Outline : This book is a basic introduction to the thought of one of the world's outstanding religious figures. Carefully chosen both for accessibility and as an overview of Wilfred Cantwell Smith's thinking, these nine selections on world religions move gracefully through a wide range of concerns. Part One, Religious Diversity and Truth, highlights the continuing tension between the poles of…
Outline : A concise and up-to-date guide to the history, teachings, and practice of Buddhism by two luminaries in the field of world religions.
Outline : There is a place that you can go where no one is ever sick. There are no doctor's offices or hospitals - no one there gets a runny nose or earache or an upset tummy. They don't fight or cry or get hurt feelings. This place is more beautiful and amazing than you could ever imagine. It is filled with love, light and joy. It's perfect because God made it that way. It's heaven. All the pe…
Outline : "How fast we lose our leaves is not important. Eventually, we'll lose them all. Yet a fallen leaf is never wasted. It joins the others on the ground to make the soil richer." Through a simple conversation between a boy and a tree, country-music-star Granger Smith shares an incredibly powerful and deeply moving story filled with life lessons on loss, grief, and the strength gained in …
Outline : Each volume of the Doctrines of Grace series illuminates one of the five points of Calvinism, presenting the context, content, and various implications of the doctrine. Featuring essays from several respected theologians, these works help readers understand key aspects of Reformed orthodoxy in all their historical, biblical, theological, and pastoral richness.
Outline : You have a calling. In this classic book of vocation, Gordon Smith invites you to discover your calling by listening to God and becoming a coworker with him. Courage and Calling has helped thousands of readers explore questions such as these: - What is my calling? - Will my vocation change as I enter a new stage of life? - With competing demands, how can I craft a balanced way of …
Outline : Follow Elton the Old English Sheepdog as he rests in green pastures, walks through a dark valley, and enjoys the love of the Shepherd. Along the way, children will connect with the beloved words of Psalm 23 and know that they too are cared for and protected by their good God.
Outline : How Modernity Creates Atheists - and what the Church must do about it. Millions of people in the West identify as atheists. Christians often respond to this reality with proofs of God's existence, as though rational arguments for atheism were the root cause of unbelief. In Bulwarks of Unbelief, Joseph Minich argues that a felt absence of God, as experienced by the modern individual, o…
Outline : Reading psalms in context The Psalter is a carefully edited work, skillfully arranged to communicate a theological message. The Promised Davidic King is a case study of how a single psalm shapes―and is shaped by―its context in the Psalter. Wyatt Aaron Graham argues that Psalm 108 plays a guiding role in Book V (Pss 107–150). Following Israel's return from exile in Psalm 107, Ps…
Outline : The Giver of Life provides a thorough and trustworthy guide to understanding the person and work of the Holy Spirit : God's Spirit unites believers to Christ, conforms them to his image, and equips them for witness and ministry. Author J. V. Fesko writes from a confessionally Reformed perspective in dialogue with the great creeds of the church.
Outline : Should Christians be embarrassed by the book of Revelation? The Revelation of John has long confused and disturbed readers. In The Apocalypse of John among Its Critics, leading experts in Revelation confront the book's difficulties. Each chapter wrestlers honestly with a question raised by the book's critics: Was John a misogynist? Does Revelation delight in violence? Can the book eve…
Outline : The fresh riches of biblical poetry for communities of faith A New Song brings together a diverse roster of Jewish and Christian scholars to explore biblical Hebrew poetic texts within the context - and for the benefit - of communities of faith. Edited by Stephen D. Campbell, Richard G. Rohlfing Jr., and Richard S. Briggs, A New Song includes nine essays on the hidden intricacies of …
Outline : The Lord Jesus Christ provides a fresh and robust guide to understanding Jesus and his work of salvation : Jesus is the divine Son of God, who has taken on human nature in the incarnation to lead his people in a new exodus. Author Brandon D. Crowe writes from a confessionally Reformed perspective in dialogue with the great creeds of the church.
