Church History
Showing 101–150 of 724 results
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Gloss And The Text
$28.99Add to cartScripture opens itself up by its own words and interpretation.
William Perkins is the father of Puritanism, often remembered for his preaching manual, The Art of Prophesying. Much attention has been given to the Puritan movement, especially in its later forms, but comparatively little has been given to Perkins.
In The Gloss and the Text, Andrew Ballitch provides a thorough examination of the hermeneutical principles that governed Perkins’s approach to biblical interpretation. Perkins taught that the Bible was God’s word as well as the interpretation of God’s word. Interpretation is no private matter; it is a public gift of the Spirit of God for the people of God. Ballitch’s study sheds light on Perkins as a preacher, theologian, and student of Scripture.
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History Of The Early Church
$34.95Add to cartThe History of the Early Church is an attempt to get behind the popular myths which have dominated church life for nearly 2000 years by bringing together accounts from the New Testament and a few other works which describe the same incidents from different perspectives and often distort the narrative for security reasons. He points out the anomalies and comments on speculations which now seem to have a sounder base than most theologians would acknowledge. The result will disappoint many fundamentalists who have used the most tortuous arguments to support their version of events. However the essential message which emerges is that God is Love.
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Brown Church : Five Centuries Of Latina/O Social Justice, Theology, And Ide
$30.99Add to cartInterest in and awareness of the demand for social justice as an outworking of the Christian faith is growing. But it is not new.
For five hundred years, the Latina/o culture and identity has been shaped by its challenges to the religious, socio-economic, and political status quo, whether in its opposition to Spanish colonialism, Latin American dictatorships, US imperialism in Central America, the oppression of farmworkers, or the current exploitation of undocumented immigrants. Christianity has played a significant role in that movement at every stage. Robert Chao Romero, the son of a Mexican father and a Chinese immigrant mother, explores the history and theology of what he terms the “Brown Church.” Romero considers how this movement has responded to these and other injustices throughout its history by appealing to the belief that God’s vision for redemption includes not only heavenly promises but also the transformation of every aspect of our lives and the world. Walking through this history of activism and faith, readers will discover that Latina/o Christians have a heart after God’s own.
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Preaching The Word With John Chrysostom
$16.99Add to cartLearn from the early church’s greatest preacher.
John of Antioch, later called “chrysostomos” (“golden mouth”), preached over 600 extant sermons. He was one of the most prolific authors in the early Church, surpassed only by Augustine of Hippo. His example and work has inspired countless Christians through the ages.
In Preaching the Word with Chrysostom, through a combination of storytelling and theology, Gerald Bray reflects upon 1,500 year-old pastoral wisdom from one of church history’s most prolific Christ-centered preachers. Chrysostom’s eloquent preaching and influence on Christian teaching left a legacy that is still recognized today.
The Lived Theology series explores aspects of Christian doctrine through the eyes of the men and women who practiced it. Interweaving the contributions of notable individuals alongside their overshadowed contemporaries, we gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation of their work and the broad tapestry of Christian history. These books illuminate the vital contributions made by these figures throughout the history of the church.
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They Also Serve
$29.99Add to cartWhen a bishop is elected-as is done in The United Methodist Church-it is not only the one elected who is asked to serve but his or her spouse and family as well. Hear the stories of the women and men whose commitment to service often meant leaving behind careers and lives of their own to embark on a life-changing journey revolved around the ministry of their spouse. Through hardships, celebrations, and everyday struggles, these spouses found their own paths of ministry, answering the calls that were also placed upon their lives.
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Multitude Of All Peoples
$35.99Add to cartChristianity is not becoming a global religion. It has always been a global religion.
The early Christian movement spread from Jerusalem in every direction, taking on local cultural expression all around the ancient world. So why do so many people see Christianity as a primarily Western, white religion? In A Multitude of All Peoples, Vince Bantu surveys the geographic range of the early church’s history, revealing an alternate, more accurate narrative to that of Christianity as a product of the Western world. He begins by investigating the historical roots of the Western cultural captivity of the church, from the conversion of Constantine to the rise of European Christian empires. He then shifts focus to the too-often-forgotten concurrent development of diverse expressions of Christianity across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In the process, Bantu removes obstacles to contemporary missiological efforts. Focusing on the necessity for contextualization and indigenous leadership in effective Christian mission, he draws out practical lessons for intercultural communication of the gospel. Healing the wounds of racism, imperialism, and colonialism will be possible only with renewed attention to the marginalized voices of the historic global church. The full story of early Christianity makes clear that, as the apostle Peter said, “God does not show favoritism, but accepts those from every people who fear him and do what is right.”
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Recapturing An Enchanted World
$30.99Add to cartWhile the Free Churches rightly sought to cleanse the church of the abuses of sacramentalism, in that process they also set aside some of the church’s historic practices and theology. In response to this liturgically thin space, Mennonite theologian and minister John D. Rempel considers the role of the sacraments and ritual within the Free Church tradition, helping us perceive the sacramental nature of our faith and worship.
