Book picks similar to
A Toolkit for Confessions by James M. Renihan
catechesis
ecclesiology
historical-theology
reformed-baptist
No Quick Fix: Where Higher Life Theology Came From, What It Is, and Why It's Harmful
Andrew David Naselli - 2017
It teaches that there are two categories of Christians: those who are merely saved, and those who have really surrendered to Christ. Those who have Jesus as their Savior alone, and those who have him as their Master as well. If Christians can simply "let go and let God" they can be free of struggling with sin and brought to that higher level of spiritual life. What could be wrong with that?A lot, it turns out. In No Quick Fix, a shorter and more accessible version of his book Let Go and Let God?, Andy Naselli critiques higher life theology from a biblical perspective. He shows that it leads not to freedom, but to frustration, because it promises something it has no power to deliver. Along the way, he tells the story of where higher life theology came from, describes its characteristics, and compares it to what the Bible really says about how we overcome sin and become more like Christ.
Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church
Alexander Strauch - 1986
Church history demonstrates the disastrous consequences of drifting from the light of Scripture. This book fulfills the need for an in-depth study on the topic, based in the vast treasure of God's Word.
Reverberation: How God's Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People
Jonathan Leeman - 2011
the Word of God. In this book, Jonathan Leeman wants you to realize that the Word, working through God's Spirit, is responsible for the growth of God's church and we need to trust it! Leeman not only informs and equips the leadership of local churches for greatest effectiveness in their preaching ministry but explains how to translate that into the life of the church throughout the week. The book also deals with two errors – not trusting the Word (resulting in a pragmatic ministry philosophy) and not living in light of the Word (resulting in a ministry philosophy of ‘preaching is enough’).Reverberation explains the pulpit ministry and traces the theme of how the Word continues through the life of the church. Both theological and practical, Reverberation focuses on how the church hears, responds, discusses, implements and is transformed by the Word. No high-octane production, superstar personalities, or postmodern entreaties, just stuff that is really old, really good, and really powerful!
A Body of Divinity: Contained in Sermons upon the Westminster Assembly's Catechism
Thomas Watson - 1692
Watson was one of the most concise, racy, illustrative, and suggestive of those eminent divines who made the Puritan age the Augustan period of evangelical literature. There is a happy union of sound doctrine, heart-searching experience and practical wisdom throughout all his works, and his Body of Divinity is, beyond all the rest, useful to the student and the minister.
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
Christianity and Liberalism
J. Gresham Machen - 1922
Though originally published nearly seventy years ago, the book maintains its relevance today.
On Free Choice of the Will
Augustine of Hippo
In short, a very good translation. The Introduction is admirably clear.--Paul Vincent Spade, Indiana University
Unwelcome: 50 Ways Churches Drive Away First-Time Visitors
Jonathan Malm - 2014
Are you making your first-time guests feel welcome? Or are you driving them away—unintentionally—with bad signage, reserved seating, clunky communication and more? In this practical book, Jonathan Malm examines 50 ways churches make first-time visitors feel unwelcome. The transgressions range from insider lingo to awkward transitions, a cold congregation to the over-eager greeter. With all 50 church faux pas, Jonathan suggests ways to not only fix the problem, but also infuse excellence into the situation so churches can put their best foot forward with first-time guests. A few simple changes can help your church roll out the welcome mat for your guests.
Models of the Church
Avery Dulles - 1974
Welcoming this as a sign of vitality, Avery Dulles has carefully studied the writings of contemporary Protestant and Catholic ecclesiologists and sifted out six major approaches, or models, through which the Church's character can be understood: as Institution, Mystical Communion, Sacrament, Herald, Servant, and, in a recent addition to the book, as Community of Disciples. A balanced theology, he concludes, must incorporate the major affirmations of each. The method of models or types, observes Cardinal Dulles, can have great value in helping people to get beyond the limitations of their own particular outlook and to enter into fruitful conversation with others... Such conversation is obviously essential if ecumenism is to get beyond its present impasses.This new edition includes a new Appendix and Preface by the author.
The Story of Christianity: Volume 1: The Early Church to the Reformation
Justo L. González - 1978
It brings alive the people, dramatic events, and ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. Historian Justo Gonzalez shows how various social, political, and economic movements affected Christianity's internal growth.Gonzalez skillfully weaves in relevant details from the lives of prominent figures from the apostles to John Wycliffe, tracing out core theological issues and developments as reflected in the lives and struggles of leading thinkers within the various traditions of the church. "The history of the church, while showing all the characteristics fo human history, is much more than the history of an institution or movement," Gonzalez stresses. "It is a history of the deeds of the spirit in and through the men and women who have gone before in the faith." The Story of Christianity demonstrates at each point what new challenges and opportunities faced the church, and how Christians struggled with the various options open to them, thereby shaping the future direction of the church.The Story of Christianity will serve as a fascinating introduction to the panoramic history of Christianity for students and teachers of church history, for pastors, and for general readers.
Grounded in the Gospel
J.I. Packer - 2010
For most evangelicals today, however, this very idea is an alien concept. Packer and Parrett, concerned for the state of the church, seek to inspire a much needed evangelical course correction. This new book makes the case for a recovery of significant catechesis as a nonnegotiable practice of churches, showing the practice to be complementary to, and of no less value than, Bible study, expository preaching, and other formational ministries, and urging evangelical churches to find room for this biblical ministry for the sake of their spiritual health and vitality.
New Catholic Answer Bible
Paul Thigpen - 2005
The New Catholic Answer Bible now has double the number of answers to questions about Catholic beliefs, practices, and their foundation in Scripture.The New Catholic Answer Bible is still the right choice for those who want to:
Learn more about the Catholic Faith
Increase their knowledge of Scripture and deepen their appreciation for it
Better respond when others ask them about the Catholic Church and its teachings
The New Catholic Answer Bible is a wonderful gift for a family member or friend who is in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) or has recently joined the Church.
Splendor of the Church
Henri de Lubac - 1953
It is also a classic work in the theology of the Church. Indeed, de Lubac's profound insights significantly contributed to Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, especially in its treatment on the Church as mystery and as the Sacrament of Christ.
The Christian Faith
Friedrich Schleiermacher - 1822
He follows a confident course through the entire range of themes in dogmatics but leaves both the dogmatic task and the individual themes transformed by a powerful and original mind. A new foreword by B. A. Gerrish summarises the dogmatic goals of The Christian Faith and corrects some common misreadings of his work.
Worship: Reformed According to Scripture (Guides to the Reformed Tradition)
Hughes Oliphant Old - 1982
He provides a sterling historical study that will be highly useful for pastors and church study groups as well as for scholars and students interested in Reformed worship. An extensive bibliography of resources for the study of Reformed worship adds to the value of this book.