Outline : Probing the mystery of Satan's messenger Paul's enigmatic "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians has baffled interpreters for centuries. Many offer suggestions as to the identity of Satan's messenger; others despair that the puzzle is unsolvable. In Paul's Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem, Kenneth Berding reopens the case. He follows a trail of clues that includes anci…
Outline : Isaiah's Servant Songs reveal a true and better Adam. In Charged with the Glory of God, Caroline Batchelder provides a synchronic, theological, and canonical reading of Isaiah's four Servant Songs, offering fresh insights for understanding God's true image and its idolatrous counterfeits. Isaiah reveals a coherent message when it is read as a compositional unity in its Old Testament …
Outline : Make every moment with God count! Written for girls on the go, this 5-Minute, 180-day Faithgirlz devotional helps a busy girls slow down and take time to grow closer to God. Short, sweet devotions applicable to everyday life are paired with relevant Scripture and focus on the ups and downs of tween-hood-friendships, peer pressure, bullying, boys, and self-confidence-all while showing …
Outline : No one reads the Bible without some interpretive principles, or hermeneutics, in place. The question every student of Scripture needs to ask, then, is this: Are your interpretive principles and methods legitimate and ethical? In this accessible introduction to biblical hermeneutics, Nicholas G. Piotrowski presents an approach that explores three layers of context: literary, historical…
Outline: The Ezra-Nehemiah narratives report how the hand of YHWH directed several Persian kings, thousands of Hebrew exiles, and a few Hebrew leaders, including Ezra and Nehemiah, to commit their lives to the difficult task of restoration; restoring people to Judah, worship in Jerusalem, the temple, the wall around Jerusalem, and the people's spiritual commitment to the essential theological p…
Outline : Nicholas Elder challenges misconceptions about ancient media practices - particularly as they relate to the composition and circulation of the gospels. Contextualizing the gospels in ancient Greco-Roman media practices. New Testament scholars have often relied on outdated assumptions for understanding the composition and circulation of the gospels. This scholarship has spread myth…
Outline : Editor Brandon Smith and a stellar cast of theologians demonstrate that trinitarian theology derives directly from Scripture and should produce both right doctrine and right living. The Trinity in the Canon is an appeal for the church to incorporate the Trinity into our preaching, our liturgies and worship, and our interactions with those outside the church. Pastors, scholars, profess…
Outline : How should we read the book of Revelation? Interpreting Scripture faithfully is a challenge with regard to any text and for any reader of the Bible. But perhaps no text confronts and confuses readers as much as the book of Revelation. With its vivid imagery and rich prophetic language, John's Apocalypse provokes and stirs our imaginations. Some have viewed it primarily as a first-cent…
Outline : When we read Scripture, we enter the divine classroom for sanctifying instruction. In Taught by God, Brandon D. Smith contends that Scripture is not simply a collection of historical facts or moral rules; it is an encounter with the living God. Engaging with figures such as Origen, Justin, Hugh of St. Victor, Aquinas, and Luther, Smith illustrates how a premodern way of reading Script…
Outline: Presbyterianism has a rich, robust, resilient history. Since Presbyterianism began in Scotland in the early 1560s, its adherents have spread to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. In some locales and ears, Presbyterians have flourished; in others, they have struggles. Today an estimated 35 million Presbyterians live in dozens of countries. Th…
Outline: What is religion's place within the academy today? Are the perspectives of religious believers acceptable in an academic setting? IN the lucid and penetrating essay, Nicholas Wolterstorff ranges from Max Weber and John Locke to Ludwig Wittgenstein and Charles Taylor to argue that religious orientations and voices do have a home in the modern university, and he offers a sketch of what t…
Outline: This anthology invites Christians to find resources for faithful, creative thinking in the riches of the church's theological heritage and its worship traditions. Contributors include Robert Barron, Timothy George, Stanley Hauerwas, Alasdair MacIntyre, Mark Noll, and N.T. Wright, among others.