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Dynamics Of Spiritual Life (Expanded)
$45.99Add to cartIn this expanded edition of a classic work of spiritual theology, historian Richard Lovelace presents a history of spiritual renewals in light of biblical models. With scholarly and pastoral insight, he offers a powerful vision of renewal that can unify various models across traditions, combining individual and corporate spirituality, social activism, and evangelism.
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Color Of Compromise
$22.99Add to cartAn acclaimed, timely narrative of how people of faith have historically–up to the present day–worked against racial justice. And a call for urgent action by all Christians today in response.
The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don’t know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church.
The Color of Compromise
*Takes you on a historical, sociological, and religious journey: from America’s early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War
*Covers the tragedy of Jim Crow laws, the victories of the Civil Rights era, and the strides of today’s Black Lives Matter movement
*Reveals the cultural and institutional tables we have to flip in order to bring about meaningful integration
*Charts a path forward to replace established patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, immediate action
*Is a perfect book for pastors and other faith leaders, students, non-students, book clubs, small group studies, history lovers, and all lifelong learnersThe Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality. A call that challenges black and white Christians alike to standup now and begin implementing the concrete ways Tisby outlines, all for a more equitable and inclusive environment among God’s people. Starting today.
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Born Again : The Evangelical Theology Of Conversion In John Wesley And Geor
$23.99Add to cartThe Christian life is a life of growth.
The gospel message is simple but not simplistic. Learning the gospel and its implications is a lifelong process, but modern evangelicals are often too focused on the moment of conversion while ignoring the ongoing work of sanctification. For John Wesley and George Whitefield, justification and sanctification were inseparable.
In Born Again, Sean McGever maps Wesley’s and Whitefield’s theologies of conversion, reclaiming the connection between justification and sanctification. This study helps evangelicals reassess their thin understanding of conversion, leading to a rich and full picture of the ongoing work new Christians face.
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Inexplicable : How Christianity Spread To The Ends Of The Earth
$17.99Add to cartA Trilogy Christian Publishing Title
The name of Jesus and his teachings captured people’s hearts and minds throughout much of the world long before Christianity was legal. Long before armies and governments protected or supported it, and then long after Emperor Constantine’s reign as many leaders misused it for their own gains or religious views. Christianity also survived brutal persecutions during many centuries, including the present. Its growth seems inexplicable.
While there are innumerable possible explanations for this, in the final analysis there are relatively few viable answers. One leading contender is that there really is something to the mystical power of the Holy Spirit, and the life-changing message of Jesus recorded in the New Testament. Another is, at the least billions of people have held passionate beliefs in Jesus’s miraculous powers over life and death, and his eternal promises. The Pew Research Center’s recent work supports the claim that “Christianity is the only religion in the world with a major presence on every continent.”
Inexplicable traces this remarkable spread of Jesus’s followers, including many of the heroic actions from those believing in his deity, and those horrific actions of those misusing his teachings. The Gospel’s journey is ongoing, and its story remains an engaging one. From Coptic monasteries and the Roman Colosseum to a small church in Franklin, Tennessee or mega churches in Laos or Seoul, it’s a rich narrative. Whether standing in the Sistine Chapel, looking at a Nestorian stone in China, or a Christian school in Kigali, this narrative continues and here we provide its historic context.
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Piercing Heaven : Prayers Of The Puritans
$24.99Add to cart“That prayer is most likely to pierce heaven which first pierces one’s own heart.”
For the Puritans, prayer was neither casual nor dull. Their prayers were passionate affairs, from earnestly pleading for mercy to joyful praise. These rich expressions of deep Christian faith are a shining example of holy living.
The Puritan combination of warm piety and careful intellect have fueled a renaissance of interest in their movement. This combination is on display in Piercing Heaven, a collection of carefully selected prayers from leading Puritans. The language in these prayers has been slightly updated for a modern audience while still retaining the elevated tone of the Puritans. With prayers from Richard Baxter, Thomas Brooks, John Owen, and many more, each prayer reminds us that heartfelt prayer is central to the Christian life.
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Challenging The Spirit Of Modernity
$25.99Add to cartGod’s word illumines the darkness of society.
Dutch politician and historian Groen van Prinsterer’s Unbelief and Revolution is a foundational work addressing the inherent tension between the church and secular society. Writing at the onset of modernity in Western culture, Groen saw with amazing clarity the dire implications of abandoning God’s created order for human life in society. Groen’s work served as an inspiration for many contemporary theologians, and he had a profound impact on Abraham Kuyper’s famous public theology.
In Challenging the Spirit of Modernity, Harry Van Dyke places this seminal work into historical context, revealing how this vital contribution still speaks into the fractured relationship between religion and society. A deeper understanding of the roots of modern secularism and Groen’s strong, faithful response to it gives us a better grasp of the same conflict today.
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Our Hands Are Stained With Blood Revised And Expanded Edition (Expanded)
$18.99Add to cartEvery Christian must read this shocking account of the Church’s history.
