospels, a person so provocative that no one left an encounter with Him unchanged. Pharisees fumed, paralytics turned cartwheels, and pariahs found love and acceptance.Come meet the Jesus who is both safe and strong--and learn how this radical Redeemer can liberate you to live and love with abandon.Includes questions for group discussion or personal reflection.

Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today


John Jefferson Davis - 1985
    New chapters on environmental ethics and genetics, as well as other revisions, bring this popular ethics textbook up to date.

The End of America: The Role of Islam in the End Times and Biblical Warnings to Flee America


John Richard Price - 2009
    The book details 30 prophetic "mystery" clues identifying a rich, powerful and influential end times nation that will betray Israel and is therefore destroyed in one day/hour/moment. Radical Jihadists' plans to conquer the world for Allah by bringing "Death to America" are analyzed, comparing Muslim prophecies to Biblical last days verses. Prophecies warning God's people to flee from this "mystery" nation are studied in depth. WHEN should one flee? WHERE should God's people flee? THE END OF AMERICA lists nations that will be safe in the latter days, as Jihadists exert political and religious control across the globe. Also studied are the major world events that God's people should watch for, as Jesus advised. If you know in your spirit that America is in trouble, that national trends are just not right and that we are headed for a devastating future, this book may provide the answers from Biblical prophecy to confirm those leadings.

A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith


Robert L. Reymond - 1998
    Comprehensive, coherent, contextual, and conversational Scripture-saturated, with more exegesis and more Scripture quotations than other one-volume theologies Upholds classic Calvinist positions on baptism, the Trinity, church government, and much more Interacts with contemporary issues and the work of other theologians Reveals the author's warmth and sensitivity born of more than 25 years as a professor at leading Reformed seminaries Numerous appendices covering special topics; abundant resources for further study through footnotes, and a selective bibliography A textbook for theology students, a life-long reference for libraries, ministers, teachers, and professional theologians

Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?


Bruce K. Waltke - 1995
    In an effort to divine God's will, people try praying harder, meditating more on Scripture, or briefly living a better life. But as this insightful book shows, such activities have more in common with paganism than with biblical Christianity.Exploring a misunderstood area of Christian concern, Bruce Waltke asks, Can we ever know God's will? In pursuit of a satisfying answer, he examines many practices that Christians pass off as divine guidance -- following hunches, casting lots, looking for signs, and others -- and suggests that such practices actually bear an unsettling resemblance to the ways pagans seek divine guidance. Instead, Waltke gently shows readers that the truest course to the will of God is found in faithfully answering the call to walk close to the Lord and be conformed to his likeness. Only then will we have the heart of God and know what pleases him. Packed with clear, practical advice for meaningful Christian living, Finding the Will of God will be valued by all.

Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity


John PiperMark Talbot - 2003
    S. LewisThis understanding of God's foreknowledge has united the church for twenty centuries. But advocates of "open theism" are presenting a different vision of God and a different view of the future.The rise of open theism within evangelicalism has raised a host of questions. Was classical theism decisively tainted by Greek philosophy? How should we understand passages that tell us that God repents? Are essentials of biblical Christianity-like the inerrancy of Scripture, the trustworthiness of God, and the Gospel of Christ-at stake in this debate? Where, when, and why should we draw new boundaries-and is open theism beyond them? Beyond the Bounds brings together a respected team of scholars to examine the latest literature, address these questions, and give guidance to the church in this time of controversy.Contributors include:John Piper Wayne Grudem Michael S. Horton Bruce A. Ware Mark R. Talbot A. B. Caneday Stephen J. Wellum Justin Taylor Paul Kjoss Helseth Chad Brand William C. Davis Russell Fuller "We have prepared this book to address the issue of boundaries and, we pray, bring some remedy to the present and impending pain of embracing open theism as a legitimate Christian vision of God. . . . As a pastor, who longs to be biblical and God-centered and Christ-exalting and eternally helpful to my people, I see open theism as theologically ruinous, dishonoring to God, belittling to Christ, and pastorally hurtful. My prayer is that Christian leaders will come to see it this way, and thus love the church by counting open theism beyond the bounds of orthodox Christian teaching." -From the Foreword by John Piper