Outline: "Covenant theology sets the gospel in the context of God's eternal plan of communion with his people and its historical outworking in the covenants of works and grace." LIGON DUNCAN Just as two bookends hold together a row of books, the covenant of works and the covenant of grace hold together the storyline of Scripture. Join a host of twenty-six scholars, including O. Palmer Robertso…
Outline: Five hundred buildings by Frank Llyod Wright were built during the architect's extraordinary seventy-year career. But as difficult as it is to believe, one-fifth of them have been demolished, burned, or destroyed by neglect. Lost Wright tells the compelling story of these special buildings - how they came to be, what they looked like, and how they met their end. Each tale documents gen…
Outline: Nurture and strength from fifty-two Christian devotional classics for individual study and group use - from RENOVARE, a movement committed to spiritual renewal. These fifty-two selections have been organized to introduce readers through the course of one year to the great devotional writers. The readings have been edited by James Smith, and each is accompanied by an introduction and me…
Overview: This Fetschrift to Douglas J. Moo is unique in several ways. Since Doug has been a key proponent to the Old Perspective on Paul, the reader will be interested in reading the essay by N.T. Wright in which he reflects on the phrase "the righteousness of God" in Romans 3. And where else can you read an essay by James D.G. Dunn on "What's Good about the Old Perspective on Paul" and by S…
Outline: Just as two bookends together a row of books, the covenant of works and the covenant of grace hold together the storyline of Scripture. Join a host of twenty-six scholars, including O. Palmer Robertson, Michael J. Kruger, and Scott R. Swain, as they explore how the concept of covenant is clearly taught in Scripture and how it lays the foundation for other doctrines of salvation. This m…
Prior to the late nineteenth century, few scholars assigned much importance to the Middle Ages when discussing the development of modern science and technology. Most assumed that the medieval period was best seen as a backward age whose darkness helped set out the brilliance of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment. Beginning in the first decade of this century, Pierre Duhem tried to chan…
Outline: How do you feel about how you feel? Our emotions are complex. Some of us seem able to ignore our feelings, while others controlled by them. But most of us would admit that we don't always know what to do with how we feel. The Bible teaches us that our emotions are an indispensable part of what makes us human - and play a crucial role in our relationships with God and others. Exploring …
Your very great and indeed very proven Genius will rightly wonder what to make of the following fact: viz., that when, quite imprudently, I endeavor to publish my foreigner's-foolishness, I select you as a judge. [You will wonder about my treating you] as if you retained some leisure (you, who by virtue of your cardinal's duties at the Holy See are extremely busy with especially important publi…
Outline: Faithful Men "It's normal." "Everyone does it." "Nobody gets hurt." These are some commonly held beliefs about sexual fantasy and masturbation, but are they really true? Are sexual fantasies and masturbation harmless ways to dealing with sexual frustattion? Marriage and family counselor Winston T. Smith uses his counseling experience and biblical knowledge to show how these seemingly …
Outline: Personal Change. Prickly, defensive, nasty, volatile, withdrawn, miserable ... aren't these days when you fell surrounded by difficult people? How do you cope? You can try avoiding them, gossiping about them, or giving them a piece of your mind. But wait! Don't your reactions make you hard to love too? William P. Smith explains that learning how to deal with difficult people starts wi…
Outline : Personal Change Often, in our busy world, our lives feel like one long "to-do" list. It's easy to get so busy that we don't even notice how exhausted and anxious we are. Do you find yourself saying yes to activities you don't have time for? Have you ever said, "If I don't do it, who will?" An overloaded schedule and an inability to rest are signs of approaching "burnout." Instead of …
Outline : Parenting The kids are hungry, dinner is late, evervone's tired and on edge, and then it happens-you lose control and blow up at them again. Is losing control with our children inevitable in our busy world? Or is there a better way? Learn from William P. Smith a better way to relate to your children than with irritation, anger, and harsh words. Drawing on his counseling and parenting…
Outline: Singleness You know you're in love-you always want to be together, and you think about each other all the time-but does that mean you're ready to get married? How do you decide if your relationship is strong enough for marriage? William P. Smith gives you a series of questions based on biblical principles that you can use to assess your relationship's strengths and weaknesses. Answeri…
Outline : Relationship Resources for Singles Your last relationship didn't work out, and you got hurt and maybe you also hurt someone else. Now what? Perhaps you are thinking about starting over with someone new, but you're nervous and wondering if you are really ready for another relationship. William P. Smith tackles head on the issues you need to face as you think about starting a new rela…
Outline: Parenting. How do you blend two separate families into one house-hold? Family traditions, values, interests, and parenting styles are often so far apart that simple questions like, "Who takes out the trash?" or "Where shall we go for Christmas?" can quickly become flashpoints of conflict. Winston T. Smith provides a road map to the unique challenges that each member of a stepfamily f…
An exploration of the relationship between the rise and development of a mystical element in Islam, known as Sufism, and the mysticism that was already to be found within the Christian Church of the Near and Middle East.
Socrates was born in Athens in 469 B.C.E. Although he wrote nothing of any significance and had no students in anything like the ordinary sense of that term, he became one of the most influential philosophers in western civilization. During his own lifetime, his philosophical activities, which were carried on in public settings and private homes, together with his idiosyncratic demeanor, gained…
God is Infinite, but language finite; thus speech would seem to condemn him to finitude. In speaking of God, would the theologian violate divine transcendence by reducing God to immanence, or choose, rather, to remain silent? At stake in this argument is a core problem of the conditions of divine revelation. How, in terms of language and the limitations of human understanding, can transcendence…