The pages of church history are marked by countless horrors committed against the Jewish people.
From the first persecutions of the Jews in the fourth century to the horrors of the Holocaust, from Israel-bashing in today’s press to anti-Semitism spouted from the pulpit, this painful book tells the tragic story that every Christian must read.
In this pivotal work, Dr. Michael Brown reflects on the Church’s past atrocities and exposes the “skeletons in our closet.” He reveals how seemingly innocent lines of thought have lead to unspeakable cruelties, why well-meaning citizens so often fall into the trap of hate… and how you can bring an end to the cycle of violence.
This generation can make a difference. Now is time for change! Discover the important role you play in shaping the Church’s future, today.
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Loving God And Neighbor With Samuel Pearce
$12.99Add to cartThe love of God and neighbor is the heart of the Christian faith. Forgotten saint Samuel Pearce teaches us how to live a life faithful to the greatest commandment.
Pearce was a Baptist pastor known in eighteenth-century England for his moving preaching and strong, pious character. In his short life, he supported believers in his own parish as well as in the many cities where he preached and helped send missionaries. Yet his personal faith, founded on the “holy love” of God, formed his most compelling witness to the world. By getting to know Pearce’s story, readers will learn from his example what it looks like to love God and neighbor – in good times as well as challenging and seemingly mundane ones.
The Lived Theology series explores aspects of Christian doctrine through the eyes of the men and women who practiced it. Interweaving the contributions of notable individuals alongside their overshadowed contemporaries, we gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation of their work and the broad tapestry of Christian history. These books illuminate the vital contributions made by these figures throughout the history of the church.
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Engaging The World With Abraham Kuyper
$12.99Add to cartChrist declares “Mine!” over every square inch of creation.
In his well–known quote, Abraham Kuyper expressed the defining characteristic of his public theology: Jesus’ sovereignty extends over all things. He believed Christians should engage the whole world in all of its various spheres. But what does that comprehensive calling practically look like for us today?
In Engaging the World with Abraham Kuyper, Michael Wagenman explores the practical application of Kuyper’s public theology. Using Kuyper’s own life as an example, he shows us how the gospel can permeate all aspects of society: our identity, public discourse, education, the church, politics. Ultimately, this means engaging the world with perceptive truth that’s mindful of the dynamics at work in our time and place.
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Greater Things : The Story Of New Wine So Far
$14.99Add to cartIn conjunction with the 30th anniversary of New Wine, this book is a celebration of all the work of the New Wine family, from summer conferences to New Wine network churches, and both within the UK and across the world. With first-hand content from the Pytches and Coles who saw the New Wine story from the beginning, the book follows the journey of the movement from its origins, through its current work and focus, and ends with a brief look at New Wine’s dreams for the near future. Compiled of chapters from a number of people involved in New Wine, the book includes content from leaders and movements which have sprung out of New Wine, such as Soul Survivor’s Mike Pilavachi and worship leaders Matt Redman and Tim Hughes. These chapters provide an opportunity to hear the story directly from the people most involved in the movement: the challenges they’ve faced, the lessons they’ve learned, and the blessings they’ve seen over the years.
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Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture Set
$1,500.00Add to cartThis unique thirty-volume series from general editor Thomas C. Oden–now in paperback for the first time–offers you the opportunity to study for yourself key writings of the early church fathers. Arranged canonically and employing the RSV, each volume allows the living voices of the church in its formative centuries to speak as they engage the sacred page of Scripture.
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Meaning Of Protestant Theology
$36.00Add to cartThis book offers a creative and illuminating discussion of Protestant theology. Veteran teacher Phillip Cary explains how Luther’s theology arose from the Christian tradition, particularly from the spirituality of Augustine. Luther departed from the Augustinian tradition and inaugurated distinctively Protestant theology when he identified the gospel that gives us Christ as its key concept. More than any other theologian, Luther succeeds in carrying out the Protestant intention of putting faith in the gospel of Christ alone. Cary also explores the consequences of Luther’s teachings as they unfold in the history of Protestantism.
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Putting Joy Into Practice
$16.99Add to cartPutting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church is an invitation to a life of joy. Phoebe Farag Mikhail explains what joy is and how to experience it through seven spiritual practices that cultivate our inner lives and connect us to our communities. These seven practices, which include giving thanks, hospitality, praise, and more, take us on a journey that leads to joy through the giving and receiving of sacrificial love. She describes her own experiences and struggles with joy and offers practical ways to implement these practices to increase joy in our own lives and in the lives of all those around us.
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Unimaginable : What Our World Would Be Like Without Christianity
$15.99Add to cartIs God dying? Some people think so–and more want it so. They say Christian beliefs and our way of life aren’t relevant anymore. But what critics, and even many churchgoers, don’t realize is the life-changing importance of Christianity.
