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 : The Trinity is one of the most essential doctrines of the Christian faith. The eternal God existing as three distinct persons―Father, Son, and Spirit―can be difficult to comprehend. While Christians often struggle to find the right words to describe this union, the Bible gives clarity concerning the triune God’s being and activity in nature (creation), grace (redemption), and g…
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 : What comes to mind when you think of the word church? In this volume, Gregg R. Allison helps define the church and its mission by presenting an overview of the specific doctrines and practices of different churches and denominations. He lays a basic foundation for better understanding the common practices among local church communities (“mere ecclesiology”) and the ways that they…
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 : From the moment we wake in the morning until we go to sleep at night, every day is filled with ordinary moments when we can connect with God. Little Prayers for Ordinary Days is a collection of short prayers for children to pray in the midst of their day: on the way to school, after seeing a friend, when petting a dog, or while looking at the stars. This collection of simple prayers, …
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: What does the atonement mean for our daily lives? The cross is the climax of the biblical story and the center of Christian theology. In this volume, Jeremy Treat presents the atoning work of Christ as a multidimensional accomplishment within the story of the kingdom. The death of Jesus not only reconciles sinners to God but also to one another, calling God's people into a life of taki…
Outline : What comes to mind when you think of the word church? In this volume, Gregg R. Allison helps define the church and its mission by presenting an overview of the specific doctrines and practices of different churches and denominations. He lays a basic foundation for better understanding the common practices among local church communities (“mere ecclesiology”) and the ways that they…
Outline : What does Scripture reveal about the work and power of the Holy Spirit? Though the Holy Spirit is right at the heart of Christian theology and faith, encountering him requires a special kind of knowledge. This addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series teachers readers how to hold a proper biblical understanding of both the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Explain…
Outline : How can sinners stand before a holy God? Thankfully, the gospel gives hope for salvation through an essential doctrine - justification through Jesus Christ. In this addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series, Thomas R. Schreiner examines both the Old and New Testament teachings and the historical background of the doctrine of justification. By considering the relation…
Outline: From Global to Local, the many faces of global Christianity - As they have from the very first century, the highly diverse and creative religious lives of ordinary Christians have decisively engaged the enormous developments of the twentieth century. However tentatively they can all be pieced together, these are some of their stories. Whether in the sugar cane fields of Central America…
Outline: A groundbreaking manifesto on the meaning of life. This book will help you understand why you are alive and God's amazing plan for you - both here and now, and for eternity. Rick Warren will guide you through a personal 40-day spiritual journey that will transform your answer to life's most important question : What on earth am I here for? Knowing God's purpose for creating you will re…
Outline: Dealing with a time when followers of Jesus were moving toward separation from the movement's Jewish origins, this inaugural volume of A People's History of Christianity tells "the people's story" by gathering together evidence from the New Testament texts, archaeology, and other contemporary sources. Of particular interest to the distinguished group of scholar-contributors are the oft…
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 : 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 : God promises that one day he will redeem his image bearers and renew the earth. In this addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series, Graham A. Cole examines the concept of divine glory as well as God’s plan for redeeming individual believers, the church, and the universe. Through careful study of Scripture, he shows Christians how their future identity as glorified …
Outline: In this addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series. Mark D. Thompson clearly teaches what Jesus taught about Scripture, how God speaks to his people through it, and the crucial work of the Holy Spirit to apply it. This volume unpacks the doctrine of Scripture as taught by the church through the ages, strengthening readers' confidence in God's word and its application.
Outline: "From beginning to end, Scripture unveils from shadow to reality that Jesus is God the Son incarnate." Some people think of Jesus as a great prophet or a wise philosopher; others see him as an important religious leader or even a revolutionary. In this addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series, Stephen Wellum challenges these claims as he argues for the divinity of Je…
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 : If we want to know the truth about God, we need a sound approach to incorporating what the whole Bible teaches. In this concise introduction to systematic theology, theologian Graham A. Cole explores how we move from Scripture to doctrine in order to shape what we believe, what we value, and how we live. He shows us the importance of having the right method: rooted in the word of God,…
Outline : For many, the doctrine of predestination is intimidating. Often tried to personal emotions and heated debate, this topic can be difficult to study - let alone view as a blessing. This addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series carefully examines God's word to answer fifteen commonly asked questions regarding the doctrines of election and reprobation. While reading, yo…
Outline: Why should anyone listen to the church? - What gospel is the church proclaiming? The gospel of success? The gospel of prosperity? The gospel of whatever feels right? - What is success? How does the church measure the success of its leaders? - Who is doing what - and for whose glory? - How is the leadership lifestyle affecting the church? - Does popularity guarantee a good characte…
Outline : Warren W. Wiersbe explains what to do - and how to evaluate what you're doing - when you pursue the service of God, a service he calls "the greatest work in the world." This is for all God's servants, lay and professional. Within the structure of thirty "conversations," Wiersbe makes profoundly simple the basic principles of serving others in God's name. And he nourishes within the re…
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: An inspiring collection of sermons on perhaps the most significant event the world ever experienced - the Cross of Christ. Through masterful sermons by great pulpit masters, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the theological, devotional, and practical importance of the Cross of Christ.
Outline: The central theme of the Bible is expanded and expounded in this collection of sermons, compiled by one of today's great preachers. The reader will be encouraged by messages from such great pulpit masters. These Classic Sermons on the Birth of Christ will be a welcome addition to both preachers and teachers and will provide inspiration, ideas, and insights into this important event.
Outline: Prayer is the lifeline of the Christian. Only through an active prayer life can there be real spiritual growth. Fourteen pulpit giants present the need, the how-to, and the results of a life that is permeated with prayer. These classic sermons on prayer will energize your prayer life, show you how to expect great things from God, and help you experience the strengthening power of God i…
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: 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…