Just Thinking: About the State


Darrell Harrison - 2021
    

One-Minute Aquinas: The Doctor's Quick Answers to Fundamental Questions


Kevin Vost - 2014
    Thomas wrote, then turn to The One-Minute Aquinas, the fast-paced book that provides busy readers with simple, readable explanations of the truths that, for 750 years now, have caused the works of St. Thomas to be sought out by kings and popes, scholars and saints, as well as by ordinary souls like you — hungry to know God and to love him more and more.In this book’s lucid pages, author Kevin Vost gives you small, digestible portions of St. Thomas’s life-giving wisdom that you can enjoy one minute at a time. Tables and graphics will help you grasp and remember St. Thomas’s key ideas with a minimum of time and effort.Best of all, in The One-Minute Aquinas you’ll find quick, sure refutations of the countless relativistic, secular, and pseudoscientific ideas that are so influential in our culture today — and so shallow, contradictory, and wrong!Pope John Paul II declared that “the Church has been justified in consistently proposing St. Thomas as a master of thought and a model of the right way to do theology.” Now The One-Minute Aquinas enables even those with limited time and only a modest education to benefit from the wisdom of this great saint.Here, with minimal effort and among scores of other things, you’ll finally come to know and understand:--Why God permits evil--Heaven: what it is (and is not)--Five simple proofs that God exists--Why God became man--Why Jesus let himself be tempted--How you can grow quickly in virtue--Why all souls need the sacraments--Why Jesus let himself be crucified--The causes of lust--The natural law and the Commandments--The soul, free will, sin, and damnation--The angels, their ranks, and their powers--How God governs (and refrains from governing)--God’s power and its limits--The Bible: why didn’t Jesus just write it himself?--The surprising qualities of our resurrected bodies

Christianity on Trial: A Lawyer Examines the Christian Faith


W. Mark Lanier - 2014
    Mark Lanier, one of America's top trial lawyers, uses his experienced legal eye to examine the plausibility of the Christian faith. Bringing science, current knowledge, and common sense together in a courtroom approach, this "trial" elucidates a rich understanding of God and a strong foundation for Christian faith. Following the format of a traditional legal trial, Lanier takes us from opening statement to closing summation by way of testimony from well-known witnesses--the scientist, the theologian, the linguist, the humanist, the philosopher, the psychologist and the ancient biblical eye-witness. These sources and many others investigate the sticky subjects of the Christian worldview that are commonly scrutinized by skeptics or overlooked by marginal believers:Who is God in light of astronomical and subatomic science? How could divine inspiration of Scripture or Christ's bodily resurrection be possible? How should we see the nature of reality, free will and choice, ethics, morality and the idea of heaven and afterlife? Lanier presents a persuasive case for the Christian faith and leaves it up to us to choose what is worthy of belief and what is not. Christianity on Trial provides a thought-p

The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings


Amy-Jill Levine - 2021
    But sometimes Jesus spoke words that followers then and now have found difficult. He instructs disciples to hate members of their own families (Luke 14:26), to act as if they were slaves (Matthew 20:27), and to sell their belongings and give to the poor (Luke 18:22). He restricts his mission (Matthew 10:6); he speaks of damnation (Matthew 8:12); he calls Jews the devil's children (John 8:44).In The Difficult Words of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine shows how these difficult teachings would have sounded to the people who first heard them, how have they been understood over time, and how we might interpret them in the context of the Gospel of love and reconciliation.Additional components for a six-week study include a DVD featuring Dr. Levine and a comprehensive Leader Guide.

The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust the Modern Translations?


James R. White - 1995
    One group claims that the King James Version is the only Bible that Christians should be using. Appealing with both emotional fervor and scholastic debate, churches have divided over this issue, and believers are left in confusion.

Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology


Darrel R. Falk - 2004
    Falk, this is not just an abstract question but one with which he has personally wrestled. A professor of biology, Falk brings together his biblically based understanding of creation and the most current research in biology. The result of his efforts to acknowledge the validity of science and the authority of Scripture is a new paradigm for relating the claims of science to the truths of Christianity. Written with the undergraduate student in mind, this book nonetheless will help anyone who is looking for a place to stand in the creation-evolution debate, fearful that they'll have to choose between intellectual integrity and the faith of the church. Calling for charitable discussions within the church, Falk shows how an original and ongoing interaction of God with creation is fully reconcilable with the kinds of development identified by current biological science.

Creation: Remarkable Evidence of God's Design


Grant R. Jeffrey - 2003
    These discoveries have caused a revolution in the world view of thousands of scientists as they were confronted with compelling new evidence that our universe must have been created by a Supernatural Mind. Grant Jeffrey's latest book, Creation, will challenge readers with fascinating new information that confirms the Bible's claim that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth".Content Includes: -Deep space reveals mysteries of the first moments of creation-Wonders of the universe point to a Supernatural Creator-A revolution in our understanding of the universe's beginning-Astonishing evidence of the universe's intelligent design-Remarkable discoveries about the nature of the atom-The collapse of the Theory of Evolution -DNA- The language of God-Modern science discovers God

Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither?: Three Views on the Bible's Earliest Chapters


James K. Hoffmeier - 2015
    This Counterpoints volume introduces three predominant interpretive genres and their implications for biblical understanding. Each contributor identifies their position on the genre of Genesis 1-11, addressing why it is appropriate to the text, and contributes examples of its application to a variety of passages.The contributors and views include:James K. Hoffmeier: Theological History Gordon J. Wenham: Proto-History Kenton K. Sparks: Ancient HistoriographyGeneral editor and Old Testament scholar Charles Halton explains the importance of genre and provides historical insight in the introduction and helpful summaries of each position in the conclusion. In the reader-friendly Counterpoints format, this book helps readers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed conclusions in this much-debated topic.