Showing how the world would be a dark place without Christianity, Unimaginable guides you through the halls of history to see how Jesus’s teachings dramatically changed our world and continue to be the most powerful force for good today. Learn how Christianity has stood against slavery, racism, eugenics, and injustices toward women and children why freedom as a universal value and modern education and legal systems owe much to Christianityhow Christians throughout the ages have demonstrated the value of human life by sacrificially caring for the sick, marginalized, and dying how people of faith are extending God’s kingdom through charities, mental health initiatives, and other ways.
This provocative and enlightening book is sure to encourage believers and equip them to respond to doubters.
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Larger Hope : Universal Salvation From The Reformation To The Nineteenth Ce
$51.00Add to cartThis book aims to uncover and explore the ideas of notable people in the story of Christian universalism from the time of the Reformation until the end of the nineteenth century. It is a story that is largely unknown in both the church and the academy, and the characters that populate it have for the most part passed into obscurity. With carefully located bore holes drilled to release the long-hidden theologies of key people and texts, the volume seeks to display and historically situate the roots, shapes, and diversity of Christian universalism. Here we discover a diverse and motley crew of mystics and scholars, social prophets and end-time sectarians, evangelicals and liberals, orthodox and heretics, Calvinists and Arminians, Puritans, Pietists, and a host of others. The story crisscrosses Continental Europe, Britain, and America, and its reverberations remain with us to this day.
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Christian Mission : A Concise, Global History
$26.99Add to cartA deeper understanding of the grand history of mission leads to a faithful expression of God’s mission today.
From the beginning, God’s mission has been carried out by people sent around the world. From Abraham to Jesus, the thread that weaves its way throughout Scripture is a God who sends his people across the world, proclaiming his kingdom. As the world has evolved, Christian mission continues to be a foundational tradition in the church.
In this one-volume textbook, Edward Smither weaves together a comprehensive history of Christian mission, from the apostles to the modern church. In each era, he focuses on the people sent by God to the ends of the earth, while also describing the cultural context they encountered. Smither highlights the continuity and development across thousands of years of global mission.
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Restless Faith : Holding Evangelical Beliefs In A World Of Contested Labels
$22.00Add to cartOne of the most influential evangelical voices in America chronicles what it has meant for him to spend the past half century as a “restless evangelical”–a way of maintaining his identity in an age when many claim the label “evangelical” has become so politicized that it is no longer viable. Richard Mouw candidly reflects on wrestling with traditional evangelical beliefs over the years and shows that although his mind has changed in some ways, his core beliefs have not. He contends that we should hold on to the legacy that has enriched evangelicalism in the past. The Christian life in its healthiest form, says Mouw, is always a matter of holding on to essentials while constantly moving on along paths that we can walk in faithfulness only by seeking the continuing guidance of the light of God’s Word. As Mouw affirms the essentials of the evangelical faith, he helps a new generation see the wisdom embodied in them.
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ReGrace : What The Shocking Beliefs Of The Great Christians Can Teach Us To
$18.00Add to cartThe church is tired of seeing Christians act ungraciously toward one another when they disagree. Social media has added to the carnage. Christians routinely block each other on Facebook because of doctrinal disagreements. The world watches the blood-letting, and the Christian witness is tarnished.
But what if every Christian discovered that their favorite teacher in church history had blind spots and held to some false–and even shocking–views?
Bestselling author Frank Viola argues that this simple awareness will soften Christians when they interact with each other in the face of theological disagreements. In ReGrace, he uncovers some of the shocking beliefs held by faith giants like C.S. Lewis, Luther, Calvin, Moody, Spurgeon, Wesley, Graham, and Augustine–not to downgrade or dismiss them, but to show that even “the greats” in church history didn’t get everything right. Knowing that the heroes of our faith sometimes got it wrong will empower us to treat our fellow Christians with grace rather than disdain whenever we disagree over theology.
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Larger Hope : Universal Salvation From The Reformation To The Nineteenth Ce
$31.00Add to cartThis book aims to uncover and explore the ideas of notable people in the story of Christian universalism from the time of the Reformation until the end of the nineteenth century. It is a story that is largely unknown in both the church and the academy, and the characters that populate it have for the most part passed into obscurity. With carefully located bore holes drilled to release the long-hidden theologies of key people and texts, the volume seeks to display and historically situate the roots, shapes, and diversity of Christian universalism. Here we discover a diverse and motley crew of mystics and scholars, social prophets and end-time sectarians, evangelicals and liberals, orthodox and heretics, Calvinists and Arminians, Puritans, Pietists, and a host of others. The story crisscrosses Continental Europe, Britain, and America, and its reverberations remain with us to this day.
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John Henry Newman And His Age
$47.00Add to cartMany books exist devoted to the life, thought, and writings of Blessed John Henry Newman, the premier Catholic theologian in nineteenth-century England. His influence has been enormous, perhaps especially on Vatican II (1962-65). This book is a Newman primer, and not only a primer about Newman himself, but also about his time and place in church history. It attends to the papacy during his lifetime, his companions and friends, some of his peers at Oxford University, the First Vatican Council (1869-70), as well as some of his writing and theology. It should be especially helpful to an interested reader who has no particular background in nineteenth-century church history or in Newman himself.
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5 Events That Made Christianity
$14.99Add to cartWith characteristic style, John Pritchard takes us on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, as he unpacks the five great events that made Christianity – Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost. We explore: “What happened?” “What did it mean?” “What does it mean for us?” Absorbing, immediate and full of stories, this volume offers deeply considered theology, brilliantly communicated to connect with life as we actually experience it.
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Lion Of Judah
$16.99Add to cartIf Jesus is a Jew, why is there a wedge between Christianity and Judaism?
If Jews and Christians both believe in the same God, why is there such division? Why is history littered with deathly accounts of this division, from the early Jewish persecution of Christians to the Crusades’ slaughtering of Jews?
The Lion of Judah unpacks the roots of this division, showing how jealousy, theology, the law, and the integration of Gentile believers into what was once a predominantly Jewish early church contributed to the schism. It then goes on to reveal how Jesus magnificently fulfilled every word in the Bible. Readers will discover why the Lion of Judah is the rightful Lord and King of all people-Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, atheists, and the rest of creation.
This book will help Christians understand the history of Christianity and Judaism, get into greater alignment with God’s plan of redemption, be better equipped to share the gospel with Jewish people, and become more sensitive to and appreciative of their Hebraic heritage.
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Foxes Book Of Martyrs
$19.99Add to cartIn 1563, John Foxe published an account of the life of Christian martyrs, beginning with Stephen, the first to die for the cause of Christ, and ending with the most recent martyrs of his day–Protestants killed during Bloody Mary’s reign. He knew that dangers lay in forgetting the martyrs–in being insensitive to their struggles. They faced torture and death in their fight of faith, willing to stand for their beliefs and the Word of God regardless of the price. The faithfulness of such historical figures as John Wycliffe, John Huss, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, and so many others has given us our rich Christian heritage. Their courage and dedication inspire us to live for Christ today.
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Uncommon Virtues : Seven Saints Who Shaped Our Faith
$12.99Add to cartMany have heard of the Cappadocian Fathers that trio from the fourth century who shaped much of the way we think about our faith today. What some don’t realize is that these men were surrounded by several devout women who had a profound influence on their lives and their theology.
DR. CARLA SUNBERG has uncovered the fragments of details that remain about seven revolutionary women, whom she calls the Cappadocian Mothers. In so doing, Sunberg introduces to us a group of saints who practiced some very Uncommon Virtues. You’ll be challenged and inspired by the stories of these incredible and courageous women who model a new way of following Christ.
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Swords And Plowshares
$24.99Add to cartEvangelicals are warmongering nationalists–right?
Many assume that evangelicals have always shared the ideology and approach of the Moral Majority. But the truth is much more complex. Historically, evangelical rank and file have not held to one position about war; instead, they are strewn across the spectrum from love of peace to glorying in war.
Timothy Padgett presents evangelicals in their own words. And in so doing he complicates our common perceptions of evangelical attitudes towards war and peace. Evangelical leaders regularly wrote about the temporal and eternal implications of war from World War II to the Vietnam War. Padgett allows us to see firsthand how these evangelicals actually spoke about war and love of country.
Instead of blind ideologues we meet concerned people of conviction struggling to reconcile the demands of a world in turmoil with the rule of the Prince of peace.
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7 Books That Rocked The Church
$19.95Add to cart7 Books That Rocked the Church, by Daniel Crane, explores controversial books throughout history that the Christian church has famously disavowed–and asks the question why?
Engagingly written and thoughtfully researched, this book explores what the “fuss” was all about with books ranging in date from the second century after Christ to more contemporary authors. Books by Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, and many others profoundly upset the church by calling into question foundational Christian doctrines or beliefs. Most of the books discussed here were banned at some time by Christian authorities.
The author’s aim is to challenge Christians to respond critically but open-mindedly to books that oppose a Christian worldview. Readers of 7 Books That Rocked the Church will come away better equipped to answer the charge that the church is intolerant of competing ideas. They will also develop the ability to interact with new and possibly dangerous ideas that comport with Jesus’ admonition to be wise as serpents but gentle as doves. This book also includes discussion questions for further study.
1. Valentinus the Gnostic: Who Doesn’t Love a Conspiracy Theory? (Think The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown)
2. Galileo Galilei: A Scandal of Religion, Science, and Politics
3. Voltaire’s Candide, Enlightenment Rationalism, and the Church’s Thin Skin
4. Darwin’s Origin of Species: The Many Faces of Evolutionary Theory
5. Marx’s Communist Manifesto: The Red Bull of the Masses
6. Sigmund Freud’s Ego
7. Joseph Campbell: Christianity as an (Almost) Enlightened Myth (A book that strongly influenced George Lucas’s Star Wars films)
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Why Study The Past
$21.99Add to cartThe well-worn saying about being condemned to repeat the history we do not know applies to church history as much as to any other area of history. But how can we discern what lessons we need to learn from the many centuries of church history?
In this small but thoughtful volume, respected theologian and churchman Rowan Williams opens up a theological approach to history, an approach that is both nonpartisan and relevant to the church’s present needs. As he reflects on how we consider the past in general, Williams suggests that church history remains important not so much for winning arguments as for clarifying who we are as time-bound human beings. Williams particularly addresses North American readers in his new preface to this perennially timely invitation to remember who we are.
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Disputed Teaching Of Vatican 2
$43.99Add to cartThe Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) radically shook up many centuries of tradition in the Roman Catholic Church. This book by Thomas Guarino, a noted expert on the sources and methods of Catholic doctrine, investigates whether Vatican II’s highly contested teachings on religious freedom, ecumenism, and the Virgin Mary represented a harmonious development of-or a rupture with-Catholic tradition.
Guarino’s careful explanations of such significant terms as continuity, discontinuity, analogy, reversal, reform, and development greatly enhance and clarify his discussion. No other book on Vatican II so clearly elucidates the essential theological principles for determining whether-and to what extent-a conciliar teaching is in continuity or discontinuity with antecedent tradition.
Readers from all faith traditions who care about the logic of continuity and change in Christian teaching will benefit from this masterful case study.
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Reading Marks Christology Under Caesar
$25.99Add to cartAcknowledgments
Introduction
Abbreviations
1. Reconstructing Mark’s Historical Setting
2. Mark’s Christological Titles
3. The Powerful Jesus Of Mark 1-8
4. The Suffering Jesus Of Mark 8:22-10:52
5. A Roman Reading Of Mark’s So-Called Secrecy Motif
6. Jesus And The Temple
7. Jesus In Mark’s Passion Narrative
Conclusion
Appendix: Yahweh Christology In Mark’s Gospel
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
The Gospel of Mark has been intensively studied from multiple angles using many methods. But often there remains a discontent, a sense that something is wanting, that the full picture of Mark’s Gospel lacks some background circuitry that-if properly supplied-would light up the whole. Adam Winn finds a clue in the cataclysmic destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. For Jews and Christians it was an apocalyptic moment. The earth shook, the sun went dark in the cosmic canopy, and Rome danced on the ruins of the holy temple. The gods of Rome seemed to have conquered the God of the Jews. And Roman Christians’ allegiance to a messiah crucified by Rome renewed sharp questions.Could it be that Mark wrote his Gospel in response to Roman imperial propaganda surrounding this event? However else they might function, are Mark’s themes and christological titles coded subversions of empire? Have we missed clues to understanding Mark’s messianic secret? Could a messiah crucified by Rome really be God’s Son appointed to rule the world?Adam Winn takes us on the adventure of rediscovering how Mark might have been read by Christians in Rome in the aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem. He introduces us to the Roman imperial propaganda of the Flavian emperors and excavates the Markan text for themes that address the Roman imperial setting.Here is an intriguing look into a first-century response to the question Christ or Caesar? Entering a first-century house church in Rome, we hear this Gospel again as if for the first time. -
Religion And American Culture
$33.99Add to cartWhile Americans still profess to be one of the most religious people in the industrialized world, many aspects of American culture have long been secular and materialistic. That is just one of the many paradoxes, contradictions, and surprises in the relationship between Christianity and American culture. In this book George Marsden, a leading historian of American Christianity and award-winning author, tells the story of that relationship in a concise and thought-provoking way.
Surveying the history of religion and American culture from the days of the earliest European settlers right up through the elections of 2016, Marsden offers the kind of historically and religiously informed scholarship that has made him one of the nation’s most respected and decorated historians. Students in the classroom and history readers of all ages will benefit from engaging with the story Marsden tells.
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Protestant Reformation Of The Church And The World
$55.00Add to cartFrom a distinguished assembly of twelve internationally acclaimed scholars comes this rich, interdisciplinary study that explores the Protestant Reformation and its resultant effects on the church as well as the world.
The Reformation extended from the church to revolutionize art, music, literature, architecture, and aesthetics and transformed economics, trade, and banking; these transformations shifted power away from the church to the state as they unleashed radical new campaigns for freedom, equality, democracy, and constitutional order.
Each contributor to this volume draws on distinctive methods and themes in an effort to understand the Reformation on its own complex terms, as well as to reconstruct its teachings and warnings for our day.
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New Testament Christological Hymns
$34.99Add to cartAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Cultural Matrices
3. The Philippian Hymn
4. The Colossian Hymn
5. The Prologue Of The Gospel Of John
6. A Wider Look: Other Hymnic Passages In The New Testament
7. Conclusion
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture IndexAdditional Info
We know that the earliest Christians sang hymns. Paul encourages believers to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” And at the dawn of the second century the Roman official Pliny names a feature of Christian worship as “singing alternately a hymn to Christ as to God.” But are some of these early Christian hymns preserved for us in the New Testament? Are they right before our eyes?New Testament scholars have long debated whether early Christian hymns appear in the New Testament. But where some see preformed hymns and liturgical elements embossed on the page, others see patches of rhetorically elevated prose from the author’s hand.Matthew Gordley now reopens this fascinating question. He begins with a new look at hymns in the Greco-Roman and Jewish world of the early church. Might the didactic hymns of that cultural current set a new starting point for talking about hymnic texts in the New Testament? If so, how should we detect these hymns? How might they function in the New Testament? And what might they tell us about early Christian worship?An outstanding feature of texts such as Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20, and John 1:1-17 is their christological character. And if these are indeed hymns, we encounter the reality that within the crucible of worship the deepest and most searching texts of the New Testament arose.New Testament Christological Hymns reopens an important line of investigation that will serve a new generation of students of the New Testament. -
Rapture And Revelation 3rd Edition
$11.95Add to cartThe world is a mess. Something is desperately wrong in many families and common ground hides wherever common sense went. There’s an end to business as usual in this world and it’s here. Not the literal last day, but the last times. This book won’t tell you what to believe, but will challenge you to get real about why you believe what you do.
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2 Ways : The Early Christian Vision Of Discipleship From The Didache And Th
$8.00Add to cartHow did earliest Christians receive and understand the teaching of Jesus and the apostles? These writings, among the earliest used in training new disciples, show a clear, vibrant, practical faith concerned with all aspects of discipleship in daily life–vocation, morality, family life, social justice, the sacraments, prophesy, citizenship, and leadership.
For the most part, these writings have remained buried in academia, analyzed by scholars but seldom used for building up the church community. Now, at a time when Christians of every persuasion are seeking clarity by returning to the roots of their faith, these simple, direct teachings shed light on what it means to be a follower of Christ in any time or place.
The Didache, an anonymous work composed in the late first century AD, was lost for centuries before being rediscovered in 1873. The Shepherd was written by a former slave named Hermas in the second century AD or possibly even earlier.
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To The Galatians
$22.00Add to cartPaul’s letter to the Galatians is about three things: (1) it is the apostle’s reaffirmation that God has acted in Jesus of Nazareth, whom Paul proclaims as the crucified Christ; and (2) this now means that everything has changed, not in neat supersessionist terms, but rather that Paul’s gospel places what preceded it (inter alia circumcision) and all of what comes after our hearing of it in a new light, i.e. that his gospel is the account of why there’s a new-but-yet-old basis for salvation reckoned most fundamentally as a new covenant-identity; and (3) that the covenant-identity not just of Israel but henceforth of the entire world will be based on a unitary faith in Jesus as the Christ, and that the Holy Spirit’s manifestation will be the proof of that identification. In every way that Paul is the apostle of the Christ crucified, he is in equal measure the apostle of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s letter is about the way in which we are to understand the terms of the identity that comes to us in the Christ who has been “clearly portrayed as crucified.” There is no longer any identity per se because in the wake of the Pauline gospel all of the traditional elements of identity have been transformed by God, so that by means of the gospel through identity we will have died to identity. It is thus only when we hear the Galatian letter “with faith” and respond to it in obedience, that is, when we hear it precisely as scripture, that it provides what is our only valid identity in God’s eyes: a gospel-based membership in his family that will be the believer’s eschatological way forward.
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Katharina And Martin Luther (Reprinted)
$16.99Add to cartTheir revolutionary marriage was arguably one of the most scandalous and intriguing in history. Yet five centuries later, we still know little about Martin and Katharina Luther’s life as husband and wife. Until now. Against all odds, the unlikely union worked, over time blossoming into the most tender of love stories. This unique biography tells the riveting story of two extraordinary people and their extraordinary relationship, offering refreshing insights into Christian history and illuminating the Luthers’ profound impact on the institution of marriage, the effects of which still reverberate today. By the time they turn the last page, readers will have a deeper understanding of Luther as a husband and father and will come to love and admire Katharina, a woman who, in spite of her pivotal role, has been largely forgotten by history.
Together, this legendary couple experienced joy and grief, triumph and travail. This book brings their private lives and their love story into the spotlight and offers powerful insights into our own twenty-first-century understanding of marriage.
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Demanding Liberty : An Untold Story Of American Religious Freedom
$22.99Add to cartReligious liberty is one of the most contentious political issues of our time. How should people of faith engage with the public square in a pluralist era? Some citizens hope to reclaim a more Christian vision of national identity, while others resist any religious presence at all.
This dispute is not new, and it goes back to the founding era of American history. As the country was being formed, some envisioned a Christian nation where laws would require worship attendance and Sabbath observance. Others advocated for a thoroughly secular society where faith would have no place in public life. But neither extreme won the day, thanks to the unsung efforts of a Connecticut pastor who forged a middle way.
Historian Brandon O’Brien unveils the untold story of how religious liberty came to be. Between the Scylla and Charybdis of theocracy and secularism, Baptist pastor Isaac Backus contended for a third way. He worked to secure religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all Americans, not just for one particular denomination or religious tradition. Backus’s theological ideas had social consequences, giving us insights into how people of faith navigate political debates and work for the common good.
Backus lived in an age of both religious revival and growing secularism, competing forces much like those at work today. Then and now, people fiercely argue about the role of government and the limits of liberty. The past speaks into the present as we continue to demand liberty and justice for all.
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Covenantal Priesthood : A Narrative Of Community For Baptist Churches
$39.99Add to cartThis work in practical theology begins with an exploration of the psychosocial issues at play in Australian Baptist churches as communities. Many of those who attend such churches, and those like them in Britain and North America, often find a warm sense of welcome and belonging. What follows builds on this positive subjective experience through the lens of Christian community framed by the rich scriptural narrative of covenantal priesthood. Such corporate priesthood, as demonstrated by our early Baptist forebears, comes to joint expression in worship and sharing God’s blessing with his world, and affirms the mutual priestly service of covenanted church community.
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For The Gospels Sake
$48.99Add to cartInformed take on the amazing growth of a very unusual missionary organization
The two-sided mission organization comprising Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics is a paradox that begs explanation. The scientific Summer Institute of Linguistics has worked in many countries around the world to translate the New Testament, develop unwritten languages, and educate indigenous communities. At the same time, Wycliffe Bible Translators has been one of the largest, fastest growing, and most controversial evangelical Christian movements during the last century.
In this wide-ranging study Boone Aldridge-a religious historian and twenty-year insider at WBT-SIL-looks back at the organization’s early years, from its inception in 1934 to the death of its visionary founder, William Cameron Townsend, in 1982. He situates the iconic institution within the evolving landscape of mid-twentieth-century evangelicalism, examines its complex and occasionally confusing strategies and policies, and investigates the factors that led, despite persistent criticism from many sides, to its remarkable rise to prominence.
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Church And Theology In The 19th Century
$89.00Add to cartThe last volume of Baur’s church history, based on lectures delivered during the 1850s, covers the nineteenth century. They were edited and published by Eduard Zeller after Baur’s death. Since the lectures devote equal attention to theological and ecclesiastical matters, the title in English is Church and Theology in the Nineteenth Century. Baur provides critical analyses of the philosophers and theologians of the nineteenth century (Herder, Schiller, Goethe, Kant, Fichte, Schelling, Jacobi, Schleiermacher, Marheineke, Neander, Mohler, Hegel, Strauss, Feuerbach, and many others), as well as details about European Catholic and Protestant church history from 1800 to 1860. What he produces is a “”participant history,”” written by a scholar very much engaged in the issues of his time. Ferdinand Christian Baur was a professor of theology at the University of Tubingen from 1826 to 1860. He is known for his path-breaking studies in New Testament literature and historical theology. Recent translations of his work by Brown and Hodgson include History of Christian Dogma and Lectures on New Testament Theology.
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Church And Theology In The 19th Century
$64.00Add to cartThe last volume of Baur’s church history, based on lectures delivered during the 1850s, covers the nineteenth century. They were edited and published by Eduard Zeller after Baur’s death. Since the lectures devote equal attention to theological and ecclesiastical matters, the title in English is Church and Theology in the Nineteenth Century. Baur provides critical analyses of the philosophers and theologians of the nineteenth century (Herder, Schiller, Goethe, Kant, Fichte, Schelling, Jacobi, Schleiermacher, Marheineke, Neander, Mohler, Hegel, Strauss, Feuerbach, and many others), as well as details about European Catholic and Protestant church history from 1800 to 1860. What he produces is a “”participant history,”” written by a scholar very much engaged in the issues of his time. Ferdinand Christian Baur was a professor of theology at the University of Tubingen from 1826 to 1860. He is known for his path-breaking studies in New Testament literature and historical theology. Recent translations of his work by Brown and Hodgson include History of Christian Dogma and Lectures on New Testament Theology.
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Faith In A Pluralist Age
$22.00Add to cartMost academics agree with Peter Berger that pluralism theory appears more accurate than secularization theory in accounting for the societal changes that accompany modernization. Yet Berger’s earlier book Many Altars of Modernity gives limited attention to the implications of the pluralist paradigm for religious discourse, in particular for evangelicals. According to Berger–who wrote the first chapter in this book–while pluralism leads to less certainty about faith and creates “”secular spaces,”” it also, more positively, clarifies the importance of trust in God, highlights the nature of religious institutions as voluntary associations rather than birth rights, and challenges Christians to know what they believe in. Subsequent chapters respond to the first. Four responses are theoretical (e.g., challenging the concept of secular spaces, exploring social constructionism) and four are contextual (e.g., describing anti-pluralist forces in India, challenging feminists to pluralism, examining women’s responses to pluralism, and exploring values in Brazil and China). The ideas are easily accessible to the lay reader and are intended to initiate a much-needed conversation about the implications of pluralist theory. We conclude that pluralism is challenging for Christian faith but, as Peter Berger says, in most ways it is “”good for you.””
